Alicia von Rittberg
In 2022, Alicia von Rittberg joined an elite sisterhood of actresses, all of whom have portrayed legendary British queen Elizabeth I. In Becoming Elizabeth, Alicia portrays Elizabeth (known as Elizabeth Tudor before becoming Elizabeth I). in her early years, a time when her future wasn't so certain thanks to a growing feud between her brother, King Edward VI, and her sister, the future Queen Mary I.
Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie stepped into the royal role for the 2018 film Mary Queen of Scots, which depicted the rise and fall of the Catholic Queen Mary Stuart.
Rachel Skarsten
Between 2015 and 2017, actress Rachel Skarsten portrayed Elizabeth of England in The CW's period drama Reign. The series highlighted Elizabeth's ongoing rivalry with Mary, Queen of Scotland (Adelaide Kane).
Vanessa Redgrave
Hollywood legend Vanessa Redgrave took a stab at playing Elizabeth I in the 2011 film Anonymous. The period drama questions whether William Shakespeare actually wrote all of those iconic plays.
Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren, a Dame in her own right, took on the titular royal role for HBO's 2005 miniseries Elizabeth I. The two episodes follow her complicated personal life, including her romantic entanglements with the Earl of Leicester (Jeremy Irons) and the Earl of Essex (Hugh Dancy).
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett first played Queen Elizabeth I in the 1998 period drama Elizabeth. The film told the story of Elizabeth's rise to power and struggles in her early years as queen. Cate would later reprise her role for the 2007 film Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Both films earned her Academy Award nominations.
Judi Dench
Blanchett wasn't the only A-list actress to play Queen Elizabeth I in 1998. In Shakespeare in Love, which won Best Picture at the 1999 Oscars, Dame Judi Dench played the famous Tudor queen. She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work.
Glenda Jackson
The BBC also tackled the royal's incredible life in its 1971 miniseries Elizabeth R. The titular role was played by Glenda Jackson, who won an Emmy for her performance.
Jean Simmons
Before there was Becoming Elizabeth, fans of Tudor history would watch the 1953 film Young Bess, which depicts the early life of Elizabeth.
Bette Davis
In the 1939 film The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Hollywood icon Bette Davis portrayed Henry VIII's youngest daughter and one of England's most famous queens.
Flora Robson
In 1937, United Artists released Fire Over England starring Flora Robson as Queen Elizabeth I. The film also starred Vivien Leigh, who had yet to achieve her Gone With the Wind fame.