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Who plays John Major in The Crown?

JOHN Major took over as Prime Minister from Margaret Thatcher in 1990, who was previously played by Gillian Anderson in season four.

Here's who plays the former Prime Minster in season five of the Netflix drama.

Jonny Lee Miller plays John Major in the Netflix drama
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Jonny Lee Miller plays John Major in the Netflix dramaCredit: Getty

Who plays John Major in The Crown?

Former Prime Minister Sir John Major is played in The Crown season five by Jonny Lee Miller.

Miller took over the role which was previously played briefly in a season four background role by actor Marc Ozall.

Sir John was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997 replacing Margaret Thatcher.

He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary under the Thatcher government from 1987 to 1990.

The former PM has been very open and honest about his opinion over the latest season of the royal drama, after branding it a "barrel-load of nonsense peddled for no other reason than to provide maximum – and entirely false – dramatic impact".

In his letter, Sir John wrote: "Netflix may well take the view that any publicity is good publicity.

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"But I assure them it is not – most especially when it disrespects the memory of those no longer alive, or puts words into the mouths of those still living and in no position to defend themselves.

"Fiction should not be paraded as fact."

What is Jonny Lee Miller known for?

Miller is probably best known for his portrayal of Sick Boy in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting and its sequel T2 Trainspotting.

He's also earned critical acclaim in recent years for his role as Sherlock Holmes in the US series Elementary, as well as the classic detective tale starring Lucy Liu as Joan Watson and Natalie Dormer as Jamie Moriarty, from 2012 until 2019.

Before that, he had brief cameos in Doctor Who, EastEnders, Casualty and Prime Suspect.

Miller has also appeared in films such as Dark Shadows and Mansfield Park, as well as series including Eli Stone and Dexter.

Is Jonny Lee Miller married and does he have children?

Jonny was previously married to Hollywood icon Angelina Jolie in 1996.

The pair met after working together on the action 1995 flick Hackers – but separated in 2000.

In 2006 he began dating model and Law and Order actress Michele Hicks, and they share a son.

The couple divorced in 2018.

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