The Crown star Matt Smith threatened by man with a GUN while in South Africa
The 34-year-old, who plays Prince Phillip in the new royal drama, got more than he bargained for in a Cape Town bar
THE CROWN star Matt Smith has revealed he was threatened by a man carrying a gun during his time out from filming in South Africa.
The 34-year-old star was relaxing in Cape Town with pals between filming scenes for the Netflix hit - when he was accosted by another punter who to exception to him.
Matt, who plays a young Prince Philip in the show, told MR. PORTER The Journal, said: "This guy came up to us and said, 'What are you looking at?'
"We were drunk. We said, 'Nothing, mate. No worries.' He was like, 'I'll f***ing shoot you, bru!' He had a gun!
"Really stupidly, we just went to the bar across the street. I don't know why we didn't just leave altogether. He came up to the window, and went (tap, tap, tap on the glass), no word of a lie, he had a Crocodile Dundee knife in his hand.
"A bouncer came up and was like, 'Get out of here!' "
The star also revealed that he had a near awkward encounter with Prince William shortly after being given the role of his grand father.
However, thankfully for the British star, the young royal approved of his casting.
He recalled "I met Prince William at an event and someone said, 'Matt's going to play Prince Philip.' And I thought, 'Oh God, no, no don't say that. What's he going to think? This is going to be awful.'
"And he just went, 'Legend.' "
The ex-Doctor Who star has also claimed that upon taking on the role, he “didn’t expect to” end up loving the Queen’s hubby, but found he identified with the royal, with whom he claims to share similar personality traits.
Like the Duke of Edinburgh, the actor believes in chivalry, but confessed: “I’m all the sh** things that are opposite to chivalrous.
“I’m also a f****** c*** when I want to be- you’ll have to asterisk that!”
“And that’s like Philip, is my point. He is chivalrous and virtuous and he’s loyal, and I like to think, in my friendships and my relationship, I value loyalty, but … I can be difficult and I can be acerbic and I can be cruel.”
The Crown Series 1 is now available on Netflix.
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