Working on 'The Crown' like creating a painting: co-director Benjamin Caron

"The Crown" is not a biopic nor is it a "lookalike show", says co-director Benjamin Caron, comparing the series on the British royals, the planet's most famous and endlessly written about family, to creating a painting or portrait.

The idea is to get to the essence of the characters and find what is "bubbling under the surface", Caron said about the Emmy-winning Netflix series, which premiered in 2016 and has been praised for its unflinching yet balanced portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, her family and her long reign.

"The series is not a biopic or a lookalike show. We are trying to get the essence of these well-known figures. Working on this show is like creating a painting or a portrait," Caron told PTI in an interview.

The director, who has been attached with the series since its inception and has directed the first few episodes of the upcoming third season, said the royals have always been written about. But "The Crown" stands apart with its great writing and unbiased approach, he added.

"I work with these incredible actors and writers and we try and find out what's wrong. We know what's bubbling underneath. A great piece of writing is never what's on the surface, it's always what's bubbling underneath," Caron said.

As a director, he tries to approach the show with an open mind and understand where these characters come from.

"I look at the story with the character arc in my mind and then it's like directing a play."