Unlike many powerful players in Hollywood, Benedict Cumberbatch isn’t skirting around equal pay. The “Sherlock” and “Doctor Strange” star is taking a proactive approach to the problem by figuring out how he can be part of the solution — and he’s encouraging other men in the business to do the same.
The Oscar nominee told Radio Times, “Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid, and say: ‘If she’s not paid the same as the men, I’m not doing it.’” Rather than treating pay inequality as an unfortunate reality of his industry, sighing, and calling it a day, Cumberbatch is speaking out about the issue and taking tangible action. He’s being an ally.
The “Imitation Game” actor emphasized that “equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism,” and he is “proud” that at his production company, SunnyMarch, he and partner Adam Ackland are “the only men.” Their next project is “a female story with a female lens about motherhood in a time of environmental disaster.” Cumberbatch added, “If it’s centered around my name, to get investors, then we can use that attention for a raft of female projects. Half the audience is female!”
Cumberbatch can currently be seen on the big screen in “Avengers: Infinity War.” He stars in “Patrick Melrose,” a new limited series from Showtime that’s earning raves. An adaptation of Edward St. Aubyn’s semi-autobiographical novels, the drama follows an addict trying to get clean. Blythe Danner, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Allison Williams co-star.
