Matt Smith asked to donate pay disparity money to Time’s Up

Apetition has urged actor Matt Smith, who stars in the TV series The Crown, to donate the extra money he received for the show to the Time’s Up movement, after it was revealed that he was paid more than leading lady, Claire Foy.

The show attracted criticism from fans when producers revealed that Smith, who played Prince Philip for two seasons, negotiated a better deal than Foy, thanks to his popularity from the science fiction TV series Doctor Who.

Foy played Queen Elizabeth in the drama. She earned a Golden Globe, Screen Actors’ Guild Award, and Emmy nomination, among other accolades, for her role.

Now, Care2 petition is calling on Smith and the entertainment company backing the series to “show that they stand with women and do the right thing”, asking them to donate the difference in Smith’s pay to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The producers have already promised that they will adopt pay parity in the third season.

It should be noted that the next season will move forward without Foy and Smith as it deals with the later years of the Queen’s life. Olivia Colman will take over for Foy as Queen Elizabeth.

“Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen,” creative director and executive producer Suzanne Mackie said at a conference in Jerusalem.

The petition, with a goal of 25,000 signatures, has already managed about 22,000 signatures, at the time of going to press.

PHOTO: SIMON DAWSON/REUTERS Actors Claire Foy (left) plays Queen Elizabeth II and Matt Smith plays Prince Philip in The Crown