Which actor portrays King George VI in the series?

Jared Harris portrays King George VI in The Crown. George VI was Queen Elizabeth II’s father and became king unexpectedly after his older brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936. His reign lasted from 1936 until his death in 1952, when Elizabeth succeeded him.

Harris’s performance covers George’s final years, including his declining health and the changing responsibilities within the royal family. The series connects his illness and death directly to Elizabeth’s transition from princess to monarch, one of the central turning points in the show’s opening season.

George VI is also remembered historically for leading the monarchy through the Second World War and for remaining in London during the Blitz. The Crown dramatizes that wartime legacy alongside the private strain on his family. A frequent cast mix-up is confusing Harris with John Lithgow, who plays Winston Churchill, or Alex Jennings, who plays Edward VIII, the former king whose abdication placed George on the throne.