‘The Crown’ Producers Apologize for Gender Pay Dispute

The production company behind Netflix’s The Crown apologized Tuesday for paying Claire Foy, the actress who plays Queen Elizabeth, less than Matt Smith, the actor who plays Prince Philip. “We want to apologize to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the center of a media storm this week through no fault of their own,” Left Bank Pictures said in a statement. “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.” The production company also stated that they were “keen” to talk with Time’s Up UK and are in conversations with ERA 50:50, a British organization that aims for gender equality on screens and stages. This comes after executive producers of the show revealed that Foy was paid less than Smith in the first two seasons in mid-March, claiming that Smith’s fame from the BBC Doctor Who series contributed to the decision.