The pay gap has become a major talking point in all aspects of the entertainment industry, and it's something that isn't going to go away any time soon unless people start talking about it in a more open fashion.
Ruth Wilson, who picked a Golden Globe for her performance in Showtime's adult drama The Affair, was recently interviewed by Radio Times and the topic of the pay gap came up. Needless to say, Wilson was pretty open about the whole thing. "I definitely get less money than a male in my situation would. Definitely.”
On the question of whether her co-star, Dominic West, is paid more, Wilson was also pretty open about the fact that she's paid much less than him - and has some theories as to why. "Certainly when I signed up to that project (The Affair), I would have got paid less. Then they (the producers) might argue, ‘Well, he’s already done a major American TV show [The Wire] so he’s already got a level.’ But even after a Golden Globe I’m not going to be on parity. So he definitely gets more than me. I mean, I don’t know what the figure is, but I’m sure he does."
Obviously, it's a difficult subject to broach with anyone - much less someone you're working right alongside - but Wilson says she isn't looking for more money, just equal money, and admits that she hasn't spoken to West about the topic. "It’s quite hard to bring that up in a way. But it needs to be an open discussion and men need to help us out."
The Affair's fourth season lands on Irish screens later this year.
Via RadioTimes
