The Crown’s Foy to get backpay for work

In March, fans of The Crown were left in a royal uproar when it was revealed that Claire Foy — who plays Queen Elizabeth in the big budget Netflix series — was paid less than her co-star Matt Smith (who plays Prince Philip).

After the reveal began to make headlines, Netflix confirmed this week that Foy would be receiving backpay for her performance.

While how much exactly the two were paid hasn’t been confirmed, according to the Daily Mail, Foy will be receiving somewhere around CAD$350,000 (£200,000).

Producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries attributed the pay gap to the fact that, at the time of casting, Foy was still an unknown, while Smith was fresh off a six-season stint as the lead in British series Doctor Who.

But after the show’s first critically acclaimed season, Foy went on to win a Golden Globe for her performance, and earn an Emmy nomination. Yet, for both its first and second season, the pay gap remained.

At the time, Foy told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m surprised because I’m at the centre of it, and anything that I’m at the centre of like that is very, very odd, and feels very, very out of ordinary. But I’m not in the sense that it was a female-led drama. I’m not surprised that people saw the story and went, ‘Oh that’s a bit odd.’ ”

Smith also commented to The Hollywood Reporter, saying, “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 what’s 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.”

The producers have said they will rectify the gap in future seasons, which will feature different casts every two years as the characters age. The upcoming third season is set to star Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies as Elizabeth and Philip.

Hollywood’s pay gap has been a major point of contention in recent years, with Michelle Williams also recently making headlines after it was revealed she was making eight times less than co-star Mark Wahlberg in All the Money in the World. The actor eventually donated his salary to the Time’s Up movement, which seeks to support women with issues like pay parity and sexual misconduct.

Claire Foy