When news first broke that Tessa Thompson would be starring in the new “Men in Black” movie alongside her “Thor: Ragnarok” co-star Chris Hemsworth, Women and Hollywood wondered whether the two would be compensated equally. Now, on the eve of “Men in Black: International’s” release, we’re getting some answers — and they’re illuminating the particular barriers to opportunity and equality women of color face in show business. In an interview with Marie Claire, Thompson spoke about her experience seeking pay parity with Hemsworth.
“When we talk about issues of pay equity, that means something different to Natalie Portman than it does to me. Women who are not of color are talking about pay equity with men. [We] are so far away from that,” the Time’s Up activist explained. Women of color are still fighting for the same visibility and jobs — not to mention pay — as white women. The racial pay disparity is still a huge problem; closing the gender pay gap is a whole other battle.
In Thompson’s opinion, the only way women of color will achieve true pay parity — that is, will be paid the same as white men and everyone else — the current system will have to be completely revamped. “The truth is, the system where you assess international value is inherently sexist and racist because [women of color] haven’t had those opportunities. The only way to disrupt that is to create new models,” the “Westworld” actress said. To date, women of color haven’t had the presence in international blockbusters that white men such as Hemsworth have enjoyed. That absence of opportunity and experience makes it harder it is to negotiate for pay on the same scale as a bankable, globally-known white male actor.
This is the point Thompson made when she was in pay talks for “Men in Black: International.” “When we were having the conversation around how we structure our deals, I said, ‘I understand who Chris Hemsworth is and who I am not relative to him, globally and otherwise,” she recalled. “But in the success of the film, that changes. In success, I want equity.’” In other words, Thompson knew that Hemsworth’s base salary would in all likelihood be more than hers. But she was adamant that, in terms of backend earnings, they be paid the same. They both anchor the film, so it’s only right for them to be rewarded equally for its success.
When asked if that strategy worked, Thompson hinted, “Let’s just say we’re all happy.”
This isn’t the first time Thompson has commented on how the pay gap impacts women of color. “When we talk about equity within the workplace, even the conversations that we’re having now about pay equity, that is a whole different landscape and minefield for a woman of color,” she told Black Girl Nerds in 2018. “So I think we’re just going to need women of color to be positioned front and center in helping to create to this culture of change.”
“Men in Black: International” hits theaters this Friday, June 14. Next, Thompson will voice Lady in the “Lady and the Tramp” remake, scheduled for a November release, and star in 1950s romance “Sylvie.” She’s also attached to topline Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut, “Passing,” an adaptation of the Nella Larsen novel.
Earlier this year Thompson introduced USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Time’s Up’s 4% Challenge, which asks filmmakers, studios, and actors to commit to a woman-directed project.
