Claire Foy Was Paid Less Than Her Male Co-Star for The Crown

Claire Foy, who just ended her two-season run as Queen Elizabeth on Netflix's royal drama The Crown, was paid less money for her starring role than the man who played her royal consort. The gender wage gap is a huge issue in Hollywood, but a Queen making less than a prince?

Variety reported that Foy was payed $40,000 per episode for the second season of the drama, while co-star Matt Smith was paid more (his salary has not been made public). The justification is that while Smith is billed as a supporting actor, he is much more well known thanks to his turn as the titular Time Lord on Doctor Who. Sure, Smith's fame might entitle him to make more than a less famous supporting actor, but should he be making mroe than the star of the show, the literal queen?

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This becomes even more baffling when you take into account the show's overall budget, which was reportedly $130 million. That boils down to at least $7 million an episode. Sure, those elaborate sets and costumes must be expensive, but they couldn't eke out a few more dollars for Foy?

At the INTV Conference this week, Left Bank creative director Suzanne Mackie said that, "going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen." In the show's next season, Elizabeth will be played by Broadchurch star Olivia Colman.