Meg Bellamy, who played Kate Middleton inThe Crown, has recalled being told she was “too fat” for the role by trolls online.
The actor, 21, netted the high-profile part in the sixth and final season of the Netflix drama, which portrayed a young William and Kate meeting at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and their subsequent courtship.
Bellamy played the young Princess of Wales opposite Ed McVey’s Prince William and Luther Ford’s Prince Harry. For all three actors, it was their first major role on screen.
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday’s You magazine, Bellamy recalled discovering “all this negative stuff” about her body on the internet after she was cast as the princess.
“The comments were mostly, ‘You’re too fat to play Kate,’” she said.
Bellamy said that her experience online with the trolls gave her a “glimpse into being a woman in this industry”.
“I thought, ‘OK, that’s a sign to distance yourself, because it doesn’t mean anything,’” she said. “You can’t listen to that sort of stuff. Not least because most of it is written by internet trolls, or men called Gary who are holding a fish in their profile picture.”
Despite facing trolls online, the actor reflects on her time on the show fondly, adding that she has had “so many amazing things” happen to her.
She said of the trolls: “They’re the losers for saying that. I’m living my best life over here.”
That said, Bellamy said that she has “tried to put the character behind” her since wrapping filming on the show.
Elsewhere in the interview, she spoke briefly about the royal’s cancer diagnosis, stating: “I so feel for her and for the family.”
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The Princess of Wales announced in a video message last March that she was receiving cancer treatment after her diagnosis.
The Crown remains one of Netflix’s biggest hits, with the first season starring Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, respectively, earning rave reviews from critics and fans.
As the show went on, however, it courted controversy over its historical accuracy – and for covering events including the death of Princess Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki).
Defending itself against the criticism, Netflix has previously said the series “has always been presented as a drama based on historical events”.
The show came to an end in December last year, with its final season. All six seasons are available to watch on Netflix now.