The Crown star Claire Foy was paid less than her male co-star

SHE may have played the most powerful woman in the world, but Claire Foy got paid less than her male co-star on The Crown. The show’s producers explain why.

SHE portrayed perhaps the most powerful and famous woman of the 20th century, to great acclaim — but The Crown actor Claire Foy still wasn’t paid as much as her male co-star.

The shocking revelation about Foy and co-star Matt Smith’s salaries was made by producer Suzanne Mackie during a panel discussion as reported by Variety.

Mackie and her fellow producers acknowledged that Smith did earn more for The Crown due to his Doctor Who fame, but vowed that future seasons of the show would see that pay gap closed.

“Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen,” said Mackie.

MORE: The Crown season two review — Royally good TV

The next actor to play the Queen is Olivia Colman, with no official word yet on who will take over from Smith to play Prince Philip.

Matt Smith as Prince Philip and Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix drama series, The Crown. Picture: Supplied/Netflix

The Netflix series has been a runaway hit over its two seasons to date, but not without a high price. It broke records as one of the most expensive TV series ever made, with each episode of season two costing about $8.9 million to produce.

“We’re victims of our own success, but so is Netflix,” said producer Andy Harries.

The news that Foy was paid less than Smith for her starring role comes amid an ongoing discussion about Hollywood’s gender pay disparity.

It was revealed in January that Oscar-nominated actor Michelle Williams accepted just $80 per day for reshoots of the Ridley Scott film All The Money In The World, while co-star Mark Wahlberg commanded close to a $2 million fee.

Former E! News anchor Catt Sadler quit her job late last year, after finding out her male co-host was paid nearly twice as much money as her.

“How can I operate with integrity and stay on at E if they’re not willing to pay me the same as him?” Sadler said in a statement, referring to her Daily Pop co-host Jason Kennedy, 36.

Closer to home, former Today host Lisa Wilkinson quit the Nine Network and took up new employment with rival Ten after her demands to be paid the same as co-host Karl Stefanovic were reportedly refused.