She is not known for histrionics, but Queen Elizabeth II would surely struggle to maintain her famous poise if she knew the actress playing her on The Crown earned less than the man portraying her husband.
Producers on Tuesday said that Matt Smith, Prince Philip on the Netflix drama, negotiated a better deal than Claire Foy because of his perceived higher profile.
They did not reveal either salary — Foy’s was put at US$40,000 an episode by Variety last year — but told a panel event in Jerusalem that Smith’s 2010 to 2013 starring role on the BBC’s Doctor Who had been the decisive factor.
Photo: Reuters
The explanation has not appeased critics who argued that the discrepancy should only have shown up in the first series, before Foy was garlanded with awards and acclaim.
Foy, 33, was already making a name for herself in British drama, with roles in Upstairs Downstairs and Wolf Hall, when she was tapped to play the queen.
The part has earned her a host of award season nominations, including at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Emmys and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards. She has won two SAGs and a Globe.
Suzanne Mackie, one of the show’s producers, told the Jerusalem audience about the discrepancy and that The Crown, which costs US$7 million an episode to produce, is replacing its leads for the start of filming in July, with Olivia Colman stepping in as the queen and an actor to replace Smith not yet announced.
Helena Bonham-Carter is to replace Vanessa Kirby as Elizabeth’s sister, the late Princess Margaret.
The series comes from the pen of Peter Morgan, who first lifted the veil on the private world of Elizabeth II in The Queen, which was directed by Stephen Frears and earned Helen Mirren an Oscar award in the title role.
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