Gwyneth Paltrow is an Academy Award-winning Hollywood heavyweight, but she is still being paid millions less than one costar — and her gender is entirely to blame.
The Iron Man star revealed that she is paid considerably less than Downey for the action franchise, in which she plays the significant role of Pepper Potts.
“Look, nobody is worth the money that Robert Downey Jr. is worth,” Paltrow told Variety for their feature, “How Women in Hollywood Are Finally Taking a Stand Against Sexism.”
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“But if I told you the disparity, you would probably be surprised. It can be frustrating,” she said. “It can be painful. Your salary is a way to quantify what you’re worth. If men are being paid a lot more for doing the same thing, it feels shitty.”
Paltrow earned a reported $19 million for Iron Man 3 and its inclusive endorsement deals; Downey is set to pull in a reported $80 million for the franchise this year alone and is the highest-paid actor in Hollywood (Paltrow is the twelfth highest-paid actress).
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But Patricia Arquette, whose impassioned speech about gender equality at the 2015 Academy Awards received a standing ovation, doesn’t see things changing anytime soon.
“I don’t think it’s getting much better,” she said. “I don’t think Hollywood is going to change until someone twists their arm. I don’t think agents have fought so hard for their female actresses’ paychecks.”
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