Dominic West says Ruth Wilson was "keen to get out" of ‘The Affair’, after rumours she quit due to pay disparity.
The 49-year-old actor has denied claims Ruth exited the Golden Globe Award winning series after three years because she got paid less than her co-star.
Asked if he can explain why she left, he said: "I don’t think I can, actually. No … Oh God, no, it’s nothing to do with [pay], no. No, no, no. No, it wasn’t that, no. I think it’s nothing particularly big. I mean, she saw it as a three-year arc, really. The problem with episodic telly is very few shows can sustain it beyond three, so she was keen to get out."
Dominic plays Noah Solloway in the American television drama series and is hoping his character is a bit less of a "d**k" in series four and onwards.
He added to The Sunday Times magazine: "I said, ‘Look, I think Noah’s been through an unbelievable amount, and I think he’s got wise in some way.’ She agreed, and in season four there’s a certain wisdom to him, at least. Hopefully."
Meanwhile, Ruth previously revealed she got paid less than Dominic when the pair signed up to star in acclaimed drama series ‘The Affair’.
Claiming she knows with some certainty that Cooper, 48, received a higher salary than her, she shared: "I definitely get less money than a male in my situation would. Certainly when I signed up to that project, I would have got paid less."
Wilson scooped the Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2015 for her portrayal of Alison Lockhart, but despite her awards success, Wilson did not get a pay rise from bosses on the programme – which also scooped the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama at the 2015 ceremony.
She said: "Even after a Golden Globe I’m not going to be on parity. I don’t know what the figure is, but I’m sure he does … I don’t want more money, I just want equal money. Which means men have to take less."