hellomagazine.com
Though Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby are on their separate paths after finishing up with ‘The Crown,’ the two are still the best of friends. Claire opened up about their friendship and passing on the torch to Olivia Colman for season three
While
Claire Foy has given up her throne as Queen
Elizabeth II on
the critically acclaimed Netflix series
The
Crown
, it certainly does not signify an end to her reign in Hollywood. Taking
a break from the spotlight before hitting the promotion circuit for the Damien
Chazelle biopic
First Man, the
actress has been out supporting close friend and co-star
Vanessa Kirby, who played Princess
Margaret.
Her hiatus
hasn’t stopped her from enjoying some time at the theatre, and there’s one
stage production in particular that blew the actress away. Claire recently
watched her 30-year-old friend’s performance in a production of
Julie in London, she told Vanity Fair. “The thing about Vanessa is that
she’ a star. She literally sparkles all over her. She’s out of this world,” she
gushed. “But I know her and what she’s like, so I’m a bit like, ‘You’re so
amazing, but you’re a complete wally sometimes.’”
MORE:
‘The Crown’ production company releases apology to Claire Foy over pay inequity
The two were
mesmerizing as the royal sisters, who sit on two opposite sides of the
personality spectrum – the Queen as a stoic and poised leader and the princess
on the more rebellious side, grappling with true love and abiding by royal
rule. They’re passing on their torches to
Olivia Colman and Helena
Bonham Carter,
who will play the monarch and her off-kilter sister respectively. Speaking of passing
the torch to Olivia, 44, Claire said: “If anything, I was like, ‘I’m going to
leave you completely alone. Have a nice time,’ just because you don’t need many
cooks getting involved … We spoke on the phone, but we didn’t have an
[in-person] powwow.”
MORE:
Your complete guide to ‘The Crown’ season three
Claire first
broke onto the TV scene with her well-received role in the series
Little Dorrit, based on Charles Dickens’
struggles and hardships in 1820s London. Now with over 10 years of acting experience
under her belt, the award-winning actress has some career advice for aspiring
stars. “In this industry, you just have to be brave enough to say no [to
roles]. And it doesn’t mean you’re being ungrateful. It doesn’t mean that
you’re never working again. It doesn’t mean that you don’t love something. But
you have to say no in order to have new experiences and challenge yourself.”
Claire, Matt and Vanessa shared a laugh at 'The Crown' season two premiere. Photo: © Karwai Tang/WireImage
You also have
to have the courage to stand up for yourself and what you deserve, something
Claire learned all too well when her salary on
The Crown became the subject of a major pay gap controversy. After
discovering that she was paid significantly less than co-star Matt Smith, who
plays Prince Philip, the 34-year-old admits that she learned how important it
is to ask for what you want. “I’ve learned so much from it about how much I
should be involved, or what I can ask when I would’ve been too scared to ask
before,” she explained. “Now I just think, ‘What’s the danger? They’ll turn
around and say, ‘Well, we’ll just offer it to someone else’?’ If so, that’s
fine. But in life, you have to be able to ask.’ There are no stupid questions,
especially when it comes to standing up for yourself.”