In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence openly took the names of A-list actors like Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper. She shared her plight about the challenges she faced as a female actor in the Hollywood industry.
The award-winning star penned an essay for Lena Dunham’s feminist email newsletter, Lenny, where she discussed her earnings, which were less than her male co-stars in American Hustle.
While Bradley Cooper (who played Richie DiMaso in American Hustle) supported Lawrence, Jeremy Renner (who played Carmine Polito in the movie), on the other hand, faced criticism after he said, “That’s not my job.”
Jeremy Renner Faced Backlash Over Pay Equality Statements
In an interview with Business Insider in October 2015, Jeremy Renner faced criticism for saying he shouldn’t address pay inequality with his female co-stars. Renner said:
“That’s not my job. I don’t know contracts and money and all that sort of stuff.”
He then clarified what he concentrated on:
“I’m a performer, and I know human behavior. When it comes to that sort of stuff, I let other people deal with that. I do what I’m good at, that’s what I focus on.”
The actor then further commented, saying that this wasn’t a significant issue in his mind:
“I don’t really pay attention to that stuff. I only pay attention to things that are ultimately really important to me. We all have freedom of speech, and I’m very proud of that in this country.”
And because of all the above statements, Renner faced a lot of backlash.
Jeremy Renner Later Clarified the Comments he Made on Pay Equality
Jeremy Renner clarified further details in his interview for the “One Life/Live Them” campaign, particularly about wage equality and Jennifer Lawrence, his co-star in American Hustle.
When asked if he would support actresses in advocating for equal pay, he said that’s “not my job,” His representative clarified that he meant this in a very literal sense. The rep told ABC News:
“The context was that he is all for women or anyone having salary equality, but that’s someone else’s job to handle and not his. He is most supportive, but doesn’t involve himself in those conversations, so when asked, he was basically saying that.”
The Avengers star also took to Twitter (in 2015) to say, “SHOW me what you do, I’ll stand by your side, only TALK about want you do, I can only listen. #actions #talkischeap #LoveWins.”
