The actor who plays Prince William in the new Harry and Meghan movie responds to criticism of the Princess Diana-inspired car crash scene
- Jordan Whalen spoke to Insider about playing Prince William in the new royal Lifetime movie.
- The actor defended the movie's controversial opening scene, which was criticized by Twitter users.
- The scene showed Meghan in a car crash similar to the one that killed Princess Diana.
The actor who plays Prince William in Lifetime's "Harry and Meghan: Escaping the Palace" has defended the film's controversial car crash scene.
The opening scene of the movie shows a dream sequence in which Meghan Markle (Sydney Morton) is involved in a car crash, similar to the one that killed Princess Diana in 1997. In the scene, she can be seen surrounded by photographers in an overturned car while Prince Harry (Jordan Dean) looks on.
The scene was criticized on social media, with some Twitter users calling it "sick" and "distasteful," The Independent reported.
Mike Sington, a Senior Executive at NBC Universal, wrote on Twitter that the scene marked "a new low of tastelessness," while Fox's Evening Edit anchor Elizabeth Macdonald wrote: "Who thought this was a good idea?"
Jordan Whalen, who plays Prince William, addressed the controversy during an interview with Insider.
"I think there are some parallels being drawn between Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, and also Harry. What's going on in their lives, not always feeling welcomed by 'the firm,' and kind of being bullied around by that," Whalen told Insider.
"That was a controversial scene. I wasn't a part of that, but I know the production team were trying to do that tastefully and draw comparisons without being too gratuitous," he added.
Whalen said he'd be flattered if asked to play Prince William in 'The Crown'
This marks the second time Whalen has played Prince William after playing the royal in Lifetime's "Harry and Meghan: Becoming Royal" in 2019.
There has been an influx of movies and television centered around the royal family in recent months. Kristen Stewart's new movie, "Spencer," about Princess Diana premiered at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. Meanwhile, filming for "The Crown" season five is currently underway.
Whalen said it would be "flattering" if he were asked to play William in the historical drama series, but he's "not waiting by the phone for that call."
The actor said he is currently writing a pilot for a TV series, promoting the new Lifetime film, and planning reunions with his fellow cast members, Jordan Dean and Sydney Morton.
"We'll see if anybody picks us out," Whalen said. "I have a bit more facial hair now, and Jordan has a bit less facial hair now. So it's cool what the hair and makeup department can do to make us look like the royals, it's pretty amazing, but then it's fun to deviate from that."