Anyone who thinks that the wage gap is a myth needs only to look at modern Hollywood for proof that it's real and is still happening to this day.
Just recently, Grace Park and Daniel Dae-Kim both walked off Hawaii Five-0 after they were both offered approximately 10% to 15% less than their white co-stars. Jennifer Lawrence, meanwhile, has spoken extensively about the gap in pay between her and her co-stars and, now, Emma Stone is speaking out on the topic as well.
In an interview with Out Magazine, Stone revealed that actors she's worked with in the past have taken pay cuts so as to achieve parity with her. "And that’s something they do for me because they feel it’s what’s right and fair. That’s something that’s also not discussed, necessarily - that our getting equal pay is going to require people to selflessly say, “That’s what’s fair.” If my male co-star, who has a higher quote than me but believes we are equal, takes a pay cut so that I can match him, that changes my quote in the future and changes my life."
Stone is set to star in Battle Of The Sexes, where she'll play feminist icon and tennis superstar Billie Jean King. Stone is set to star alongside Steve Carrell, who plays Bobby Riggs, the outspoken tennis pro who challenged King to a tennis match to prove men were better at sports than women.
On the issue of pay parity, Stone admits that she's felt uncomfortable about it as there's a question of starpower, box-office draw and how much she's worth against other actors. "'I felt uncomfortable talking to my agent or lawyer about it because I was like, 'Do people want to see me as much as they want to see Steve Carell?'...It's a weird conversation to have because it's trying to see oneself from the outside."
Via Out Magazine
