Sorry we went public with your pay gap, Crown star told
THE producers of The Crown have apologised to Claire Foy for disclosing that she was paid less than her male costar, but stopped short of apologising for the discrepancy itself.
The Netflix drama has been at the centre of a storm after the programmemakers revealed during a television conference that Matt Smith, who played the Duke of Edinburgh, earned more because he was considered the bigger star.
More than 25,000 people have signed a petition calling for Smith to hand over part of his salary to the Time’s Up campaign against sexual harassment.
Left Bank Pictures, which made the show, said in a statement: “We want to apologise to both Claire Foy and Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the centre of a media storm this week through no fault of their own.
“Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on The Crown, have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity. As the producers of The Crown, we at Left Bank Pictures are responsible for budgets and salaries; the actors are not aware of who gets what, and cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues.
“We understand the conversation which is rightly being played out across society and we are absolutely united with the fight for fair pay, free of gender bias, and for a rebalancing of the industry’s treatment of women.”