Claire Foy to 'receive £200,000 in back pay' after The Crown gender pay gap controversy

Producers on the Netflix show had previously admitted Foy had been paid less than her co-star Matt Smith

The Crown star Claire Foy will reportedly receive back pay for her performance as Queen Elizabeth, after producers admitted she was paid less than co-star Matt Smith, who portrayed Prince Philip.

It is not known how much more Smith was paid for the first two seasons of the Netflix show, but according to the Daily Mail, Foy would get about $274,000 (£200,000) in back pay.

Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries, both producers on the show, first touched on the pay gap during the INTV Conference in Jerusalem earlier this year. The duo claimed that Smith earned more money because of his stint on the BBC series Doctor Who, which he starred on from 2010-2014.

While Mackie and Harries addressed the wage gap, they didn’t explain why Foy continued to make less money than Smith when her profile rose significantly ahead of the show’s second season, winning a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award for her role on the show.

Responding to the controversy last month, Foy commented: “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 [surprised about the interest in the story] in the sense that it was a female-led drama,” she added. “I’m not surprised that people saw the story and went, ‘Oh that’s a bit odd’. But I know that Matt feels the same that I do, that it’s odd to find yourself at the centre [of a story] that you didn’t particularly ask for.”

Matt Smith also responded to the controversy, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “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 Crown‘s production company – Left Bank Pictures – confirmed it will pay Olivia Colman, who will take over the role of The Queen in series three of The Crown, the same wage as the show’s new Prince Philip, Tobias Menzies.

The company also issued a statement of apology to both Smith and Foy. “We want to apologise to both Claire Foy and to 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.”

Left Bank Pictures and Netflix have been contacted for comment.

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