Paul Bettany has confirmed reports suggesting he dropped out of talks to star in The Crown because of scheduling conflicts.
The Avengers actor was in negotiations to replace Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip in the third series of the Netflix drama, but it was reported in January (18) that he had withdrawn from talks because of his busy schedule.
Paul appeared on U.K. show Lorraine on Wednesday (11Apr18) and confirmed that his diary didn’t align with the show’s shooting schedule, which meant he couldn’t fit the series into his workload.
“We discussed it. We just couldn’t come to terms on dates really. (That) is all that happened,” he said. “100 per cent, I’ll remain a fan of it – it’s fantastic.”
It was recently announced that Game of Thrones actor Tobias Menzies would be playing the older version of Matt’s Duke of Edinburgh in the upcoming third and fourth seasons.
He joins Olivia Colman, who will portray the British monarch following Claire Foy’s award-winning run in the first two seasons.
The show recently came under fire after producers Susie Mackie and Andy Harries revealed that Matt was paid more than Claire, noting that he was more famous thanks to Doctor Who, but assured fans that, “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the Queen”.
The producers subsequently issued a statement in which they apologised to Matt and Claire for putting them at the centre of the pay disparity controversy, and Claire told EW.com in March: “I’m not surprised that people saw it (the story) and went, ‘Oh, that’s a bit odd’. But I know that Matt feels the same that I do; that it’s odd to find yourself at the centre (of a story) that you didn’t particularly ask for.”
