Claire Foy says the gender pay gap she endured during ‘The Crown’ has "opened her eyes".
The 34-year-old actress – who played Queen Elizabeth on ‘The Crown’ – became the centre of a pay gap scandal last month when it was revealed that Matt Smith, her co-star who played Prince Philip on the Netflix drama, had been paid more than her for his role in the series despite having significantly less screen time.
And now, Claire has revealed she was left feeling "embarrassed" by the news, and says the ordeal has stopped her from being "naive" about her pay.
Speaking to reporters in Las Vegas – where she was promoting ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ – she is quoted by the Daily Telegraph newspaper as saying: "It definitely opened my eyes to a lot. And I certainly won’t be naïve about those things.
"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."
According to reports published in March, Claire was paid $40,000 per episode during her time on the drama, and Matt’s pay was not disclosed.
Claire’s comments come after Matt, 35, recently broke his silence on the issue to condemn the pay gap.
He said: "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. 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."
When the story broke last month, producer Suzanne Mackie and fellow executive producer Andy Harries claimed that rather than a gender issue, the pay gap came as Claire was an unknown actress when she accepted the lead role, whereas Matt had achieved global success for starring as the titular character in the long running sci-fi hit ‘Doctor Who’ from 2009 to 2013.
Claire Foy less ‘naive’ after pay gap on The Crown
