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Claire Foy gets £200,000 in back pay after pay gap scandal on The Crown

Claire Foy and Matt Smith in The Crown (Credit: Netflix)
Claire Foy and Matt Smith in The Crown (Credit: Netflix)

Claire Foy has been given £200,000 in back pay following the pay gap controversy on Netflix show The Crown, according to reports.

It emerged in March that she had earned less than her co-star Matt Smith in the series, despite playing the lead role.

But now, Netflix is said to have paid Foy, who plays the Queen in the show, the £10,000 per episode disparity between her salary and that of Matt Smith, who plays the young Prince Philip.

“The difference in the wages between Matt and Claire in the 20 episodes of the show so far was backdated. It has all been amicably resolved,” a source told the Daily Mail.

Foy and Smith starred in 20 episodes of the show, with Foy said to be earning £29,000 per episode, though Smith’s salary was never disclosed.

After it emerged that Smith was being paid more than Foy, an online petition received more than 25,000 signatures asking the actor to donate the difference between their wages to the Time’s Up campaign, to help raise legal funds for women suffering abuse.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter last week, Matt Smith appeared to imply that there had been some kind of recompense made to Foy.

“Claire is one of my best friends and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all,” he said.


“I support her completely and I’m pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that’s what needed to happen.

“Going forward, I think we should all bear in mind that we need to strive to make this better and a more even playing field for everyone involved – but not just in our industry, in all industries.”

Foy had previously said she’d been ’embarrassed’ by the furore.

“It definitely opened my eyes to a lot. And I certainly won’t be naïve about those things,” she said.

“It’s really opened my eyes about what I am allowed to have an opinion about, and what I’m allowed to stand up for myself about.

“And I think that’s really changed my approach to myself and other women in this industry. It’s been only a positive thing – even though, embarrassing.”

Suzanne Mackie, producer of the show, has said: “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen.”

Olivia Colman takes over in the role of the Queen later this year, opposite Game of Thrones star Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, with the new series likely to arrive in 2019.

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