Who would have imagined that in a show where a queen reigns supreme, the issue of pay equity would take center stage off-screen? For instance, the gender pay disparity in the historical drama series The Crown, which centers on Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, is not unusual in the entertainment business.
Claire Foy, who donned the mantle of a young Queen Elizabeth II, initially faced an unsettling pay disparity. Revelations from the co-executive producer uncovered that the actress was paid less than Matt Smith, her co-star. However, insight from Variety highlighted the producer’s strict rule to balance the scales, acknowledging that the House of the Dragon star did make “more due to his ‘Doctor Who’ fame, but that they would rectify that for the future.”
The Crown: Claire Foy Was Paid Less Than Matt Smith
It’s no secret that the entertainment industry has long been plagued by issues of gender pay disparity, and the revelations about the pay gap between Claire Foy and Matt Smith on the hit Netflix series The Crown only serve to highlight this problem.
Despite playing the literal Queen of England, Foy was paid significantly less than her male co-star, Smith, who portrayed her on-screen husband, Prince Philip. Suzanne Mackie, the co-executive-producer, eventually admitted to the discrepancy & vowed to rectify the situation by implementing a strict rule that no one would be paid more than the Queen herself “going forward” (via Vanity Fair):
[Smith] did make more due to his ‘Doctor Who’ fame, but that they would rectify that for the future. Going forward, no one gets paid more than the queen.
The issue of basing actors’ compensation on their previous projects also plays a significant role in perpetuating this cycle of inequality. Foy, who was relatively unknown before her role in The Crown, was not even paid equal to Smith, who had already achieved fame for his role in Doctor Who. According to reports, Matt received $52,000 per episode for The Crown, which is roughly $12,000 more than Foy received (per Cosmopolitan).
While it’s encouraging to see the producer acknowledging the problem and taking steps to address it, the fact remains that Foy might not have gotten the opportunity to benefit from this change as her role was being recast for its third season. Oscar-winner Olivia Colman later took on the role of Queen Elizabeth II.
Claire Foy’s Views on Female Norms in The Crown Series
Before the second season of The Crown premiered, Claire Foy gave an interview to The Guardian in which she expressed her belief that women were expected to conform to social norms.
You’re told as a young woman what’s attractive, what’s acceptable, what’s the right or wrong way to be. I’m lucky I discovered acting as a way of expressing myself, but unless you’re given the permission to do that, you can’t get it out.
The actress wanted young women to know that being beautiful and kind is not a prerequisite for love or survival. In her words:
I wish there was a way of saying to girls: ‘You don’t have to be polite and pretty in order to survive and have people love you.’ The idea that you should be like everybody else genuinely breaks my heart. And I’m going to have to do something about it.
Carmelyn P. Malalis, the former Chair, and Commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights, claimed that “women and people of color” ought to be compensated fairly, without being hindered by their past or present income. She added (via CNBC):
[This] law will enable job seekers to negotiate a fair salary based on their skills and will help break the cycle of income inequality that has been so prevalent in the workforce for so long.
Well, with an 88% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics have praised The Crown for its production value, acting, writing, directing, and cinematography. Among the many honors the show has received is a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. Even Foy won two Primetime Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II.
Stream The Crown on Netflix.
