Sexism and gender inequality are still everywhere – even in Hollywood. These 5 stars have all had experiences that made them see just how big the gender divide really is. Some were paid less than their male co-stars, while others just noticed how little screen time women are given and feel their voices are rarely heard. Here are their honest experiences with gender inequality.
Alicia Vikander
Alicia has come to see that women are rarely the focus on screen: “I did four films in over a year, and I was like the only woman in all of them. It was not until I did Tulip Fever, a film that’s yet to come out, that I actually had scenes that were just me and another woman, Holliday Grainger. She’s a terrific actress, and we both got a bit shocked while we were doing our scenes, like, “This is so rare!” How strange it is that it is so rare.”
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda noticed the pay gap: “A few years ago, on one of my big-budget films, I found I was being paid 10 percent of what my male co-star was getting. And we were pretty even in status. I think people think that just because I’m easygoing and game to do things, I’ll just take as little as they offer It’s not about how much you get, it’s about how fair it is. You have to decide if you’re willing to walk away from something, especially as a woman.”
Anna Kendrick
Anna revealed that males are often cast before females: “There’s [a film I’m considering] now where I have to wait for all the male roles to be cast before I can even become a part of the conversation. Part of me gets that. [But] part of me is like, ‘What the f–k? You have to cast for females based on who’s cast as males?’ To me, the only explanation is that there are so many f–king talented girls, and from a business standpoint it’s easier to find women to match the men. I totally stand by the belief that there are 10 unbelievably talented women for every role.”
Cara Delevingne
Cara has noticed that every film is male driven: “Usually it’s a male director, male producers. It’s all very much a man’s point of view. It’s about how men perceive women and it’s not accurate, and it annoys me!”
Olivia Wilde
Olivia thinks women often don’t get to tell their stories: “It’s really hard to get stories made that are about women — not just women being obsessed with men or supporting men. And it’s really hard to get men to be a part of films that are about women in a leading role. I’m really interested in how we can adjust that, considering that it’s all just based on demand.”
