Not even the queen of England can get an equal slice of the mincemeat pie. 
 
 The actress Claire Foy, who charmed critics and fans as a young Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix series “The Crown,” was paid less than her co-star Matt Smith, who played the queen’s husband, executive producers acknowledged on Tuesday at the INTV Conference in Jerusalem. 
 
 Mr. Smith came to Netflix as an established actor in Britain, most notably as the titular character on the BBC staple “Doctor Who” from 2010 to 2013 — a fact that informed the producers’ decision around salary, they said at the conference. 
 
 Aside from a role in 2015 in the Golden Globe-winning BBC mini-series “Wolf Hall,” Ms. Foy, 33, was a relative unknown when she was cast in “The Crown.” But in the show’s first two seasons, which centered on her character’s reign, Ms. Foy became its breakout star, earning a best actress Golden Globe for Season 1 and a Golden Globe nomination in the same category for Season 2. She was also nominated for an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama for Season 1. Mr. Smith, 35, was not nominated for an Emmy or a Golden Globe for his role as Prince Philip. 
 
 Netflix declined to comment. Representatives for Ms. Foy and Mr. Smith did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ||||| The explosion of demand for high-end TV series and the emergence of deep-pocketed new buyers such as Netflix and Amazon has been an enormous windfall for marquee talent. Just ask Robert De Niro, or David Letterman, or Katy Perry. 
 
 Stars with brand names are more in demand than ever as dozens of competing outlets search for anything that will help a show stand out from the pack. The new business models that govern streaming services have also had the effect of raising upfront payments to top talent because traditional forms of generating a profit from a hit series — through international sales and off-network syndication — are no longer an option. 
 
 Among the winners in the past year on the drama side were Robert De Niro, who is in line to receive an eye-popping $775,00 per episode for the untitled Amazon drama series from director David O. Russell. Other big gainers include “Shameless” stars Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy and the “Ozark” duo of Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. 
 
 On the flip side, lesser-known actors such as Justin Hartley and Chrissy Metz started out with modest (by comparison) episodic fees for the first season of “This Is Us,” although they are surely poised to add more zeroes in the future. Claire Foy has been collecting awards and praise for her work as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s “The Crown,” but her Season 1 episodic fee reflects the markedly lower pay scales for British productions. 
 
 Related The Fight for Equal Pay: Women, Minorities on TV Still Making Less Than White Men 
 
 Here’s a sampling of estimates for the paychecks banked by some of TV’s most notable stars. In some cases, the per episode fees reflect additional compensation for their work as producers or for their profit participation stakes. 
 
 DRAMA ACTOR SHOW/NETWORK Per-Episode Estimate Robert De Niro Untitled David O. Russell project/Amazon $775,000 Mark Harmon NCIS/CBS $525,000 Emilia Clarke Game of Thrones/HBO $500,000 Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Game of Thrones/HBO $500,000 Peter Dinklage Game of Thrones/HBO $500,000 Kit Harington Game of Thrones/HBO $500,000 Lena Headey Game of Thrones/HBO $500,000 Kevin Costner Yellowstone/Paramount $500,000 Kevin Spacey House of Cards/Netflix $500,000 Claire Danes Homeland/Showtime $450,000 Ellen Pompeo Grey’s Anatomy/ABC $450,000 William H. Macy Shameless/Showtime $350,000 Emmy Rossum Shameless/Showtime $350,000 Billy Bob Thornton Goliath/Amazon $350,000 Jason Bateman Ozark/Netflix $300,000 Laura Linney Ozark/Netflix $300,000 Anthony Hopkins Westworld/HBO $300,000 Kiefer Sutherland Designated Survivor/ABC $300,000 James Spader The Blacklist/NBC $300,000 Kerry Washington Scandal/ABC $250,000 Elisabeth Moss The Handmaid’s Tale/Hulu $200,000 Jeffrey Donovan Shut Eye/Hulu $175,000 Michael Weatherly Bull/CBS $175,000 Bob Odenkirk Better Call Saul/AMC $150,000 Caitriona Balfe Outlander/Starz $100,000 Jonathan Banks Better Call Saul/AMC $100,000 Sam Heughan Outlander/Starz $100,000 Mandy Moore This Is Us/NBC $85,000 Milo Ventimiglia This Is Us/NBC $85,000 Sterling K. Brown This Is Us/NBC $75,000 Claire Foy The Crown/Netflix $40,000 Justin Hartley This Is Us/NBC $40,000 Chrissy Metz This Is Us/NBC $40,000 Note: Some of these figures include fees for producing and back-end compensation. 
 
