Matt Smith revealed that Prince Harry wasted no time poking fun at his role in the Netflix series "The Crown" during a chance encounter at a polo match.
The 41-year-old actor skyrocketed to fame following his titular portrayal in the science fiction series "Doctor Who" at the age of 26. Another character that brought him acclaim was his portrayal of Prince Philip in seasons one and two of "The Crown", for which he received an Emmy nomination.
He talked about the role in an interview with BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday. He shared that Prince Philip's grandson, the Duke of Sussex, had called him "grandad" once.
When asked, "Is it true Prince Harry called you grandpa?" he replied, smiling: "Yea, it is. He was like, 'alright grandad?' I was like, 'alright mate?'"
During the interview, Smith also shared that not everyone in his family was pleased to see him portray the late Duke of Edinburgh, especially his grandfather, who "wasn't very into the royal family".
"I told my grandad I got the part and he went 'bloody hell you aren't playing that berk'. My grandad couldn't bear him," he said.
On the contrary, Smith said that he grew to love "Big Phil" as he called Prince Philip. He added: "But I just loved him. All of the research I did I thought what an extraordinary, forward-thinking, deeply funny, irascible, brilliant man he was."
“I thought what an extraordinary… man [Prince Philip] was”
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) February 18, 2024
Actor Matt Smith discusses his role as Prince Philip in The Crown but says his grandad initially wasn’t happy about him taking the part#BBCLauraK https://t.co/vH2iyIrJhb pic.twitter.com/2CQNN62H4D
In a previous interview with Today, the actor shared that Prince Harry also watched "The Crown". He said: "I can't claim to know if he watches currently, but he watched a bit of it then."
He added: "I heard the Queen (Elizabeth II) had watched it, and she used to watch it on a projector on Sunday night, apparently."
However, Prince Philip was not a fan of the series. Smith said a friend of his sat next to the royal at a dinner once and his friend just had to ask him about the show.
He shared: "My friend couldn't resist by the end of the meal. He was like, 'Philip, I have to ask, have you watched The Crown?' And apparently (Philip) turned around to him and said, 'Don't be ridiculous.'"
Smith also talked about the affection he developed for the late royal. He shared: "There was a sort of image about Philip as being a bit of a cad and a bit of someone who makes social gaffes and all that. And I found him to be — he was a real modernizer, he was really interesting."
He added: "I kind of fell in love with Philip, really, to be honest and he loved (the queen). He really made her laugh. They were a fabulous couple together."
Smith also talked about his brief conversation with then-Prince Charles, in which he complimented him about his shoes. He said: "I told him that I thought he had fabulous shoes, which he told me he'd had for 30 years. They were red, they were like red brogues. They were beautiful."
Prince Harry had indeed watched "The Crown". He confirmed during an interview with James Corden's "The Late Late Show" back in February 2021. He said the show's storytelling is "loosely based on the truth".
He said the series gives viewers a "rough idea" of the lives of the British royal family and what "the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else" is like. He admitted that he is way more comfortable with "The Crown" than the tabloid stories written about him and his wife, Meghan Markle. It is unclear though if Prince Harry had watched seasons five and six as their storylines included Charles' tumultuous marriage to Princess Diana and her tragic death.
