Dominic West says disclaimer calls for new series of The Crown are ‘flattering’
Stars of Netflix’s hit royal drama were speaking at the world premiere of the upcoming series in London.
Dominic West has described calls for The Crown to feature a disclaimer before each episode as “quite flattering”.
The 53-year-old actor was speaking on the red carpet at the world premiere of the fifth series of the Netflix hit, in which he plays the then Prince Charles.
When asked for his opinion on recent requests for the series to feature a disclaimer, West told the PA news agency: “I think it’s quite flattering really.
“I mean the reason people think that is because The Crown obviously, more than all the other thousands of films and column inches, books and TV shows that have been made about this family, feels more authentic to people.
“It strikes a chord with people and I think that’s because it’s a great show.”
West’s comments come after Netflix faced calls to add a disclaimer to the start of each episode stating The Crown is a “fictionalised drama”.
Dame Judi Dench and former prime minister Sir John Major have recently criticised reported storylines in the forthcoming episodes, which will launch on November 9.
Last month, Dame Judi, 87, argued The Crown had begun to verge on “crude sensationalism” and Sir John, 79, is said to have described some of the forthcoming scenes as “malicious nonsense”.
Claudia Harrison, who stars as Princess Anne, and James Murray, who plays Prince Andrew, also dismissed calls for The Crown to feature a disclaimer while on the red carpet at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
Harrison, 46, told PA: “I think it’s a dangerous area to get into when we whack disclaimers on art.
“This is a show made by an exceptional dramatist and the role of the dramatist is perhaps to imagine conversations and imagine how things might have felt.
“And I think that’s why we watch, and I think it does come back to the audience intelligence thing. Don’t underestimate that ever.”
Murray, 47, described the controversy as the result of a “no news day”.
He told PA: “I think some of the press want to go for this show because it’s been so close to the Queen’s death and everybody is raw and sensitive.
“And I think, wrongly, they assume that it’s derogatory and degrading about the monarchy, which it’s not, in my opinion.
“So it’s a cheap shot. And I think to just demand a disclaimer is kind of patronising to the audience.
“I think the audience are fully aware, not just in this country, but in other countries too, that this isn’t a documentary or a political mandate or religious doctrine, this is a TV show.
“So I don’t think it’s necessary but if they want to stick one on, good for them.”
Netflix added a disclaimer to the description of the latest trailer but stopped short of adding the message to the trailer itself.
It already describes the show as “fictionalised drama” in its press materials, on social media and on The Crown’s landing page on its platform.
The fifth series of The Crown is set to launch on Netflix on Wednesday.
