Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer May Have Solved Actress Pay Gap
It’s been talk of Hollywood for many years now that there is a huge drop in pay when it comes to women.
And while there are still many women who are being underpaid in the world versus their male counterparts, Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer just pulled something remarkable, which might be a solution to this wage gap issue.
For a holiday movie the pair are supposed to star in (They’ve been buddies since ‘The Help’), Chastain learned that actresses of color are still getting paid even less than a white actress. She decided to take action.
Quoted by IndieWire, Octavia told her story:
“I love that woman, because she’s walking the walk and she’s actually talking the talk. She said, ‘Octavia, we’re gonna get you paid on this film. You and I are gonna be tied together. We’re gonna be favored nations, and we’re gonna make the same thing.’ Fast forward to last week, we’re making five times what we asked for.”
Spencer later clarified the article, because she meant that her pay was more because of being tied to Jessica – but Jessica’s rate may have stayed the same, and she just elevated Octavia’s pay.
@akstanwyck this is correct except I should clarify that I am making 5x my salary bc Jessica stood with me. I don’t know what or if it cost her anything as far as her rate, I just know she stood with me, and am eternally grateful. https://t.co/JH8QRUIVJc
— octavia spencer (@octaviaspencer) January 24, 2018
She had been underpaid for so long. When I discovered that , I realized that I could tie her deal to mine to bring up her quote. Men should start doing this with their female costars.
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) January 24, 2018
Though it’s not a triumph that women of color would ask for (having to be connected to the White Actress to get the pay they deserve), but it may solve the issue that women are facing when it comes to being paid less than their male co-stars. Chastain used this moment to call to male co-stars to work this deal with their female counterparts.
She had been underpaid for so long. When I discovered that , I realized that I could tie her deal to mine to bring up her quote. Men should start doing this with their female costars.
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) January 24, 2018
Certain men in the industry, like William H. Macy, have stood by their co-stars during wage dispute battles, but have yet to tie themselves TO their co-stars to negotiate their pay. Let’s hope that this lesson spreads and that some actors will step up and fight equality with their fire.
https://youtu.be/7r1ZZUVBDho
Amy Cooper is one with the force and the force is with her.
