The producers expressed that going forward no one gets paid more than the queen.
Who would’ve thought that a prince would get paid more than a queen? News broke on Tuesday that The Crown star Claire Foy was paid less for her role as Queen Elizabeth II than her male counterpart, Matt Smith, who portrays Prince Philip.
During the INTV Conference in Jerusalem, Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries, producers of the Netflix drama, were asked whether the 33-year-old actress was paid more than Smith.
“The producers acknowledged that [Smith] did make more due to his Doctor Who fame, but that they would rectify that for the future,” Variety reported. “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the queen,” said Mackie. ET has reached out to Netflix for comment.
While the news may come as a shock to many -- seeing that Foy won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for her role -- the producers' comments highlight the fact that Smith received higher pay because of his work as the title character on Doctor Who and was more widely known. Meanwhile, Foy hadn't had a high-profile role before The Crown.
Unfortunately, Foy won't be able to get fairly compensated on The Crown as the actors have completed their time on the series. Season three will have Olivia Colman step in as the queen, and Helena Bonham Carter will take on the role of Princess Margaret. No actor has yet to replace Smith.
Meanwhile, Foy already has a slew of projects in the works, including First Man opposite Ryan Gosling and playing Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo spin-off The Girl in the Spider's Web.
For Smith and Foy's reaction to Carter joining The Crown, watch below!
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