Matt Smith Opens Up About Pay Disparity in 'The Crown'
Matt Smith officially broke his silence about the pay disparity between him and "The Crown" co-star Claire Foy.
The actor, who portrayed the role of Prince Philip in the first two seasons of the Netflix biopic, revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he supports his co-star.
Smith said that Foy is one of his closest friends, and he believes that he and his co-star should have received the same paycheck. He also said that that there should be equality for all.
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He also mentioned that he was glad to hear that Foy's issue with the show's producers had been fixed.
"Going forward, I think we should all bear in mind that we need to strive to make this better and a more even playing field for everyone involved — but not just in our industry, in all industries," the actor told the publication during the interview to promote his new film "Mapplethorpe."
The pay disparity between the two actors was first revealed during the panel discussion at the INTV Conference in Jerusalem, Israel in March. During the event, "The Crown" producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries from Left Bank Pictures were asked if Smith and Foy, the actress who played the role of Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1 and 2, had the same paycheck during their time in the show.
Variety reported during that time that the producers of the TV series acknowledged that Smith got a higher paycheck because of his "Doctor Who" fame. But they decided to fix the disparity as the show moves forward with another season.
The production company also issued a statement through Deadline to apologize to the actors.
"We want to apologize to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the center of a media storm this week through no fault of their own," the statement reads. "Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on The Crown, have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity," it went on to say.
The production company also revealed that they are the only one responsible for the salaries of the actor and the budgets for the show. No one in the cast knew how much the others get, which means that they cannot be held liable for the decision regarding the salaries of their co-stars.
However, the implementation of the new pay rules that eradicated the disparity among actors will not have any effect on Foy since she will no longer return on "The Crown" in the upcoming seasons.
Because the series will feature a significant time jump next season, the role of Queen Elizabeth II for seasons 3 and 4 will be assigned to "The Night Manager" star Olivia Colman.
On the other hand, Smith's role has been given to "Outlander" star Tobias Menzies while Helena Bonham Carter will replace Vanessa Kirby for the role of the Queen's younger sister Princess Margaret.
Netflix has yet to reveal the release date for "The Crown" season 3.