 It’s good to be Dwayne Johnson. The versatile superstar has become one of TV’s highest-paid comedy players thanks to the success of HBO’s “Ballers.” Meanwhile, Donald Glover is betting on the long-tail theory with his FX series “Atlanta,” agreeing to more modest fees upfront in exchange for a larger share of the backend. 
 
 The “Will & Grace” quartet of Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally and Sean P. Hayes are back in the top echelon for the NBC revival series. The “Modern Family” and “Big Bang Theory” troupes had high-profile contract negotiations that plumped some paychecks. But it’s not all about the money. The original five stars of “Big Bang” agreed to slight pay cuts to help fund raises for their co-stars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch. 
 
 COMEDY ACTOR SHOW/NETWORK Per-Episode Estimate Kaley Cuoco The Big Bang Theory/CBS $900,000 Johnny Galecki The Big Bang Theory/CBS $900,000 Simon Helberg The Big Bang Theory/CBS $900,000 Kunal Nayyar The Big Bang Theory/CBS $900,000 Jim Parsons The Big Bang Theory/CBS $900,000 Dwayne Johnson Ballers/HBO $650,000 Mayim Bialik The Big Bang Theory/CBS $500,000 Julie Bowen Modern Family/ABC $500,000 Ty Burrell Modern Family/ABC $500,000 Jesse Tyler Ferguson Modern Family/ABC $500,000 Ed O’Neill Modern Family/ABC $500,000 Melissa Rauch The Big Bang Theory/CBS $500,000 Eric Stonestreet Modern Family/ABC $500,000 Sofia Vergara Modern Family/ABC $500,000 Jeffrey Tambor Transparent/Amazon $275,000 Roseanne Barr Roseanne/ABC $250,000 John Goodman Roseanne/ABC $250,000 Sean P. Hayes Will & Grace/NBC $250,000 Patricia Heaton The Middle/ABC $250,000 Julia Louis-Dreyfus Veep/HBO $250,000 Eric McCormack Will & Grace/NBC $250,000 Debra Messing Will & Grace/NBC $250,000 Megan Mullally Will & Grace/NBC $250,000 Kevin James Kevin Can Wait/CBS $200,000 Matt LeBlanc Man With a Plan/CBS $200,000 Ellie Kemper Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/Netflix $150,000 Nick Nolte Graves/Epix $125,000 Leah Remini Kevin Can Wait/CBS $125,000 Craig Robinson Ghosted/Fox $125,000 Adam Scott Ghosted/Fox $125,000 Sela Ward Graves/Epix $125,000 Tituss Burgess Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/Netflix $90,000 Donald Glover Atlanta/FX $75,000 
 
 How badly did Netflix want David Letterman on its platform? Enough to pay him an estimated $2 million per episode for a six-episode commitment for an in-depth interview series. That number has sent jaws dropping throughout the unscripted TV community. So did Katy Perry’s deal to preside as a judge over ABC’s new iteration of “American Idol.” Nevertheless, it’s two daytime syndication stars who pace the race for big paychecks among reality, news and host talent. DeGeneres has seen her salary and profit participation on “Ellen” soar in recent years. “Judge Judy” boss Judith Sheindlin is right behind her, and she stands to reap another eight-figure check this year on the sale of the show’s library to CBS. 
 
 REALITY/NEWS/HOST ACTOR SHOW/NETWORK ANNUAL SALARY ESTIMATE Ellen DeGeneres The Ellen DeGeneres Show /Syndicated $50m Judith Sheindlin Judge Judy/Syndicated $47m Matt Lauer Today/NBC $25m Katy Perry American Idol/ABC $25m Kelly Ripa Live With Kelly & Ryan/Syndicated $22m Megyn Kelly NBC News $18m Robin Roberts Good Morning America/ABC $18m Jimmy Fallon The Tonight Show/NBC $16m Stephen Colbert The Late Show/CBS $15m Jimmy Kimmel Jimmy Kimmel Live/ABC $15m Pat Sajak Wheel of Fortune/Syndicated $15m Ryan Seacrest Live With Kelly & Ryan/Syndicated $15m George Stephanopoulos ABC News $15m Anderson Cooper CNN $12m David Letterman Untitled interview show/Netflix* $12m Conan O’Brien Conan/TBS $12m Ryan Seacrest American Idol/ABC $12m Alec Baldwin Match Game/ABC $3m Jamie Foxx Beat Shazam/Fox $3m Mike Myers The Gong Show/ABC $3m Note: Some of these figures include fees for producing and back-end compensation. 
 
 *Netflix has ordered six episodes of the series 
 
 (Pictured: Dwayne Johnson, Robert De Niro, Emilia Clarke and David Letterman) ||||| CLOSE According to the show's producers, Claire Foy's 'The Crown' co-star Matt Smith was paid more than her. Simon Thompson reports. Video provided by Reuters Newslook 
 
 Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II and Matt Smith as Prince Philip in Season 1 of Netflix series "The Crown." (Photo: Robert Viglasky, Netflix) 
 
 God save the Queen, indeed. 
 
