A growing number of movie stars are speaking out against the Hollywood wage gap. The timing could not be more perfect, as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has widened its investigation into Hollywood’s gender discrimination problems.
Chris Evans, the star of movies like Captain America: Civil War and Snowpiercer, claimed the gender wage gap in Hollywood is part of a bigger problem. The comments came as Evans dined on camera with costars from Captain America: Civil War. During the filmed dinner, Evans argued the problem with Hollywood’s wage gap is that women are not offered as many important roles as men.
Similar claims have been echoed by other movie stars and influential figures in Hollywood. Last year, Jennifer Lawrence spoke out against Hollywood’s pay gap by writing an essay for Lena Dunham’s newsletter. In the essay, Lawrence discussed learning from a hack on Sony that she earned less than her male counterparts. Hackers targeting Sony published the salaries of movie stars online in late 2014.
Do Women in Hollywood Lack Opportunities?
As Evans suggested, the Hollywood wage gap may be part of a larger problem. A recent study discovered female directors are almost nonexistent in Hollywood. Research from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film found 85 percent of films released in 2014 lacked female directors. An additional 80 percent did not use female writers and 92 percent lacked female cinematographers.
Women in Hollywood are not only paid less, but lack many opportunities afforded to their male counterparts. The EEOC’s investigation expanding is a sign that Hollywood’s gender gap is being taken very seriously.
The Los Angeles labor law attorneys at the Kesluk, Silverstein, Jacob & Morrison, P.C. can help workers affected by gender discrimination and unequal pay.