Believe it or not, the gender pay gap even affects the Queen, or at least the actress playing her. Just as Hollywood and the rest of the world are beginning to acknowledge equal pay, comes some particularly shocking news. During the INTV conference in Jerusalem, the producers (Suzanne Mackie & Andrew Harries) behind popular Netflix series, 'The Crown' had to publicly acknowledge how actress, Claire Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth II on the show, was paid less than her male co-star, Matt Smith, who plays her husband, Prince Phillip.
The confession came when one outlet asked the producers whether Foy earned more than the rest of the cast, with her being the star of the series. The justification given behind the pay gap was that upon joining the series, Matt Smith was already a worldwide star, whilst Claire Foy wasn't.
"The producers acknowledged that [Smith] did make more due to his 'Doctor Who' fame, but that they would rectify that for the future," (Variety). "Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen", added Mackie.
However, it's worth noting that Foy won't get the opportunity to even up her salary, let alone earn more than her co-stars, given that her stint as the Queen is over. From the third season onwards, her character will be portrayed by actress Olivia Colman because the series is set to take a considerable time jump.
The news hasn't been taken well by many, especially given that the series revolves around Queen Elizabeth's life story. Matt Smith may get just as much screen time as Foy, but truthfully speaking the storylines begin and end with monarch. Moreover, the series has a budget of just over £5 million, and that means the producers can afford to pay their star a little more than they currently do.
New faces
'The Crown' has proven just as popular worldwide as it is in the UK and it's not long before the third season airs. Alongside Olivia Colman as a 1970s Queen Elizabeth, will be Oscar nominated actress Helena Bonham Carter, taking Vanessa Kirby's place as Princess Margaret. As promised, there'll be no further controversy regarding inequality over pay, although we'll have to wait and see if that's the case.
