Mark Wahlberg was paid $1.5 million for All The Money In The World reshoots while Michelle Williams received only $1000, and he reportedly held those reshoots “hostage” before approving Christopher Plummer to replace Kevin Spacey, who was removed amid mounting sexual misconduct allegations against him. Wahlberg responded to criticism by donating the $1.5 million to the #TimesUp movement, and Williams reacted graciously by praising the movement. However, a major new wrinkle within a Hollywood Reporter piece reports that Wahlberg made a lot more money than Williams overall.
The revelation arrives in a larger piece about pay disparity, specifically among actresses as compared to their male counterparts. While the conversation surrounding Wahlberg and Williams has included claims that Wahlberg is a guy who can put butts in theater seats, it’s also clear that Williams took top-billing status and is the actor being floated in Oscar circles for her performance. So, Hollywood Reporter is shining a light on the discrepancy:
Previous lack of transparency hurt actresses negotiating film and TV salaries, and one antidote to the widespread occurrence of gender pay disparity appears to be sunshine. Take the example of All the Money in the World stars Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams. THR has confirmed that Wahlberg was paid nearly 10 times what Williams made ($5 million vs. $625,000) despite both having roughly the same amount of screen time — and Williams is the one being pushed for an Oscar nomination.
The issue is a complex one, and of course, it’s not all cut-and-dry, as Forbes points out, but obviously, the disparity has reignited a vital discussion on the gender pay gap. Emmy Rossum recently proved a major point while fighting for higher pay than William H. Macy (after several seasons of earning less than him) to return for another season of Shameless, and she was successful in her quest. That the gap is real in Hollywood and other industries cannot be denied, and at least the conversation doors are open for resolution.
(Via Hollywood Reporter & Washington Post)
