Claire Foy was paid less than Matt Smith for The Crown
Apparently Smith’s Doctor Who fame earned him a higher salary – but many viewers aren’t happy
If you thought the most valuable person in The Crown would be the person who wears the crown, think again – producers have revealed that Doctor Who star Matt Smith was actually paid more for the Netflix series than co-star Claire Foy.
According to Variety, Crown producers Andy Harries and Suzanne Mackie revealed the disparity at the INTV Conference in Jerusalem on Thursday, stating the difference was due to Smith’s previous high-profile role in Doctor Who.
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“Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen,” Mackie said, pledging that season three with Olivia Colman will be different.
However, given that Smith’s role as Prince Philip was less central to the narrative than Foy’s as Queen Elizabeth II, many viewers have been outraged by the revelation.
While Colman has already been cast for the upcoming season, The Crown producers are still working on casting an "established actor" to play Prince Philip.
Writer Peter Morgan also recently admitted that he "needed persuading" about Smith's suitability for the role of Prince Philip.
“I’m ashamed to admit, I needed persuading about Matt Smith," he said, "but I saw him with Claire and it was instant. Separate, they were completely different, but together their chemistry was incredible.”
The Crown season 1 and 2 are available on Netflix now
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
