The producers of The Crown have revealed that Claire Foy, who plays the Queen in the smash hit Netflix show, was actually paid less in the first two seasons that her co-star Matt Smith, who played Prince Philip. Speaking at the INTV Conference on Tuesday, creative director Suzanne Mackie confirmed that Matt was given a better wage due to his popularity following Doctor Who, while Claire was a relatively unknown actress ahead of the show. She added that this will change in the future, saying: "Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen."
Matt was paid more than Claire
Fans of the show were quick to discuss the revelation on Twitter, with one writing: "This is straight-up embarrassing, given that Claire Foy plays THE LEAD CHARACTER, and The Crown's audience seems to hate Philip," while another wrote: "I would argue that Matt Smith is a bigger international star than Claire Foy had been at the time the contracts were signed. However, Hollywood and London may have to reassess whether there should be some kind of SAG pay scale."
Matt played Prince Philip
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Another viewer was quick to point out that Claire wouldn't have a chance to make the same as her male co-star on the show as Olivia Coleman has taken over the role for season three to portray a more mature monarch. Speaking about the challenges facing them in seasons three and four, CEO of Left Bank, Andy Harries, said: "Seasons three and four will be the test of whether the show really has the legs to survive. I think we were the first television series ever to change cast and continue, and we will change cast twice. It's daunting but exciting and I hope it'll keep the series fresh and really of interest to people."