Over time, many things have changed in the film industry, and it has leaped in terms of development. However, one issue that still plagues the industry is the persistent gender pay gap. This compensation disparity has never gone unnoticed, with numerous Hollywood A-listers openly addressing the issue.
Notably, actress Jennifer Lawrence once wrote an essay in which she highlighted the issue of female actresses being paid less than their male co-stars. Her essay garnered attention from many celebrities, including Jessica Chastain, who praised Lawrence for bringing the matter to the forefront. Chastain, an Oscar-winning actress, is renowned for working on her own terms. In the past, she even turned down two major roles alongside Tom Cruise for various reasons.
Jessica Chastain opined on the gender pay gap in Hollywood
Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence once highlighted a major issue in the film industry: the Gender Pay Gap. Despite putting in the same efforts as their male co-stars, female actors are often deprived of equal salaries.
Frustrated with this year-long taboo of gender disparity, Lawrence wrote an essay in which she wrote about being paid less than male actors. Her piece was featured in Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter newsletter. Lawrence’s thought-provoking essay garnered much attention and even another Oscar-winning actress, Jessica Chastain praised her for the essay. During the premiere of her 2015 film Crimson Peak, Chastain told Variety,
“I’m proud of her. Sometimes when you’re doing well, you’re afraid to say something’s wrong because then there’s going to be a bunch of people out there going ‘OK, well, you’re a big old movie star.’ But it doesn’t matter.
There’s no excuse. There’s no reason why she should be doing a film with other actors and get paid less than her male co-stars. It’s completely unfair. It’s not right. It’s been happening for years and years and years. I think it’s brave to talk about it. I think everyone should talk about it.”
Chastain further explained that many women in the film industry fear taking a stand for their rights because they worry they would be labeled as ‘difficult’ and might struggle to get hired again. However, Chastain is certainly not the one who fears expressing her opinions, as the actress is known to work on her terms. Previously, the actress rejected two major films, due to various reasons. Interestingly, both films featured action superstar Tom Cruise.
Jessica Chastain turned down the films that starred Tom Cruise
Jessica Chastain is undoubtedly an incredible actress who has proved her worth in the industry by securing some high-budget films and winning the Academy Award. Looking at her impressive resume, it is needless to say that she is one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood.
But the high demand in the film industry once caused trouble for her, and then Tom Cruise became a solution to her problems. The actress signed the action thriller Oblivion alongside Cruise, but later she received a call from Kathryn Bigelow who told her she was considering her in C.I.A. drama, which focused on the search for Osama bin Laden.
Without even reading the script, Chastain accepted the role. However, since she had already committed to working on Oblivion, it was challenging for her to leave that project. With the help of Cruise, she found a way to quit Oblivion and join Kathryn Bigelow’s film, Zero Dark Thirty. During an interview with Vanity Fair, the actress said,
“Someone contacted him from my agency and said, ‘Listen, she wants to work with you. And she would love to, but there is this other film, and it’s so important. And with his support, I was able to do this movie. He’s a pretty incredible human.”
This wasn’t the only time when Cruise helped Chastain to get out of a project, as later the actress was once again cast alongside Cruise for the 2015 film Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Yet again, the actress had another excuse to turn down the project. This time, the actress turned down the film because she needed to undergo six months of training for the role.
Source: Variety, Vanity Fair
