POPSUGAR UK

Matt Smith Supports Claire Foy "Completely" Following Gender Pay Gap Controversy

28/04/2018 - 12:35 PM

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 04:  Claire Foy and Matt Smith attend the screening of 'The Crown' at 92nd Street Y on December 4, 2017 in New York City.  (Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images)

When it was revealed that The Crown's Claire Foy, despite being the show's lead, had been paid less than her costar Matt Smith (allegedly due to his Doctor Who fame) it didn't take long for the news to go viral. A few days later, a petition calling for Smith to donate his salary to Time's Up [1] was started, and the producers behind Netflix's critically acclaimed royal drama issued a statement apologising to the actors [2]. Jared Harris, who played King George VI in the show, slammed the controversy as "an embarrassment." [3]

While Foy ended up breaking her silence on the issue [4], explaining that she was "not surprised" to see that people were interested in the story, Smith kept quiet about the situation for some time. The British star finally decided to speak out this weekend, telling The Hollywood Reporter [5] that he completely supports his co-star.

"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," the actor explained. "I support her completely, and I'm pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that what's 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."

It's unclear what the actor is referring to when talking about the fact that amends have been made, but here's to hoping the same thing doesn't happen to The Crown's season three cast [6].


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/entertainment/Matt-Smith-Reaction-Crown-Pay-Gap-Controversy-44768518