“The Crown”
Prince Philip actor “bitterly disappointed” by criticism
Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip in the new season of The Crown.
© 2021 Netflix, Inc.
The criticism of the upcoming “The Crown” season does not stop. Now Prince Philip actor Jonathan Pryce speaks up.
Actor Jonathan Pryce (75) has commented on the sometimes harsh criticism of the fifth season of “The Crown”. Pryce, who will play Prince Philip (1921-2021) in the upcoming episodes, told Deadlinethat he was “bitterly disappointed” by his fellow artists who have publicly criticized the Netflix series. The Briton also referred to the comment of his colleague Judi Dench (87) in the newspaper “The Times”.
There Dench described “The Crown” as “cruelly unjust to the individuals and harmful to the institutions”. She demanded that at least a disclaimer be shown before the episodes, stating that what was shown was a “fictional drama”. In the current trailer, Netflix displayed such a text panel. Former British Prime Minister John Major (79) also specifically criticized a scene in which today’s King Charles III. (73) brought up the idea that his mother, Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), should abdicate. According to the Major, such a conversation would never have taken place.
Jonathan Pryce: Prince Philip loved Queen Elizabeth II
Pryce admitted in the interview with “Deadline” that he could understand Major’s frustration. However, Pryce rejects the criticism that his role as Prince Philip is particularly mean to his wife: “No more than any other husband.” A long relationship is portrayed in which Philip might have wished that the Queen “was a little more changeable”. However, Philip loved his wife and “had an enormous admiration for her”.
The main criticism of the series is the smooth transitions between reality and fiction. The authors do not take it upon themselves to create a historical series. The framework and the characters are historically documented, but there is definitely room for fiction and drama, so the tenor. But: Critics complain that the viewers get the impression that what was shown happened like that. At least a text panel placed in front of the trailer should warn of this. It reads: “This true event-inspired drama series tells the fictional story of Queen Elizabeth II and portrays the political and personal ups and downs of her reign.”