Claire Foyis setting the record straight.
Foy has disputed reports that shereceived $275,000 in back-payfor her role asQueen ElizabethII onThe Crown,after news broke that she was paid less than her costarMatt Smith.
“That was what was reported, that I was back-paid,” theGolden Globe-winning actress told Dubai-based news channelAl Arabiya. “I’ve never mentioned anything about it and neither have the producers. The fact that that is ‘fact’ is not quite correct.”
Foy said the issue of pay inequality expands beyond the entertainment industry.
“It happened at the same time as it was coming out with a lot of other people that there was a lot of pay inequality across the board – in the music industry, in journalism, in every industry,” Foy said. “It’s across the board that it became part of a bigger conversation, which is an odd place to find yourself in.”
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“Going forward, no one gets paid more than the queen,” Mackie said at the time.
RELATED VIDEO: Claire Foy Responds to The Crown Pay Controversy
The U.K. production company behind the Netflix drama laterissued an apologyfor putting the stars in the middle of a pay equity debate.
“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,” Left Bank Pictures said in a statement, according toDeadline. “Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast onThe Crownhave worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity.”
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The statement continued: “As the producers ofThe 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.”
Smith, who played her on-screen husbandPrince Philipin 20 episodes over the course of two seasons, toldTheHollywood Reporterthat hesupports Foy completely.
“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.”
source: people.com
