“Criminal Minds” actresses Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook’s recent push for pay parity has been resolved. According to Deadline, the duo have signed new deals and received raises “that put them essentially on par” with co-star Matthew Gray Gubler. This news comes after last month’s reports of an “impasse” in contract negotiations between the actresses and CBS. Vangsness and Cook had been holding out for the same pay as Gubler and Joe Mantegna.
Deadline doesn’t provide an update on whether the actresses are receiving the same salary as Mantegna. But judging from past reports, it seems that he and Gubler are of a similar pay grade, so presumably all four leads are being paid approximately the same now.
Vangsness and Cook, who respectively portray Penelope and J.J. on CBS’ long-running procedural, were in a similar position in 2013. They were earning less than half of co-stars Gubler and Shemar Moore’s paychecks and insisted on better agreements with ABC Studios, CBS TV Studios, and CBS.
Both actresses have appeared on “Criminal Minds” since its first season in 2005. Cook has been a series regular during its entire run, with the exception of Season 6. That was the year CBS dropped Cook and co-star Paget Brewster, leaving Vangsness as the only regular female character. Vangsness started as a recurring character in Season 1 and became a series regular soon after.
We’re thrilled that Vangsness and Cook’s push for equal pay was ultimately successful. However, pay parity is anything but a given for most women in Hollywood. In March “The Big Bang Theory’s” Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch held out for equal pay before re-upping their contracts. The actresses were earning about $200,000 per episode on the sitcom, as compared to the $1 million their co-stars were making. Natalie Portman told Marie Claire UK that she made a third of Ashton Kutcher’s pay on “No Strings Attached.” Emmy Rossum, who plays the main character on “Shameless,” demanded a raise in December. She and the rest of the cast had been paid less than co-star William H. Macy from the get-go.
In Hollywood women are often hesitant to go forward when they are paid less than men. In an industry this sexist, actresses may develop a bad reputation simply for demanding what they are entitled to. Plus, they are already making more money than some people will ever see in a lifetime, so actresses may fear that their concerns won’t be taken seriously, or they’ll be dismissed as being overpaid in the first place. But this isn’t about a certain profession’s pay grade; it’s about gender equality within the profession. As Jessica Chastain recently told Variety, “What I do now, when I’m taking on a film, I always ask about the fairness of the pay. I ask what they’re offering me in comparison to the guy. I don’t care about how much I get paid; I’m in an industry where we’re overcompensated for the work we do.” The “Zookeeper’s Wife” star added, “But I don’t want to be on a set where I’m doing the same work as someone else and they’re getting five times what I’m getting.”
Season 13 of “Criminal Minds” will air Wednesdays this fall on CBS.
