Rufus Kampa is set to play a younger version of Prince William on the forthcoming sixth and final season of The Crown.
The final season will air in two parts, totaling ten episodes. Based on the British royal family, The Crown debuted on Netflix in 2016 and has featured a revolving cast of actors throughout its run.
The first four episodes will begin streaming on Thursday, November 16, with the remaining six installments set to follow on Thursday, December 14. The new season will follow Princess Diana’s 1997 death and its aftermath. As in season 5, Diana will be played by Elizabeth Debicki, with Dominic West portraying King Charles III.
Earlier this year, producers for the show promised they would handle Diana’s death with care.
“There was a very, very careful, long, long, long conversation about how we do it — and I hope, you know, the audience will judge it in the end, but I think it’s been delicately, thoughtfully recreated,” executive producer Suzanne Mackie said in August at the Edinburgh TV Festival. “We’re thoughtful people and we’re sensitive people.”
The season’s later episodes will focus on the younger generation, including William and Princess Kate Middleton, played by Meg Bellamy. While Ed McVey will portray William in his teen and adult years, Kampa will star as the prince at age 15.
“The first half of season 6, you had to feel like Harry and William were boys, not young men,” Mackie said via Netflix, adding that she commends Kampa’s ability to play William at a vulnerable age and still bring some sparkle. “William is a good-looking, charismatic presence, so you wanted someone that had that presence.”
Scroll down to learn more about The Crown’s younger William:
1. How Did Rufus Kampa Start Acting?
Kampa has an extensive list of theater credits. He made his professional debut on London’s West End in 2019 in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole 13 & 3/4s: The Musical and has since starred in other productions including First Dates. He’s also an alumni of the British Theatre Academy.
2. How Did Rufus Kampa Get Cast on ‘The Crown’?
Kampa submitted self-taped videos after an open casting call on social media and was auditioned by casting directors, per Deadline.
3. Is ‘The Crown’ Rufus Kampa’s First Screen Role?
Kampa will make his screen debut in The Crown. Director Christian Schwochow called Kampa “the most intelligent actor you can imagine.”
“He’s only 16, but you can talk really precisely about the emotional arc of this character and what each scene should be,” Schwochow said to Netflix.
4. Have There Been Any Glimpses of Rufus Kampa in ‘The Crown’?
Kampa was spotted on set of The Crown in Spain alongside his onscreen mother, Debicki. The pair were thought to be recreating an infamous 1997 getaway to St. Tropez with Diana’s then-boyfriend, Dodi Fayed (played by Khalid Abdalla) and Prince Harry.
5. How Do Rufus Kampa’s Castmates Feel About Working With Him?
Debicki gushed about starring alongside Kampa and Fflyn Edwards, who is set to play a younger version of Harry.
“They’re very smart, much smarter than me, and they’re funny, and they’re very kind,” she told Netflix. “They’re kind of similar to how they feel on screen. They’re very connected to each other, and I just desperately wanted them to love me. I think that was pretty much what was happening on screen as well.”
