Natalie Portman is among the most gracious and talented actresses in the acting world. The Israel-born actress started acting at a very age and has been the face of some box-office superhit films. The beautiful actress has received numerous accolades over the years like the Academy Award and two Golden Globes Awards.
The actress gained international recognition with the role of Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999. Despite her fame and vast fan following, the actress has faced pay disparity in her career. The actress opened up on the difference in pay from her co-star Ashton Kutcher.
Natalie Portman expresses angst over pay gap with Ashton Kutcher in No Strings Attached
Natalie Portman starred with Ashton Kutcher in the 2011 film, No Strings Attached. The movie did good business and the pairing of the actors was loved by their fans. As per reports, the actress was paid three times less than her counterpart in the film.
Natalie Portman threw light on the rumors of pay disparity in an interview with Marie Claire,
“We get paid a lot, so it’s hard to complain, but the disparity is crazy.”
The Black Swan actress shared that she was aware of the vast pay difference at that time of filming. She also accepted that she was not as upset about the pay as she should have been. Portman said,
“I knew, and I went along with it because there’s this thing with quotes in Hollywood… His [quote] was three times higher than mine, so they said he should get three times more. I wasn’t as pissed as I should have been.”
As per a report by Forbes in 2017, the top 10 highly paid male actors in Hollywood had a combined income of $488.5 million, however, the top 10 highest-paid actresses earned a total of $172.5 million.
Portman also talked about the problem of gender disparity in the industry. In her interview, she said,
“I don’t think women and men are more or less capable. We just have a clear issue with women not having opportunities.”
She also asked women to be part of the solution to the problem of gender disparity. Portman stated that women need to speak up about pay disparities and should have equal opportunities for themselves.
Ashton Kutcher hails Natalie Portman for speaking up against Pay Disparity
What Happens in Vegas star extended his support on Portman’s concerns. He posted a story about the topic on his Twitter page and wrote,
“So proud of Natalie and all women who stand up for closing the gender pay gap!”
Ashton Kutcher also posted the link to the Marie Claire interview on social media.
The case of Natalie Portman and Kutcher is among the many cases of pay gap stories. It has highlighted the problem of gender inequality in Hollywood and is a reminder that some action has to be taken in the area.
Source- The Things