April 2 marks Equal Pay Day in the United States, but raising awareness about the gender pay gap must be an everyday occurrence. Michelle Williams and Laura Dern have attributed major shifts in entertainment industry to just that — talking openly about money, and repeatedly drawing attention to the fact that women are not fairly compensated for their work.
Williams revisited her headline-making salary for re-shoots on “All the Money in the World.” The four-time Oscar nominee reportedly received less than $1,000 for her additional work on set. Her co-star Mark Wahlberg scored a $1.5 million paycheck. When news of the disparity first hit, the reaction left Williams disappointed, if unsurprised.
“Guess what, no one cared,” said Williams. The “Venom” star was speaking at a hearing in Washington, D.C. about closing the gender pay gap. She explained, per the Guardian, “This came as no surprise to me, it simply reinforced my life-learned belief that equality is not an inalienable right and that women would always be working just as hard for less money while shouldering more responsibility at home.” Williams emphasized, “I’ve been a working actress since the age of 12. I’ve been accredited by my industry at the highest levels and that still didn’t translate to equal compensation.”
The “Dawson’s Creek” alumna recognized Jessica Chastain’s role in getting the word out and inciting a rallying cry. She tweeted about the issue asking for further details, describing Williams as a “brilliant actress” who should be “paid fairly.”
“Jessica’s audience was much wider than mine, and she wasn’t afraid to pick up a megaphone and be heard,” said Williams, who does not have any social media accounts. “Heard she was, there was an uproar and a public shaming within my industry that resulted in a $2 million donation to the Time’s Up Defense Fund.” Wahlberg donated his salary and William Morris Endeavour, the agency that represents both he and Williams, donated an additional $500,000.
Since then, things have changed. “I could tell my workplace was shifting,” Williams observed. “Rather than being grasped too tightly or hugged for too long at a morning greeting, my hand was shaken and I was looked squarely in the eye and I was welcomed to my Monday morning.” She was also paid the same amount as Sam Rockwell, her co-star on “Fosse/Verdon,” an upcoming FX miniseries.
Dern also stressed the important role that other women have played when it comes to her salary. She told CNN that pay discrepancies have always been the norm for her, but major changes are underway. “It’s every movie, until recently, when groups of people have stood together and when my fellow cast members are female and we all say, ‘Hey, we would like to effect change and have parity and have a crew that represents parity and diversity,'” Dern explained. Her individual efforts “to advocate for equal pay on past projects were typically dismissed,” the source notes.
“I don’t know that I still am necessarily [being paid equal],” the “Big Little Lies” actress acknowledged. “It’s getting closer, but when the right people are in charge who really want to make a difference, when your fellow workers are fighting for parity, that’s when you start to see changes.”
Asked what advice she’d give to women who want to speak out about workplace inequality, the #TimesUp supporter said, “I’ve watched women in various workplace environments and I know within my industry as well, creating a community of other women workers and having a group text where you share transparency [helps]. ‘What do you make?’ ‘Are you getting overtime?’ ‘Did you get vacation time?’ ‘What happened when you had a baby?'” Dern revealed. “So when you use your voice, you’re very well informed.”
It’s important to bear in mind that women of color are especially underpaid in Hollywood. “Everyone knows [women of color’s] issues. But until the people on the other side who are privileged and have the advantage start speaking up — we can bitch and moan all we want — but until the other privileged side reaches across to help the underprivileged, that’s how that world works,” “Empire’s” Taraji P. Henson recently told Variety. “Until we start seeing that in Hollywood, it’s never going to change. We need help from the other side.”
Launched on New Year’s Day 2018, Time’s Up has fought to make workplaces safer and more equitable for women and other underrepresented communities. The movement has raised millions for its Legal Defense Fund, helped thousands of people from all 50 states, organized protests in and out of Hollywood, started the Time’s Upx2 campaign to double the number of women in leadership and in other spaces where they are underrepresented, and teamed up with USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative for the 4% Challenge.
