It's no secret that there is a great gender disparity in Hollywood, and it's often that the men receive a bigger paycheck compared to the women. This time, the issue is being tackled by Jurassic World's Judy Greer.
Greer is happy that more and more actresses like Charlize Theron and Patricia Arquette are speaking up about this issue, but the case is different for a big star like Theron and actresses such as herself who are currently on co-star level.
Based on conversations she had with her colleagues, Greer has learned that she and other females have earned less than many of their male co-stars over the years.
"I've watched as men I started out with-guys who worked with the same directors and on the same types of shows as I did- climbed the ladder and landed larger roles with even larger paychecks," she wrote in Glamour Magazine. "I'd always hoped that my career and salary would follow theirs. But instead the pay gap kept growing."
Greer said that there is one big reason for this, and that is the fact that women roles are smaller and harder to come by. Because of this, women are hard pressed to negotiate for higher salaries. Or should they pass up on certain low-paying roles, the studio will simply find someone else who needs a job to fill it.
"Sometimes I get mad at myself for not demanding more," she said. "Acting is my job. I could, of course, refuse work that won't pay as well, wait for the perfect project to come along, and then hope and pray that it's a financial and critical success. But that means I would be willing to work less, earn less, and wait for results that are totally out of my control. How is that really a choice?"
She shared that she recently took a major pay cut for a role that she actually loves. The character is smart and funny, and does not wear high heels, said Greer, and the actress could not be any happier to play such a powerful role. But playing her meant that Greer had to give up on certain luxuries in life.
Greer lauded Theron for reportedly negotiating a $10 million salary raise after she discovered that she was making less money than her male co-star on The Huntsman. She knows that this is what actresses, and all woman alike want and are supposed to do. But truth be told, it's very unrealistic, said Greer.
