Vanessa Kirby says it is “really important” to publicly discuss the gender pay gap after it emerged her The Crown co-stars, Claire Foy and Matt Smith, were not paid equally.

Smith’s portrayal of a young Duke Of Edinburgh earned him more than Foy’s Golden Globe-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth in the Netflix show.

Producers later apologised and Foy was reportedly set to receive backpay.

Vanessa Kirby
Vanessa Kirby believes it is important for celebrities to publicly discuss the gender pay gap (Isabel Infantes/PA)

Speaking to Marie Claire, Wimbledon-born Kirby, 30, who played Princess Margaret in the royal drama, encouraged high-profile celebrities to speak out on the issue.

She told the magazine: “I think it’s really important because if we discuss it at our level then hopefully it will give people a voice, and not be at a disadvantage, just because they are a different gender; it makes absolutely no sense.”

Kirby has left The Crown and will be replaced by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret while Olivia Colman will star as Queen Elizabeth.

But she admits she is still “obsessed” by the character after winning a Bafta for the role earlier this year.

Matt Smith and Claire Foy
Matt Smith and Claire Foy. The Crown’s producers confirmed that Smith was paid more than his co-star Foy for the Netflix drama (Ian West/PA)

She said: “I could talk about it forever, and I will talk about Margaret forever because I’m absolutely obsessed.”

Kirby revealed she once went out accidentally wearing a diamante necklace from the set, adding: “Everyone was like, ‘What is that?’ It was plastic. We didn’t wear any real jewels.

“The costume designer was like, ‘Don’t tell anyone that!’ They couldn’t trust us not to run off with them in the night. No, they couldn’t trust me, because I’m so clumsy. The girls (in the costume department) called me Bambi, because I’d fall over things and burn cigarette holes in my costumes.’

To read the feature in full, see the August issue of Marie Claire which is out today.