Fleabag star Andrew Scott ‘approached to play Tony Blair in The Crown season five’

Fleabag star Andrew Scott is rumoured to have been approached to portray Tony Blair in season five of The Crown.

The Sun shared the reported development on Wednesday, citing a “TV insider”.

“The creators wanted an adaptable actor like Andrew who has proved he can master the charm and intimidating presence that typified Blair,” the source told the publication.

The Independent has contacted Scott’s publicist, as well as representatives for the Netflix show, for more information.

The Crown’s fifth season is reportedly set to begin in July. Season four of the series aired in November 2020, covering the time period between 1979 and 1990 and introducing Princess Diana (portrayed by Emma Corrin).

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Details for season five have yet to be confirmed, but Blair was the leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007, and served as Prime Minister between 1997 and 2007, so it would make sense for him to appear in the show’s upcoming episodes.

John Major, who was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, is also a likely character for season five.

Scott has twice emerged as the runaway star of a TV show he was cast in: between 2010 and 2017, he rose to global fame thanks to his immensely popular portrayal of Jim Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’s nemesis in the BBC’s Sherlock.

In 2019, Scott earned acclaim for his role as the “Hot Priest” featured in the second season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag.