To say that fans of the Netflix show, The Crown, are passionate really undersells just how passionate they are. The show focuses on the life of Queen Elizabeth, and critics seem to agree that the show is superb. One of the things that makes The Crown work so well is the casting. Everyone plays their parts perfectly, and it does feel like we are getting a real insight into the royal lives we know so little about. But recent casting news has fans of The Crown up in arms over who was cast to play Prince William, and moreover, why he was chosen for the role.
Like Father, Like Son
It had become apparent that casting Prince William has been no easy task for people behind the scenes at The Crown. The producers literally held a nationwide search for an actor who would capture the overall essence of William, but have had no luck whatsoever. Rumor is that this opened the door for some video auditions from some people looking to land the part.
One tape they received sparked some interest, but the actual casting has some people upset. Why? Because they hired the son of Dominic West, Senan. Dominic just so happens to be portraying Prince Charles on The Crown. Yes, they cast his actual son to play his fictional son. So why are people mad that they cast his son?
Son of a Gun
Many people took to Twitter to point out the obvious: this looks like a case of nepotism. Nepotism is, by Google definition ‘the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.’ So you can see why people are somewhat upset.
People take issue with this because in casting, someone should be given their role as a result of talent, not your last name. And in this case, at least on the surface, it does seem like Senan West may have had some help landing the gig from his father, but we need to reserve our judgment.
Judge Him on Performance
While it may be easy to say he was handed the role of Prince William because his father is key to the show, it’s not fair for anyone to judge him or assume that fully until we see how well Senan plays a young Prince William. If he ends up on the show and doesn’t have the chops to carry it or to stand his own among the amazing cast, then that will be very obvious and then, we can cast our stones.
But for now, take it all with a grain of salt. We didn’t see his audition tape, but Netflix did and clearly saw something in it. It is only fair we give him a chance before condemning him. Who knows, the kid could really have that special something. Or it will just prove that nepotism is very much a problem in Hollywood. But for now, it’s too early to tell.