'Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly,' the Prince Philip depicter says of Foy, who portrayed Queen Elizabeth in the first two seasons of the series.
- Apr 23, 2018
AceShowbiz - Matt Smith has broken his silence on the controversial pay disparity between himself and his "The Crown" co-star Claire Foy. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor expresses his support for his co-star's right for an equal salary.
"Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly," Smith says. "I support her completely, and I am pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for that, because [that's what] needed to happen."
The Prince Philip depicter goes on saying, "Going forward, I think we should all bear in mind we need to strive to make this better, a more playing field, for everyone involved--but not just in our industry, in all industries."
It was revealed last month that Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth on the Netflix series and earned a Golden Globe award for her stunning portrayal of the character, was paid less than Smith. Andy Harries and creative director Suzanne Mackie said that Smith's "Doctor Who" fame contributed a lot to his salary. Smith previously portrayed the 11th incarnation of The Doctor on the popular British series.
While Harries and Mackie didn't reveal the number of Smith's salary, Foy was paid about $40,000 per episode, according to Variety. Mackie, however, assured that there would be no salary gap in the coming season. "Going forward," Mackie said, "no one gets paid more than the Queen."
In the upcoming third and fourth season of "The Crown", Olivia Colman ("The Lobster") will replace Foy as the Queen. Meanwhile, "Outlander" and "Game of Thrones" star Tobias Menzies has been tapped to take over the role of Prince Philip from Smith. Helena Bonham Carter is also among the new cast members for the upcoming season as she is set to play the Queen's sister Princess Margaret.
