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Claire Foy was paid less than Matt Smith for 'The Crown'
Claire Foy was paid less than co-star Matt Smith for the Netflix series The Crown.
Executive producers confirmed Tuesday at the INTV Conference in Jerusalem that Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth II, earned less than Smith, who portrays Prince Philip, according to The New York Times.
Producers said the inequity was influenced by Smith's experience as an actor. The 35-year-old star joined The Crown after starring as the 11th Doctor in three seasons of the BBC series Doctor Who.
"Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen," executive producer Suzanne Mackie vowed at the conference, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Variety previously reported Foy made $40,000 per episode. The 33-year-old actress played Queen Elizabeth in the first two seasons, and will be replaced by Olivia Colman in Season 3 as the show's timeline progresses.
Foy, who was a relative unknown prior to The Crown, won a Golden Globe for her performance in Season 1, and was nominated again for Season 2. She was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Season 1.
Nicole Kidman to star in new HBO series 'The Undoing'
Nicole Kidman will star in the new HBO limited series The Undoing.
The project, which is based on the Jean Hanff Korelitz book You Should Have Known, will reunite the 50-year-old Australian actress with Big Little Lies executive producer David E. Kelley, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"We're thrilled to continue our creative relationships with both Nicole and David and can't wait to bring this show to life," HBO programming president Casey Bloys said in a statement.
The Undoing follows Grace Sachs (Kidman), a successful therapist on the brink of publishing her first book. A "violent death, a missing husband" and "a chain of terrible revelations" shatter her existence, leaving her to build a new life for herself and her son.
Kelley will write the script and serve as showrunner. He will also executive produce the show with Kidman and producer Bruna Papandrea (Gone Girl, Big Little Lies).
"David has created another propulsive series with a fascinating, complicated female role at its center," Kidman said. "I'm excited and honored to continue collaborating with HBO and David E. Kelley."
The Undoing is searching for a director. The project has yet to announce an episode count, although Deadline reported the series will likely be in the same range as Big Little Lies Season 1, which consisted of seven episodes.
LOOSE LIPS:
"I am NOW retiring from being Cameron Diaz's spokesperson."
--Selma Blair, saying she was joking when she said Cameron Diaz was retiring from acting, on Twitter
??? Guess Who ???
Which former Grey's Anatomy star left the hit series to join the 'Cagney & Lacey' reboot?
Hulu orders series starring Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington
Hulu said Monday it is has ordered Little Fires Everywhere, a limited series produced by and featuring Big Little Lies actress Reese Witherspoon and Scandal star Kerry Washington.
The drama is based on Celeste Ng's 2017 novel, which "follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives," a news release said.
Liz Tigelaar -- whose credits include Life Unexpected and Casual -- wrote and will serve as showrunner/executive producer on the project.
"Celeste wove a beautiful, riveting story that spoke to all of us, and when we heard the vision Reese, Kerry and Liz have for the series, we knew immediately that we had to bring it to Hulu," the streaming service's chief content officer, Joel Stillerman, said in a statement. "We're honored to bring this powerful story to the screen with Hello Sunshine, in their first studio project. This is exactly the type of compelling and culturally relevant content that embodies our Hulu Originals brand."
"At Hello Sunshine, we strive to shine a light on female-driven stories that are rooted in inspiration, emotion and truth -- all of which form the bedrock of Celeste Ng's ingenious work," Witherspoon added. "Hulu has a rich history of transforming groundbreaking literature into groundbreaking television, and we are confident that their talented team will use this story to spur a long-overdue dialogue around race, class, and what it means to be a mother. With Kerry Washington, Liz Tigelaar and now Hulu, Hello Sunshine has brought together a dream lineup of creative collaborators, and we are privileged and humbled to have the opportunity to work with them to bring this important project to life."
"As producers, we at Simpson Street are so proud to be part of this team to tell this extraordinary story inspired by Celeste Ng's phenomenal novel and we are thrilled to be embarking on this journey with Hulu," remarked Washington. "As an actress, I am floored to have the opportunity to work alongside Reese Witherspoon exploring the rich themes of this story playing these dynamic characters."
Richard Simmons ordered to pay $130K in legal fees to 'National Enquirer' attorneys
Richard Simmons was ordered to pay $130,000 in legal fees to attorneys for the National Enquirer and Radar after his defamation lawsuit against the publications was thrown out of court.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory Keosian's decision this month was lower than the requested $220,000, which Simmons' lawyers described as a "billing fiesta," SFV Media reported.
The decision comes after Simmons sued the National Enquirer and Radar last year for publishing stories that claimed Simmons had withdrawn from public life to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
Although Simmons said the allegations were false and were made by a disgruntled former employee, Keosian threw the case out on grounds that calling somebody trangender doesn't necessarily defame that person.
"This court finds that because courts have long held that a misidentification of certain immutable characteristics do not naturally tend to injure one's reputation, even if there is a sizeable portion of the population who hold prejudices against those characteristics, misidentification of a person as transgender is not actionable defamation absent special damages," Keosian wrote in a Sept. 1 ruling.
Simmons is appealing the dismissal.
??? Guess Who ???
Which former Grey's Anatomy star is leaving the hit series to join the 'Cagney & Lacey' reboot?
Sarah Drew has joined a reboot of the CBS series Cagney & Lacey.
The 37-year-old actress started filming the pilot Tuesday following news she will leave Grey's Anatomy after Season 14. Drew will star with Michelle Hurd (Law & Order: SVU, Blindspot) in Cagney & Lacey.
"Well, it's been quite a week," Drew tweeted alongside an article about her casting.
"Day 1 on #cagneyandlacey done!" she later added. "I'm SO incredibly grateful to my @GreysABC family for bending over backwards to make it work for me to go and shoot this awesome pilot!! So grateful!!"
Drew and Hurd will play Christine Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey in the pilot, according to Deadline. The new show will reimagine the pair as Los Angeles police detectives, with Cagney as "easygoing" and Lacey as "straightforward" and "experienced."
The original Cagney & Lacey took place in New York and had a seven-season run from 1982 to 1988. Bridget Carpenter wrote the new pilot, with Rosemary Rodriguez to serve as director.
Drew, who plays April Kepner on Grey's Anatomy, confirmed her impending departure from the show Thursday. Jessica Capshaw, who portrays Arizona Robbins, will also leave the series after Season 14.