'The Crown' star Helena Bonham Carter recalls making Olivia Colman cry on set

Olivia Colman cried after hearing Helena Bonham Carter's speech about the Aberfan disaster in South Wales.

Helena Bonham Carter told media ahead of the Virgin Media BAFTA Television Awards 2020 that Olivia Colman became very emotional when she filmed her speech on the Aberfan disaster on "The Crown."

The actress said her "very first scene" with Colman "sticks out" because the latter was an emotional mess. She cried "lakes of tears" when she heard the speech on the tragedy.

"I had to tell this whole story of a really horrendous tragedy, of Aberfan. And Olivia is extraordinary," Carter said as quoted by The Express.

"She's about the most empathetic individual I know. Lakes of tears inside her. She can't not cry," she revealed.

Carter said that Colman "couldn't listen to me making the speech without crying." This became a problem because the 46-year-old "Fleabag" actress plays Queen Elizabeth II, "who finds it difficult to express emotion."

The 54-year-old "Alice in Wonderland" star remembered that the directors panicked. It was a "huge problem" for them and they scrambled to find ways to stop her from getting emotional. The trick then was to no let Colman hear the speech so she would not cry. In the end, she had to wear an earpiece.

"So they stuck these little earplugs in her. So she wasn't acting with me at all. She'd just look at me whenever I stopped speaking and she'd be like, 'Huh?'" Carter revealed adding, "This is what it's like working with the great Colman. It was hilarious."

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The monarchy. Above all else. @GillianA and @emmalouisecorrin join Olivia Colman in Season Four of The Crown, arriving 15th November.
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Carter plays Princess Margaret in "The Crown" and actress Lesley Manville ("Ordinary Love") will take over the role for seasons five and six. She likened the cast changes to "handing a baton, it's like this race that we're all running."

Meanwhile, 64-year-old Imelda Staunton ("Downtown Abbey") will replace Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. Other cast changes for seasons five and six include Jonathan Pryce ("The Two Popes) who will replace Tobias Menzies ("Game of Thrones") as Prince Philip and Elizabeth Debicki ("The Night Manager") will replace newcomer Emma Corrin as Princess Diana.

"The Crown" Season 4, arrives on Netflix on Nov. 14.