‘American Hustle’ Director David O. Russell Responds To Jennifer Lawrence’s Essay
It was only a matter of time before someone asked American Hustle director David O. Russell what he thought of Jennifer Lawrence’s essay on the salary disparity in Hollywood.
Lawrence’s essay for Lena Dunham’s newsletter “Lenny” was in direct response to the Sony leaked e-mail that revealed Lawrence made considerably less than all of her male co-stars on American Hustle. She used this instance and Dunham’s newsletter as a platform to talk about the inequality between men and women, and how the issue expands across the spectrum of Hollywood.
Being that Lawrence is one of the most powerful actresses, with two hot franchises and an Oscar under her belt, the essay got major traction, and reignited the conversation of how unfairly women are treated in Hollywood.
In response to the letter, David O. Russell kept his thoughts at arm’s length, as he supported Lawrence, but didn’t exactly reference the salaries that were negotiated on his film. According to the Hollywood Reporter, O. Russell, who has also directed Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook, as well as the upcoming film Joy, said, “I always support all my actors and all their opinions, and I want them all to get what they need.”
“I don’t really talk about the minutia of what goes on in my movies, but I believe the spirit of what Jennifer is saying is truthful to her heart. I support her and all women in that.”
He continued, and praised Lawrence for “finding her voice.” “I also respect that Jennifer is finding her voice, and I think it’s in service of something very important.”
Lawrence also got support from her frequent collaborator and co-star Bradley Cooper. Cooper, who starred alongside Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook, Serena, American Hustle, and the upcoming film Joy, said that he will try and fix the issue by negotiating with his female co-stars by revealing his salary before actresses go into contract with film studios. By doing this, Cooper is making sure that everyone is on equal playing field.
He then added, “Usually you don’t talk about the financial stuff, you have people, but you know what? It’s time to start doing that.”
Jeremy Renner says it’s not his job to help female co-stars negotiate salaries https://t.co/ixInTLsexw pic.twitter.com/U8RNtSQyGU
— Variety (@Variety) October 22, 2015
As the Inquisitr reported, Jeremy Renner was asked if he would follow in Bradley Cooper’s footsteps by negotiating with his female co-stars, and he sounded less than enthusiastic about the whole thing. According to Business Insider, Renner replied, “That’s not my job. I don’t know contracts and money and all that sort of stuff. I’m a performer and I know human behavior. When it comes to that sort of stuff I let other people deal with that.”
He continued, “I do what I’m good at, that’s what I focus on.”
In her essay, Jennifer Lawrence stated that she’s fed up with having to negotiate for the same wages as her male co-stars. She also stated that she was hindered by wanting to be liked during the negotiation process. “I didn’t want to seem ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled’. At the time, that seemed like a fine idea, until I saw the payroll on the internet and realized every man I was working with definitely didn’t worry about being ‘difficult’ or spoiled’.”
“I got mad at myself,” Jennifer Lawrence said about making less than her male co-stars: http://t.co/zfzrCLFciE pic.twitter.com/zjZUyBNzMp
— Forbes (@Forbes) October 13, 2015
Aside from her co-stars, she has received support from Elizabeth Banks, Sandra Bullock, and Emma Watson. Beyond her essay, Jennifer Lawrence hasn’t responded to the support or her colleagues’ words in the media.
[Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]
