“If she’s not paid the same as the men, I’m not doing it”: Marvel Star Benedict Cumberbatch Was Ready to Risk His Acting Career For His Female Co-star

Marvel Star Benedict Cumberbatch Was Ready to Risk His Acting Career For His Female Co-star

Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the most talented English actors in Hollywood. Having starred in massively hit projects like Sherlock, The Imitation Game, Atonement, and The Mauritanian, the actor is also famously well-known for his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Strange in movies like Doctor Strange: Multiverse Of Madness, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. 4

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Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch

Aside from his acting accomplishments and success, the actor is also well-known and very vocal about his opinions on Feminism. In a 2018 interview with Britain’s Radio Times, Cumberbatch spoke on the subject quite passionately.

Also read: Marvel Star Benedict Cumberbatch Can’t Forget What His Country Did to the Father of AI for Being Gay: “It’s barbaric”

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Benedict Cumberbatch Talked About Equal Pay For Men And Women

During this interview, Benedict Cumberbatch spoke on the subject of the gender wage gap, the difference in average gross earnings between women and men, and how closing this gap should be implemented by men. The actor stated that one of the foundations of feminism is women getting a seat at the table and getting as much as their male counterparts, a practice that is very rare in Hollywood.

Benedict Cumberbatch left shaken after intruder break-in
Benedict Cumberbatch

“It’s about implementation,” he says. “Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism. 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.’”

He added that one of the ways the practice can be put in place is by drawing strict boundaries on what work we do. He elaborated by stating that he always asks for the salaries of his female co-stars and if they are not being paid the same as he is, he will simply refuse to do the job. While this may have been risky for the actor early in his career, it does not seem to affect it as much as he is in a position of power and so is choosing to use it in a good way.

Also Read: “I was just force-fed misogyny and awful behavior”: Ethan Hawke Was Terrified of Leonardo DiCaprio’s $406M Movie After Refusing to Work With Him Post-Titanic Fame

Benedict Cumberbatch Is One Of Only Two Male Employees At His Production Company

Benedict Cumberbatch started his own production company called SunnyMarch alongside Adam Ackland. During this interview, Cumberbatch also revealed that he doesn’t mind the fact that he and Ackland are the only male employees there, in fact, he is quite proud of this.

Benedict Cumberbatch in Power of the Dog

“I’m proud that Adam and I are the only men in our production company,” Cumberbatch added.  “Our next project is a female story with a female lens about motherhood, in a time of environmental disaster,” he said. “If it’s centered around my name, to get investors, then we can use that attention for a raft of female projects,” ‘

The actor elaborated by stating that he feels so as he is getting an opportunity to tell the stories of women which are often misrepresented or unheard. He added that he is happy to use his name to get investors and attention around stories and female projects that would otherwise not get as much buzz due to sexism.

Also Read: “I’m terrified of this”: MCU Star Benedict Cumberbatch Admitted Avoiding This One Thing After Making Blunder in BBC Series

Source: CheatSheet

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Written by Ananya Godboley

A poet and art enthusiast, Ananya is a striving academic who is pursuing a career in Criminal Psychology. Passionate about History, Philosophy and Literature, she loves to learn about new and interesting subjects.

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