‘The Crown’ Star Jonathan Pryce Says He is “Bitterly Disappointed” in “Fellow Artistes” For Criticism of the Show

By Samantha Nungesser @samjnungesser
Published Oct. 27, 2022, 9:22 a.m. ET

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After weeks of criticism by both British officials and Hollywood, The Crown star Jonathan Pryce is calling out the latter. The actor, who is portraying Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the show’s upcoming fifth season, told Deadline he is “bitterly disappointed” in his “fellow artistes.”

His clap back comes just one week after Dame Judi Dench blasted the show as “cruelly unjust” and suggested that Netflix add a disclaimer to the beginning of each episode telling viewers it is a “fictionalized drama.” While the streaming platform has not said they will add the disclaimer to each episode, they have added it to the trailer’s logline as well as announced it publicly.

“The vast majority of people know it’s a drama,” Pryce argued. “They’ve been watching it for four seasons.”

Sir John Major, the former prime minister, was also among British officials to condemn the series after catching wind of a scene where Prince Charles (Dominic West) was plotting to get his mother to abdicate the throne. He went on to call the storyline a “barrel load of malicious nonsense.” While Pryce understood Major “voicing his disquiet because he was there,” he said he’s “hugely disappointed by my fellow artistes.”

The Oscar-nominated actor also went on to say that public scrutiny of The Crown was heightened after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in early September. He told the outlet criticism “came about because of an enhanced sensitivity because of the passing of the Queen.”

Lesley Manville, who is playing Princess Margaret in Season 5, shared the same sentiments. She told Deadline, “There is, and for my part as well, a great deal of compassion towards the Queen, and depths of feeling that she is no longer with us. That has certainly heightened it all.” However, the actress noted, “I wouldn’t be involved with something that I felt was crossing the line. I don’t think the series does at all.”

The Crown Season 5 hits Netflix on Nov. 9.