Which actor plays Prime Minister Anthony Eden in The Crown?

Jeremy Northam plays Prime Minister Anthony Eden in The Crown.

Eden appears during the early years of Elizabeth II’s reign, first as Winston Churchill’s successor and later as a prime minister whose health and political judgment deteriorate. Northam portrays him across the series’ first two seasons, including the crisis surrounding the 1956 Suez invasion.

Anthony Eden was a Conservative politician who became prime minister in April 1955. His government’s decision to join France and Israel in military action against Egypt after President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal triggered international condemnation, especially from the United States. The resulting pressure forced Britain to withdraw, badly damaging Eden’s reputation and health.

A common mix-up is Anton Lesser, who plays Harold Macmillan, Eden’s successor. Jason Watkins portrays Harold Wilson much later, in season 3, while Jonny Lee Miller appears as John Major in the later seasons. Northam’s casting therefore belongs specifically to the Eden era, not to another Conservative prime minister.