The Crown's Jason Watkins admits he accidentally jumped on his cat and killed it

Note: This article contains themes that some readers may find distressing.

The Crown star Jason Watkins has recalled the time he was so excited after hearing good news that he accidentally killed his cat.

The actor, now 53, had applied to enrol at London's prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) many years ago, and when he finally got the green light, he celebrated and tragically trampled his cat.

"That actually happened. When I got [my] acceptance letter from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, I was playing a lot of football at the time and I jumped in the air with delight and landed on my cat and killed it," he shared with UK paper The Mirror. 

Watkins — who gained fame in British TV shows Being Human, Line of Duty, Sherlock and Doctor Who — said that he usually gets a mixed reaction when retelling the story to friends.  

"I am sorry about that. I know it's bleak and sometimes people laugh and some are shocked," he added. "It was a bizarre thing to happen. Poor thing. We buried him in the garden after. It was a weird day because it was a fabulous moment in my life and also the worst."

The actor is set to join Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter in Season 3 of Netflix's The Crown, which returns to screens in November. Watkins will play British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who is set to give Elizabeth II (played by Colman) a right royal headache. 

"I am delighted to become a part of this exceptional show," Watkins said in a statement when he was cast in May 2018. "Harold Wilson is a significant and fascinating character in our history. So looking forward to bring him to life, through a decade that transformed us culturally and politically."

Season 3 of the popular series will be set in the '70s and details the early moments of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles' relationship. It will also explore the breakdown of the marriage of Princess Margaret's and Lord Snowdon, who at the time were regarded as Britain's most glamorous couple.