Dominic West says Lily James kiss scandal 'informed' his performance in The Crown

Dominic West says his kissing scandal with Lily James “informed” his performance of Prince Charles in hit Netflix series The Crown.

In October 2020, co-stars James, 35, and West, 54, who was married at the time, hit headlines around the world after they were snapped seemingly kissing as they enjoyed a weekend together in Rome.

After this, West and his wife Catherine FitzGerald went to great lengths to put on a public display of unity, including releasing a statement insisting that their marriage was fine and that they were “very much still together”.

FitzGerald reportedly also banned him from speaking with James as part of a peace deal struck between the couple, which would have made things awkward as they promoted their 2021 miniseries The Pursuit of Love.

West has now revealed that he was able to apply this experience to his craft.

During his time playing the future King of England, the actor needed to bring to screen some of the most high-profile moments of Charles’ life, including his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles behind the back of his wife Princess Diana.

Speaking in a new interview with The Times, he said: “I'd had a very acute understanding of what it's like to feel the horror of your name or your photo in the newspapers.

“There is that dreadful freezing moment when something is revealed about you. I think anyone can understand how that feels.

“But I'd been through it and it must have informed how I approached it. That gut feeling of horror isn't something you get inured to.”