The actor has finally spoken about the pay disparity between him and Claire Foy.

Matt Smith has finally spoken out about the news that he was paid much more than co-star Claire Foy for the first two seasons of The Crown. Earlier this year, producers on the Netflix show confirmed that Claire Foy was paid much less than Matt Smith for her part in the hit show, despite playing the lead character. Producers initially defended the decision noting Smith’s “higher profile” thanks to his work on Doctor Who. However, unsurprisingly, that excuse didn’t fly with fans and the story became much bigger than producers expected it to. Most of the cast, present and future, has commented on the pay gap, except for Matt Smith himself who, until now, had yet to address it. “Claire is one of my best friends,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter. “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.” Matt went on to say that this story is just one example of how far we have yet to go to achieve true gender equality in the workplace. “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.” Claire Foy previously responded to the news saying that it was “very odd”. “I’m surprised because I’m at the centre of it,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “Anything that I’m at the centre of like that is very, very odd, and feels very, very out of the ordinary.”