Not just anyone can step into the illustrious shoes of Her Majesty Elizabeth I, but these actresses brought her to life onscreen.
It takes a lot of guts to play a queen on screen, let alone the queen. Much like how Superman has been played by many actors onscreen, the life of Elizabeth I, too, has been retold through all sorts of creative lenses; some adaptations take intense creative liberties, while others strive to represent Elizabeth as accurately as possible. She’s been seen in comedic films like Blackadder and at one point, she was played by a man! No matter how you slice it, Queen Elizabeth is here to stay, and we’re going to rank some of the best actresses that have ever played her.
Since there have been so many actors to play the part of Bess, we’ll only be looking at portrayals in film and television. Stage actors for plays and musicals won’t be covered here, though we know some incredible performers have brought her character to life. From the oldest days of movies to the most recent adaptations yet, here’s our ranking of the best actresses to ever play Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I.
While Glenda Jackson is often revered as one of the best actresses to play the queen, her performance leaves more to be desired than the other entries on this list. In Elizabeth R, she's another young version of Elizabeth, but her attempt to show vulnerability, power, and control is overshadowed by the domineering personalities of the other characters. Because of this, she doesn't live up to the queen's powerful image, and it leaves fans wanting more when she's denied justice for wrongdoings against her. Make no mistake: Jackson is a gorgeous Elizabeth, and one of her biggest talents is the ability to appear human and naive. She's one of the few versions of Elizabeth to wear her hair down, which adds to the youth of her portrayal.
The early days of film suffered from previously established standards of overacting — stage actors had to overdo every line and every movement to relay information to the audience. Interestingly, Sarah Bernhardt's performance is surprisingly enjoyable despite the technological restrictions of the time. Les Amours de la Reine Élisabeth is a silent film, so Bernhardt relied on grand movements and facial expressions to tell her story. While her movements are highly dramatized, her demeanor is a fresh change of pace from actors with stiff, wooden body language. Moreover, she constantly looks like she's trying so hard to perform well as Elizabeth, and she's very poised when sitting on a throne. Her facial expressions are extremely wooden by contrast, but this balances out relatively well. Overall, she's a lovely and approachable version of Elizabeth, and her personality is reminiscent of a sweet old woman.
There's give and take with Bette Davis' performance as the queen, and some aspects are more successful than others. Right from the beginning, the micro-expressions in her face suggest underlying sadness. Each passing scene shows us that she's burdened with the trials of running a country and her rocky relationship with Essex; Davis uses fidgety hand movements and facial ticks to give us a deeper look at her constant anxiety. This queen is broken and trusts no one, but she's also bold and will physically face off with anyone who disrespects her. One of the largest factors inhibiting her performance is her English accent, which is shaky and inconsistent. It takes a lot away from the suspension of disbelief, as does the sometimes monotonous delivery of her lines. Nevertheless, she's a beautiful representation of Elizabeth.
This is a younger portrayal of Elizabeth, and Anne Marie Duff shines in letting us see Elizabeth's charm and cunning as a young woman. The Virgin Queen is a series that had plenty of time to flesh out our heroine, and Duff does a wonderful job with the queen's rise to power and gradual spiral into stress and paranoia. Her youthful take adds a bit of brashness to the character, but she knows exactly who she is and isn't changing. Her Elizabeth is extremely bold, and she commands attention when she enters the scene. There's an almost Viking-like quality to her performance, especially when giving a speech to her soldiers on horseback. Duff's Elizabeth is starting to go off her rocker toward the end of the series, and it's sometimes a little off-putting, but it makes perfect sense given the angle she's taking the character from.
In the series Elizabeth I, Helen Mirren doesn't show us the full extent of Elizabeth's power and influence right off the bat. At first glance, she's softer and a little more sensitive than the other actresses have shown the queen to be. As time progresses, we see a major shift as she unleashes her words as elegant yet potent weapons. She isn't afraid to face off with the men of her court, and there's a level of anger that constantly scorches behind her every move. It's a fantastic twist on the old 'gruff exterior hiding an approachable personality' trope. When she rides out to the battlefield to give a speech to England's troops, she isn't afraid to walk amongst her countrymen, touch them, or talk to them like her equals. Her softer side is loving and shows her dedication to the role of the queen, and these sweet moments are a beautiful contrast to her inner fury.
Margot Robbie brings a beautiful level of emotional vulnerability to Elizabeth's character in Mary, Queen of Scots. Whereas most other portrayals of the queen highlight either her immense presence or her internal struggles, Robbie gives us a highly maternal take on her. Her body language and demeanor are reminiscent of a stressed-but-loving mother, and her harsher moments are softened because we get to see why she makes certain decisions. She's regal, poised, and fills out Elizabeth's fabulous side with gusto, but she's also breathable and flawed. This Elizabeth makes it clear that she loves England more than anything else, and the haunting sadness behind her powerful visage is both devastating and beautiful.
One of the most respected actresses in the industry, Dame Judi Dench captures the power and presence of Elizabeth like no one else in the ranking. The moment she steps into the room, she commands the attention of her royal subjects and the audience on the other side of the screen; her line delivery is sharp and precise, so there is no misunderstanding what she has to say. She's quick-witted, sassy and fully unbothered by the antics and shenanigans of everyone around her. In one scene in Shakespeare in Love, she gives an entire circle of noblemen a chance to lay their coats down over a puddle for her — by the time they realize they've missed their opportunity, she's already walked through it on her own. Dench's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth is uncontestedly powerful, brilliant and regal — the definition of English royalty.
Cate Blanchett played Queen Elizabeth I not once, but twice in Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age. What's more, both protrayals earned her Academy Awards nominations for Best Actress in their respective years (the first of which was interestingly in the same year that Dench won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the queen in the previously mentioned Shakespeare in Love). Though Blanchett's isn't the most recent performance of the queen, hers undeniably towers over all cinematic portrayals of the queen. She brought nuance to the character, highlighting all of her flaws and vulnerabilities while never letting go of the strength with which she ruled.
Hannah has been a professional writer since 2018. An alumni of The Art Institute of Nashville, she’s written hundreds of articles for all kinds of clients. She’s created pieces on video games, comic books, music and everything in between; now she uses her skills to create original articles for MovieWeb. When she’s not writing, you can find her perfecting recipes in the kitchen or replaying her favorite video games.