Actors and actresses have often faced the problem of a lower paycheck considering the extent of their roles in movies. Often due to several reasons including a gender pay gap, fame of actors, or simple deals going wrong, people have often earned way less money than they deserved, for their hard work.
With the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Bryce Dallas Howard, and, Christian Bale getting paid an lesser amount for their iconic roles, they decided to speak up. Here are 5 actors who publicly spoke about their low salaries for successful movies.
1) Natalie Portman
Portraying the iconic role of Nina Sayers in the 2010 film Black Swan, Natalie Portman solidified herself as a force to be reckoned with. The actress is widely known for starring alongside Ashton Kutcher in the 2011 film No Strings Attached.
In an interview with The Guardian, the actress revealed the paycheck details that she had received for the 2011 movie. During the interview, Portman mentioned that she had received only a third of what Kutcher earned for the lead role!
“Ashton Kutcher was paid three times as much as me on No Strings Attached. His [quote] was three times higher than mine, so they said he should get three times more. Compared to men, in most professions, women make 80 cents to the dollar. In Hollywood, we are making 30 cents to the dollar.”
With a budget of $25 million, the movie went on to earn a whopping $149 million at the global box office and was an average movie with high sales. Despite the success, Portman received a lesser paycheck for her role!
2) Claire Foy
Starring in the historical drama series The Crown, Claire Foy portrayed the iconic role of Queen Elizabeth II in the television series for 24 episodes. Working alongside Matt Smith (from House of the Dragon fame), the actress was surprised to know that she was getting paid much less than her co-star!
In an interview with EW, the actress stated how she was at the center of the story and yet somehow, it felt odd.
“I’m surprised because I’m at the center of it, and anything that I’m at the center of like that is very very odd, and feels very very out of ordinary. But I’m not [surprised about the interest in the story] in the sense that it was a female-led drama. I’m not surprised that people saw [the story] and went, ‘Oh, that’s a bit odd.'”
The difference in paycheck between Matt Smith and Claire Foy was given to charity and the issue of the gender pay gap was thrown into the spotlight for the world to see.
3) Christian Bale
Before the veteran actor made it big into Hollywood, Bale was in a race to portray the character of Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film American Psycho. Since the producers wanted DiCaprio for the lead role, this issue affected Bale’s paycheck severely. The actor revealed in an interview with GQ what his motivation was to take on the role.
“They had paid me the absolute minimum they were legally allowed to pay me. Nobody wanted me to do it except the director. I remember one time sitting in the makeup trailer and the makeup artists were laughing at me because I was getting paid less than any of them. And so that was my motivation after that. Was just: ‘I got to get enough that the house doesn’t get repossessed.'”
Being on the verge of his house getting repossessed, Christian Bale was left with no choice but to have what little money he was offered. Luckily, the 2000 film quickly found fame and Christian Bale went on to earn big in Hollywood with his iconic roles!
4) Taraji P. Henson
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button truly became a curious case for Taraji P. Henson when she starred in the role of Queenie in the 2008 movie. Being the third person on the call sheet, Henson was shocked when she asked for a paycheck of $500,000 but was only paid $150,000. In an interview with Variety, here’s what the actress had to say about it.
“I’m number three on the call sheet. Does that make sense to you? If you want a discount performance, go get it. They’re out there. But you’re not getting it from me. I deliver, and I have the track record to prove it.”
The actress was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in the movie and yet her demands of a higher paycheck were not met.
5) Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence was essentially the actress who strongly put forth her point on the global scale. When it was revealed that Lawrence was paid a whopping $5 million less than her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio for Don’t Look Up, the actress did not hold back. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actress touched up on the issue.
“Look, Leo brings in more box office than I do. I’m extremely fortunate and happy with my deal. But in other situations, what I have seen — and I’m sure other women in the workforce have seen as well — is that it’s extremely uncomfortable to inquire about equal pay. And if you do question something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s not gender disparity but they can’t tell you what exactly it is.”
With pay gaps due to certain situations, it seems that Hollywood is learning from its mistakes and making way for equal pay in the film-making industry. As the years go by, the reports of gender pay disparity have lessened and it seems that actors are finally getting equal pay, especially after the SAG-AFTRA and the WGA strikes!
