11 Australian actresses determined to stamp out movie industry sexism

Rose Byrne

Rose Byrne (of Bridesmaids, Neighbors and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising has spoken out against Hollywood injustices, even going so far as to sit down with the director of the Neighbors franchise, Nicholas Stoller, to reverse the stereotype of the “nagging wife.”

Speaking of the Hollywood gender wage gap, she told CBS This Morning: “It’s great that it’s actually coming to light and people are talking about it, because I think these things just are buried for so long and has acquired sort of tolerance for this behavior and treatment of women and it just shouldn’t be the case obviously.”

Emily Browning

During an interview with The Independent, Emily Browning slammed Hollywood’s shortcomings, saying that it was a serious issue that women were not “being portrayed as real humans, real complex, interesting humans.”

She added, “I want to be able to play a villain, a hero, an idiot. I want to play horrible people. I just want to be able to portray real human beings, to read a script where the girl seems like a real human being, that’s what is important to me.”

Margot Robbie

We’ve seen Margot Robbie play beautiful love interests in films like The Legend of Tarzan and The Wolf of Wall Street, but she’s grown tired of these types of roles.

During an interview with Woman’s Day, she revealed how she hoped to leave these roles in the past to pursue more empowering opportunities. “I want to keep looking for roles where the main interest will be in the character and her importance in driving a story forward, rather than her relationship with a male character,” she said.

Caitlin Stasey

Reign actress Caitlin Stasey is a proud feminist and has even launched a website, Herself.com, in which she discusses topics like sexual identity and the female body.

One of her most powerful quotes came during an interview with The Daily Beast, in which she stated, “I don’t have the allure anymore of the unknown. I have spent a lot of time playing ingenues and manic pixie dream girls—but I wonder if my innocence, for lack of a better term, has now been completely eradicated. I don’t think anyone would believe me now as a sweet high school student.

“But the fact is that a woman who appears naked on her own terms, as a gesture, as a statement, in a project she has choreographed is alienating, polarizing and unsettling. But if a woman is naked in a series of films to satisfy a male audience or a male counterpart on film, then it’s completely excusable.”

Cate Blanchett

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett is not afraid to bite the hand that feeds her, and during her Oscars acceptance speech for Blue Jasmine in 2014, she sparked conversation with her comments about the prevalent sexism in Hollywood.

“Those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences,” she said. “They are not [niche experiences]. Audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people.”

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts has voiced her concerns about the sexism that exists in the film industry, as well as expand on director Jane Campion’s thoughts.

“Jane Campion is right to say that there’s an inherent sexism in the film industry. But there’s also a lack of women putting themselves forward,” she stated, adding that women should not be compared to men because “female directors and actors have a different voice, different stories. It’s not helpful to be compared to men.”

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman has called out Hollywood for the lack of roles for women, and in 2015 she gave a powerful speech at the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards in Los Angeles, California, addressing the obvious lack of opportunities and stating that the industry did not give females “an even playing field.”

“We’re all working and banding together and trying to change that and that’s what’s needed. We also need to put cameras in little girls’ hands and get them to tell stories and increase their confidence so that they can feel powerful,” she said.

Rebel Wilson

In 2015, Rebel Wilson was the May cover star of Elle magazine, and in the accompanying interview she got real about the gender wage gap and sexism.

She told the publication, “I have done three big movies with men – these are talented, strong-minded males, but you have to find a way to work that system. You aren’t being paid much and you start at a disadvantage with the script. Usually, you don’t have any cool jokes and you’re there to support the male actor.”

Toni Collette

Toni Collette has openly embraced the term “feminism” and slammed the imbalance of not only the film industry, but the world at large during an interview with Refinery 29.

She said, “I’ve recently realized that I really am a feminist. For years people would say to me, ‘You are! You are! You really are!’ And I’d say, ‘No, I’m not. I’m a humanist. I think it’s sexist to say I’m a feminist.’ Now, I see a great imbalance not only in my industry, but also in the world at large. I want to change it. I agree with you. It needs to be varied and real.”

Mia Wasikowska

Mia Wasikowska is drawn to complex female characters and during an interview with Elle in June of 2016, she noted that the industry has made some positive changes (partly thanks to the growing number of women who are lending their voices to the cause).

Speaking of the importance of having strong female characters, she said: “I think it’s very important. Obviously we’ve come a long way, but there’s quite a far way to go in terms of portraying women in a sophisticated and complex way. But I think the more common it is, the better.”

Rachael Taylor

Rachael Taylor, who plays Trish “Patsy” Walker on the Netflix series Jessica Jones, commented on the gender pay gap in Hollywood during an interview with Elle magazine in November of 2015 — and her quote really hits home. “Hands down, equal pay for equal work. But I think when we talk about gender equality and we talk about feminism, I want to try and have a really inclusive conversation with people about the fact there are still atrocities committed across the world, in terms of genital mutilation and domestic violence (which is something that is really close to my heart),” Taylor said. “There’s a really broad set of issues around gender inequality, not just pay. Of course, I just can’t get my brain around how I am worth less than a man in my pay check. I don’t get it. I get mad as hell. And the good news is that I’m having conversation about it, and good on Jennifer Lawrence for getting out in front of it and putting up her hand and going ‘I’m not cool with this…'”

And we aren’t cool with it either.