All hail Alicia von Rittberg!
The German-born actress is following the likes of Dame Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Dame Helen Mirren by playing Queen Elizabeth I in Starz’s Becoming Elizabeth. However, don’t expect Alicia’s performance to replicate the A-listers who’ve previously tackled the role.
In an exclusive interview with E! News, Alicia admitted it was “so intimidating” taking on the Tudor queen, but she eventually felt relief when she realized Becoming Elizabeth tackles the early years of the iconic royal.
As she put it, “So there is not that much comparison.”
Alicia also kept a mantra from Helen—who has played both Queen Elizabeth I and II—in mind. “When she researched,” Alicia told E! News, “she found a painter who portrayed Elizabeth and he was like, ‘This is just my version of the of the Queen. I’m not saying it is her.’ I think that just really helped me to calm down. It’s just our version of it.”