Senan West entered television with an unusually demanding first role: portraying a young Prince William in Netflix’s royal drama The Crown. The English actor appeared in the fifth season alongside his father, Dominic West, who played Prince Charles. Their real-life relationship made the casting immediately newsworthy, but Senan still had to audition for the part.
The experience also placed a newcomer beside established performers during a storyline about the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage. His departure before the final season prompted further interest, particularly after Dominic explained his reservations about filming a scene involving Diana’s death.
Since then, Senan has appeared in the independent short film Lure, offering an early indication that his screen work extends beyond the royal role that introduced him to audiences.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Senan West |
| Profession | Actor |
| Nationality | British |
| Birth Year | Around 2008 |
| Age (2026) | Approximately 17–18 years |
| Birthplace | England (exact location not publicly confirmed) |
| Father | Dominic West (Actor) |
| Mother | Catherine FitzGerald (Landscape Designer) |
| Siblings | Dora, Francis, Christabel and half-sister Martha |
| Famous For | Playing Prince William in The Crown |
| TV Debut | The Crown Season 5 (2022) |
| Other Acting Credit | Lure (2025) |
| Industry | Film and Television |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
| Relationship Status | Not publicly disclosed |
A Father and Son Cast as Royal Father and Son
When The Crown prepared its fifth season, creator Peter Morgan needed an actor to portray William as he approached adolescence. The production was moving into the 1990s, a period in which the young prince was increasingly exposed to the consequences of his parents’ troubled marriage.
Dominic West had already been chosen to succeed Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles. During casting discussions, the possibility of his son auditioning arose because Senan was close to the age the production required. The arrangement had an obvious visual advantage: the actors playing Charles and William genuinely were father and son.
Yet family resemblance did not automatically secure the part. Netflix’s own account of the casting confirms that Senan had no previous acting experience and went through an audition process. He was selected to play an older William in the later part of season five, while Timothée Sambor portrayed the character at an earlier age.
The Crown Gave Him More Than a Famous Surname
Season five premiered in November 2022, with Imelda Staunton taking over as Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Debicki portraying Diana, Princess of Wales. Against that experienced ensemble, Senan’s job was comparatively quiet: make William believable as a boy caught between public expectations and private distress.
The series presents William as a child growing up under scrutiny while navigating boarding school, his changing relationship with his parents and the increasingly public collapse of their marriage. Senan’s portrayal belongs to that intimate strand of the drama rather than its political or ceremonial spectacle.
His scenes with Debicki were especially important because Diana’s closeness to William becomes a key emotional thread. Debicki subsequently praised his instinctive approach and ability to communicate complicated feelings, despite his lack of professional training. Her comments provided recognition from a co-star directly involved in those scenes, rather than simply from commentators attracted by the family connection.
Working opposite Dominic created an additional layer. Both performers had to treat one another as fictional members of the royal family while retaining the natural familiarity of a real father and son. Dominic acknowledged that this could feel strange, although he also described enjoying Senan’s presence on set.
Why Senan West Did Not Return for Season Six
The most discussed decision of Senan’s early career concerned a role he did not take. Although the producers invited him to return for the sixth and final season, Dominic West objected to his involvement in a particularly distressing storyline.
That season depicts the aftermath of Diana’s death in a Paris car crash in August 1997. One scene required Charles to tell his sons at Balmoral that their mother had died. Dominic later explained in interviews that he felt uncomfortable performing such material opposite his own son.
He also acknowledged that Senan had wanted to return, making the choice more complicated than a straightforward casting change. The decision reflected Dominic’s personal boundary about acting out a devastating parental conversation with his child; it was not presented as criticism of Senan’s performance.
Rufus Kampa consequently played the younger William in the first part of season six, while Ed McVey portrayed him at a later stage, including his university years. Dominic continued as Charles. Senan’s absence therefore had a publicly explained reason, rather than indicating that the programme had dismissed him for poor work.
