Matt Smith Says He Barely Watches ‘The Crown’ Any More & Reveals How He Welcomed Ncuti Gatwa To ‘Doctor Who’

Max Goldbart
·2 min read
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Matt Smith’s star turn as Prince Phillip in the first two seasons of The Crown attracted plaudits but didn’t exactly secure him as a long-term viewer.

The House of the Dragon star said he “keeps an eye” on the twists and turns of Peter Morgan’s now-ended royal family saga but “doesn’t really watch” The Crown.

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“I have not kept up to date with it but I’m proud to be part of it,” he told the BBC’s Today program, as he labeled Morgan a “brilliant writer.”

Smith played Queen Elizabeth II’s husband in the first two seasons from 2016 opposite Claire Foy, before he was replaced by Tobias Menzies for Seasons 3 and 4 and then Jonathan Pryce for the concluding runs.

In contrast to Smith, Dominic West, who played Prince Charles in Seasons 5 and 6, recently told the same BBC program that he was relieved The Crown had ended as he no longer had to be immersed in the world of the royal family.

Smith also played the 11th Doctor in Doctor Who several years ago and he revealed today that he didn’t give new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa the same welcome as predecessor Jodie Whittaker.

He previously said that when Whittaker became the first female Doctor he rang her up and sang the show’s celebrated theme music, which led to a healthy dose of confusion, but when it came to Gatwa he took the simpler route.

“I dropped him a line and said ‘well done’,” said Smith. “I always keep my eye on Doctor Who. I think [Ncuti’s] great for it, he’s totally made for it.”

Smith was appearing on the BBC promoting his new play, a reimagining of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People from Thomas Ostermeier.

He described it as “in your face theater” but said he “hopes young people haven’t been priced out of” the old medium. The play runs at the Duke of York theater until April 6.

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