Who was the first actress to play Queen Elizabeth I? July 21, 2020July 11, 2012 by Pamela Landy The great Sarah Bernhardt, in Queen Elizabeth (1912, France), was the first actress to play Queen Elizabeth I. Related Answers Was Queen Victoria related to King George III of England? Who was the first actor or actress to win three Academy Awards? Why did Robert Browning (1812-89) and Elizabeth Barrett (1806-61) have to marry secretly? How many geographic locations have been named for Queen Victoria? What were the leeches in The African Queen (1951) made of? How long did the TV show “Queen for a Day” run on television?