Lure Marked a Different Kind of Acting Experience
Senan’s subsequent screen credit moved away from royal biography. In the 2025 short film Lure, directed by Jasper Pagan, he plays Peter Newman, the younger brother of Jonah Newman, portrayed by Reuben Larkin. Leon Cain also appears in the cast.
Set against the coastline of 1950s Norfolk, the film draws on English folklore and follows two brothers facing a supernatural danger at sea. Its themes of loss, loyalty and brotherhood offer material quite different from the historical family drama of The Crown.
The project was made by an independent filmmaking team associated with the University of Sussex. Its director has reported recognition at the 2025 Graddies Film Festival and the 2026 Cambridge Short Film Festival. Those honours belong to the short film, not to Senan as individual acting awards.
The Family Behind the Public Profile
Senan is one of four children of Dominic West and Irish landscape designer Catherine FitzGerald. His siblings are Dora, Francis and Christabel. Dominic also has an older daughter, Martha, from a previous relationship.
Dominic is widely known for performances in The Wire, The Affair and The Crown. Catherine has an established career in garden and landscape design, including work associated with significant historic properties. The family therefore has connections to two distinct creative professions rather than acting alone.
Catherine’s ancestral home, Glin Castle in County Limerick, is a particularly visible part of the family’s Irish heritage. She has spoken publicly about its gardens, preservation and importance to her children, who have spent time there. That background helps explain the family’s ties to Ireland, although it should not be mistaken for evidence that Senan has pursued an Irish-based acting career.
Age, Earnings and What Is Actually Known
Contemporary reports described Senan as 13 when his casting was announced in November 2021. This places his birth around 2008, but a consistently verified exact birth date is not available from the principal production accounts. An exact current age therefore depends on information that should not be guessed.
Likewise, his salary from The Crown, payment for Lure and personal net worth have not been reliably disclosed. Online figures sometimes circulate for emerging actors, but without credible financial reporting they cannot be presented as facts.
A Career Still Taking Shape
Senan West’s early filmography is small, yet its two confirmed productions show different sides of his experience. One involved reproducing a recognisable public figure under the scrutiny surrounding a major television series; the other asked him to perform within an independent supernatural story.
Conclusion
Senan West first attracted attention because he played Prince William opposite his father, Dominic West, in The Crown. His audition, performances with an accomplished cast and later credit in Lure provide a fuller account of his beginnings.
The decision not to return for season six was connected to the emotional demands of its storyline, not a documented professional setback. His future remains open, but his screen career already extends beyond the casting coincidence that made his name familiar.
FAQs
Who is Senan West?
Senan West is an English actor recognised for playing a young Prince William in the fifth season of Netflix’s The Crown. He is the son of actor Dominic West and landscape designer Catherine FitzGerald. He also appeared as Peter Newman in the 2025 independent short film Lure.
Is Senan West Dominic West’s real son?
Yes. Dominic West and Senan West are father and son in real life. In The Crown, they also portrayed father and son: Dominic played Prince Charles and Senan played William. Their relationship drew attention to the casting, although Netflix confirmed that Senan auditioned for the part.
Why was Senan West replaced in The Crown?
Dominic West said he did not want to film a scene about Charles informing William of Princess Diana’s death opposite his own son. Senan had been invited to return and reportedly wanted the role. Rufus Kampa played the younger William in season six, followed by Ed McVey as the character grew older.
What has Senan West acted in besides The Crown?
He appeared in Lure, a 2025 independent fantasy short directed by Jasper Pagan. Senan plays Peter Newman, whose brother Jonah is portrayed by Reuben Larkin. The story draws on Norfolk folklore and explores danger at sea. No broader list of later major screen roles has been reliably confirmed.
How old is Senan West, and what is his net worth?
Senan was reported to be 13 in November 2021, supporting a birth year around 2008. An exact birth date is not consistently established in primary accounts. His individual earnings and net worth are also not publicly verified, so any precise monetary figure should be treated with caution.
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