Recently it was brought to everyone’s attention, from some producers of the show, no less, that Claire Foy was paid less per episode than her co-star Matt Smith on the award-winning series “The Crown.” When the beans were spilled, producers chalked the pay gap up to Matt Smith having a bigger draw than Foy due to his run on “Doctor Who.”
However, with everything going on in Hollywood, regarding Time’sUp and the #MeToo movement, this pay gap was seen as ridiculous and unfair, considering Foy was the star of the series. There is even a petition (with almost 30,000 signatures) online now, asking for Smith to donate the difference in pay. So far, neither of the actors have voiced their opinions. But it does look like the production company is ready to come clean and apologize.
In a statement from Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind “The Crown,” they set the record straight on the pay gap and offered an apology. “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,” said the statement.
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Left Bank goes further, and explains how they’re responsible for the salaries, “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.”
In our previous report, we mentioned how, unfortunately, Foy is unable to see an increase because the series is about to have a time jump for the upcoming season, with the cast being changed. Last week, those producers who spoke up about the pay gap assured that the lead actress would be paid the most in upcoming seasons. But even with that concession, Left Bank is willing to do more.
“We all have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure that these issues are tackled, and as a leading production company we want to make our contribution to the debate. So, we are now going to be in talks with the Time’sUp UK campaign and ERA 50:50; organizations which are working to ensure all women have a voice,” the statement concludes.