7 Powerful Women Who Fought for Wage Equality

Jessica Chastain

“I’m not taking jobs anymore where I’m getting paid a quarter of what the male co-star is being paid. I’m not allowing that in my life,” the Zookeeper’s Wife actress said outright.

"There was something huge that I recently turned down," Chastain told Variety, "For me, it wasn’t about the money; it was an old-fashioned problem of the wage gap. I turned it down, and they didn’t come back. I remember afterwards I was like, 'What did I do? Maybe it was a mistake.' But it wasn’t, because everyone in the studio system heard what I did. So what you’re doing is creating a reputation: Don’t bring Jessica something where she’s not being fairly compensated compared to the male actor. Even though I lost that film, I’ve created a boundary. I drew a line in the sand."

Natalie Portman

The Oscar-winning actress recently spoke out about her experience with the sexist wage gap in Hollywood. According to Portman, her No Strings Attached costar, Ashton Kutcher, was paid three-times her salary for his role in the 2011 film. "I wasn’t as pissed as I should have been," Portman said of the initial shock, "I mean, we get paid a lot, so it’s hard to complain, but the disparity is crazy." The actress went on to shed more light on the issue, telling Marie Claire UK, "Compared to men, in most professions, women make 80 cents to the dollar. In Hollywood, we are making 30 cents to the dollar... I don’t think women and men are more or less capable. We just have a clear issue with women not having opportunities. We need to be part of the solution, not perpetuating the problem.”

Gillian Anderson

The X-Files star claims she was offered half of co-star David Duchovny's salary to return for the series' reboot this past year. After publicly voicing the wage disparity, Anderson and Duchovny were eventually paid equally for their 2016 return.

Jennifer Lawrence

In October 2015, Lawrence drew attention to the wage gap with her groundbreaking Lenny Letter: “Jennifer Lawrence: ‘Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co‑Stars?’” It’s a damn good question, considering Lawrence is a household name, an Oscar-winner, and a four-time nominee. The actress’s voice didn’t go unheard. Lawrence was reportedly paid $20 million for her work in sci-fi blockbuster Passengers, while co-star Chris Pratt reportedly walked away with $12 million.

Charlize Theron

Before starting work on the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel, the Oscar-winner asked to be paid equally to herco-star Chris Hemsworth. Her request paid off, literally, and Theron reportedly ended up taking home $10 million for her role.

Robin Wright

As House of Cards' First Lady, Wright was receiveing roughly $80,000 less per episode than co-star Kevin Spacey. In a very Claire Underwood-esque ploy, the actress threatened to go public with the wage inequality and was then rewarded with pay equal to Spacey.