 Claire Foy, who won or was nominated for multiple solo awards for her portrayal of a young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, got paid less than her co-star Matt Smith, who played a secondary role as her husband Prince Philip and won ensemble nominations. 
 
 This news comes via Jerusalem where producers of the British series, Andy Harries and creative director Suzanne Mackie of Left Bank, appeared Tuesday at a conference on innovative TV to talk about the much-praised Netflix drama after wrapping Season 2. 
 
 According to Variety, the producers were asked whether Foy, who was paid about $40,000 per episode, made as much as Smith. Uh ... no. 
 
 They said he made more (they didn't say how much) thanks to his Doctor Who fame: He was one of a dozen actors who have played the Doctor on the venerable British sci-fi series, for which he won multiple British nominations and awards. 
 
 But The Crown, it can't be stressed enough, is about the queen, not the prince. She is the head of state, not he. She is the one who reigns as successor to 40 previous sovereigns, not he. She is the one who will hand her crown on to their eldest son, not he. 
 
 Claire Foy and Matt Smith arrive for the 75th Golden Globe Awards on January 7, 2018, in Beverly Hills. (Photo: VALERIE MACON, AFP/Getty Images) 
 
 And Foy is the one who took home the awards: She won a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild awards for best actress, and was nominated for an Emmy and for BAFTA awards.Smith was nominated twice, with Foy, for Screen Actors Guild awards for performance in an ensemble for The Crown. 
 
 Never fear, the producers said, we are fixing that pay discrepancy in the future: “Going forward, no one gets paid more than the queen,” said Mackie. 
 
 Except that it won't get fixed for Foy: She's aged out of the series, at 33. So, for that matter, has Smith, 35, and almost the entire cast. For Season 3, the queen, Prince Philip and everyone else are older, requiring older actors. 
 
 Olivia Colman, 44, will step in as the queen and Helena Bonham-Carter, 51, will play her sister, Princess Margaret. So far, no word yet on who will replace Smith. But whoever it is, Mackie's promise suggests he won't get paid more than Colman. 
 
 USA TODAY reached out to Foy's agent for comment but did not get an immediate response. 
 
 Netflix declined to comment. The streaming giant does not produce The Crown — it only acquired it for its service — and thus is not responsible for paying actors. 
 
 This situation may not be as egregious as the recent dustup over All the Money in the World, when Mark Wahlberg billed $1.5 million to reshoot some of his scenes and Michelle Williams, who had a bigger role, got paid about $80 a day. 
 
 Claire Foy as Elizabeth on 'The Crown.' (Photo: Alex Bailey/Netflix) 
 
 But it illustrates the murky calculus and imbalance built into the Hollywood pay system, where male actors have long been seen as more reliably bankable at the box-office than female actors — and get paid accordingly. 
 
 Also complicating the picture is the astounding (for TV) overall cost of The Crown, which explores the queen's long life (she turns 92 next month), her long marriage to Prince Philip (70 years and counting) and her long reign (66 years). 
 
 The show has broken records as one of the most expensive series ever made, with each of 10 episodes per season costing about $7 million to make, Variety reported. Now it will get even more expensive when producers negotiate new deals with actors. 
 
 “We’re victims of our own success, but so is Netflix,” said Harries. Netflix is known for its deep pockets: It will spend up to $8 billion on developing and producing original television and films next year. 
 
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– At a cost of $7 million per episode, The Crown is one of the most expensive TV series ever made. But while its star's wardrobe has benefited from such a hefty budget, she hasn't. Claire Foy, who won a Golden Globe and two Screen Actor Guild awards for best actress for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of the Netflix show, was paid less than male co-star Matt Smith, who played husband Prince Phillip, executive producers revealed Tuesday, per USA Today. Foy, 33, whose only major acting credit prior to The Crown was a role in BBC mini series Wolf Hall, pulled in $40,000 per episode, according to Variety. Smith, 35, who rose to fame on the BBC's Doctor Who, received more (the amount hasn't been disclosed) because he was seen as a more established actor, reports the New York Times. However, show runners say the issue will be rectified as The Crown moves into its third season with an entirely new cast, with 44-year-old Olivia Colman taking over for Foy. "Going forward, no one gets paid more than the queen," says Suzanne Mackie, creative director of Left Bank Pictures, which produces The Crown. USA Today notes Netflix only purchased rights to air The Crown and wasn't involved in salary decisions. (Michelle Williams might have some advice for Foy.)