In an interview with the Sunday Times, actress Amanda Seyfried took aim at so-called wage inequality between men and women. By way of example, she cited her own experience. Variety reports:
“A few years ago, on one of my big-budget films, I found I was being paid 10% of what my male co-star was getting, and we were pretty even in status,” the actress told the newspaper. “I think people think that just because I’m easy-going and game to do things I’ll just take as little as they offer… It’s not about how much you get, it’s about how fair it is.”
In any given market transaction, each party always offers as little as possible. If you want more, you say no. Pretty simple. Perhaps, if Seyfried wants to be paid more, she should communicate that she’s less “game to do things.”
As Variety goes on to demonstrate, Seyfried’s claim that women are specifically underpaid doesn’t mesh with reality:
More recently, the flip-side of wage inequality was brought to the fore this past weekend during San Diego Comic-Con when it was reported that Jennifer Lawrence would make $20 million in her upcoming flick “Passengers,” while her co-star Chris Pratt will make much less.
Such disparities in actor pay are normal. Certain stars command more compensation than others for a variety of reasons. To re-purpose Seyfried’s sentiment, it’s not about how much you get, it’s about how much you’re worth.
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