The Crown: Claire Foy responds to controversy over Matt Smith pay gap

News that 'Doctor Who' actor was paid more than Foy, who starred as the Queen, caused uproar among fans and critics

Claire Foy has responded to the controversy surrounding the pay gap between her and The Crown co-star Matt Smith.

Recently it emerged that the 33-year-old star of the hit Netflix show was paid less than the former Doctor Who actor, despite having the lead role.

The Sun reported that Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II in the first two series of The Crown, received a lower wage than Smith, who starred as Prince Philip, due to his larger reputation in the industry. The report was confirmed by producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries.

Foy told Entertainment Weekly following the uproar: "I'm surprised because I'm at the centre of it, and anything that I'm at the centre of like that is very, very odd, and feels very, very out of ordinary.

"But I'm not [surprised about the interest in the story] in the sense that it was a female-led drama," she added. "I'm not surprised that people saw the story and went, 'Oh that's a bit odd'.

"But I know that Matt feels the same that I do, that it's odd to find yourself at the centre [of a story] that you didn't particularly ask for."

Producers at Left Bank Pictures apologised for the pay disparity in a statement which said: "We want to apologise to both Claire Foy and Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the centre of a media storm this week through no fault of their own.

"Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on The Crown, have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity.

"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. 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."

Since the controversy, Left Bank Pictures have confirmed they will pay Olivia Colman, who will take over the role of The Queen in series three of The Crown, the same wage as the yet-to-be-announced actor who portrays the older Prince Philip.

Mackie pledged: "Going foward, no one gets paid more than the Queen."