Report: ‘The Crown’ Gave Claire Foy Equal Pay Retroactively
There was only one way The Crown pay scandal would end well, and Left Bank Pictures may finally have made good. Reports indicate star Claire Foy received retroactive pay to balance her leading role with that of co-star Matt Smith.
According to The Daily Mail (h/t Page Six), Foy will receive $275,000 in back pay to put her on par with Smith, who was said to make close to $14,000 more than Foy for each of the Netflix drama’s twenty episodes. The actors portraying Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip initially signed two-season contracts with the series, for which Smith’s international fame helped negotiate a higher rate. As is often the case with cast negotiations, neither actor was aware of their standing relative to the other. Said Left Bank Pictures:
As the producers of ‘The Crown’ we 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 are absolutely united with the fight for fair pay, free of gender bias and for a rebalancing of the industry’s treatment of women in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Left Bank first revealed the pay disparity between Foy and Smith in confirming that “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen.” Both actors have largely sought to downplay the controversy, and Smith mentioned in his own recent statement that “I’m pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it.” The Daily Beast followed up to inquire if his words meant Foy would be paid retroactively, but a publicist apparently prevented Smith from answering.
It’s certainly the best resolution we could ask for, and hopefully The Crown Season 3 has smoother sailing with Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies in the roles.
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