The Crown Star Jonathan Pryce is 'Hugely Disappointed' in 'Fellow Artistes' for Criticizing the Show

The Crown star Jonathan Pryce thinks his fellow actors' criticism of the series is unfounded. 

The Oscar nominee, who plays Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in The Crown's upcoming fifth season, told Deadline that he's "disappointed" in the actors who have slammed the series and called for disclaimers.  

While he said he understood former Prime Minister John Major's issues with the series "because he was there", he admitted that he was "hugely disappointed" by his "fellow artistes". Pryce did not name Dame Judi Dench, but responded to her complaints about The Crown and calls for a disclaimer, arguing that "the vast majority of people know it’s a drama. They’ve been watching it for four seasons."

Co-stars Lesley Manville and Imelda Staunton added that they understood sensitivities were "certainly heightened" by Queen Elizabeth II's recent passing, but felt as though they were doing the royal family justice. "We think it's honest and true and respectful," said Staunton, who plays the queen in the upcoming season.

"Peter Morgan’s been writing about the Queen since Helen Mirren," she continued. "He obviously adores this family in many ways, and he’ll show both sides of the characters, for good or for worse. He’ll show them and make no judgement, he’ll leave that up to the audience."

The Crown Season 5 debuts on Netflix November 9. Seasons 1-4 are currently streaming on the platform.

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.