Matt Smith Finally Responds to ‘The Crown’ Pay Controversy
At long last, Matt Smith has something to say about out-earning his queenly co-star. The former Crown Prince is glad Claire Foy’s lower pay started an international dialogue about salary parity, and hints the studio may even have put the two on an even keel.
When last we heard, Foy was surprised to be at the center of controversy, but less-so that fans would take issue with Queen Elizabeth’s role earning less than co-lead Prince Philip. The actress stated of her co-star that “Matt feels the same that I do, that it’s odd to find yourself at the center [of a story] that you didn’t particularly ask for,” though Smith himself had not spoken up before now. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the former Doctor Who star gave a diplomatic statement on the matter, also hinting that Foy had since discussed things with Left Bank Pictures:
Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all. I support her completely, and I’m pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that’s what needed to happen. 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.
As THR notes, it is unclear if “amends” is meant to suggest that Left Bank ended up adjusting Foy’s compensation on par with Smith’s. It was perhaps understandable that an international star like Smith negotiated a higher quote than Foy for Season 1 of The Crown, though even star Jared Harris agreed the matter should have been corrected for Season 2. As noted at the time, Foy won’t be given the chance to achieve parity with Smith, as Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies have since taken over the roles for Season 3. Left Bank also confirmed that “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the queen.”
Netflix had no comment on the matter, but is The Crown salary dispute officially laid to rest?
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