Olivia Colman speaks out against gender pay disparity in Hollywood
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Olivia Colman criticizes Hollywood's gender pay disparity, noting she would earn significantly more as a man.
Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Colman is shedding light on the persistent issue of gender pay disparity in Hollywood, stating that she would earn significantly more if she was a man.
During an appearance on CNN's The Amanpour Hour with host Christiane Amanpour, Colman discussed the inequalities she has faced in the film and TV industry. She expressed frustration over the outdated notion that male actors draw in larger audiences, leading to higher pay, despite evidence to the contrary.
"Don’t get me started on the pay disparity, but male actors get paid more because they used to say they drew in the audiences," Colman remarked. "And actually, that hasn’t been true for decades but they still like to use that as a reason to not pay women as much as their male counterparts."
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When asked about her own experiences with pay disparity, despite her acclaimed performances in films like The Favourite and Accused, as well as TV shows like The Crown, Broadchurch, and Hearstopper, Colman candidly admitted, "I’m very aware that if I was Oliver Colman, I’d be earning a f*** of a lot more than I am. I know of one pay disparity, which is a 12,000% difference."
Colman's comments echo a growing sentiment among Hollywood stars, with actresses like Taraji P. Henson also speaking out against the industry's undervaluation of Black actresses. Henson, while promoting The Color Purple, revealed that she nearly quit the industry due to being underpaid for her work.
"I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost," Henson stated during an appearance on Gayle King’s SiriusXM show in December 2023. "I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t math-ing. And you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. It’s a whole team behind us. They have to get paid."