When Olivia Colman Addressed Gender Pay Disparity and Said She'd Earn a Lot More if She Was 'Oliver'

It is no secret that there exists a gender-based pay disparity between actors and actresses in Tinseltown. Oscar-winning actress, Olivia Colman, in February this year, voiced out against the same. While making an appearance on CNN's The Amanpour Hour show, Colman got candid about the topic. She was also accompanied by director Thea Sharrock who helms Colman's upcoming film, Wicked Little Letters.

“Don’t get me started on the pay disparity...male actors get paid more because they used to say they drew in the audiences,” Colman stated to the show's host, Christiane Amanpour. “And actually, that hasn’t been true for decades, but they still like to use that as a reason to not pay women as much as their male counterparts.” Amanpour in response, asked Colman if she had experienced it herself despite being an Oscar-winning actress.

“I’m very aware that if I was Oliver Colman, I’d be earning a hell of a lot more than I am,” The Crown star responded. “I know of one pay disparity, which is a 12,000% difference. Do the maths, I know.” This isn't the first time Colman has spoken out about the double standards in Hollywood. In a previous interview with Radio Times, the actress pointed out that some of the highest-grossing films like Barbie, Bridesmaids, and Thelma & Louise were all led by women. "People say men get paid more because they get more bums on seats. That’s a lie! It can be proved at the box office. I don’t know why we’re still having to discuss it!" Colman remarked.

Colman has had an illustrious career in Hollywood and bagged her Oscar for her performance as 'Anne', Queen of Great Britain in the 2018 historic black comedy film, The Favorite. Her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth II on the Netflix series The Crown also earned her an Emmy award. Karate Kid actress, Taraji P. Henson, while promoting her film The Color Purple in 2023, also broke down in tears and shared her frustrations about the racial wage gap in the industry.

“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, and getting paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson told Variety. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ Well, I have to. The math ain’t math-ing. Every time I do something and break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to renegotiate, I’m at the bottom again like I never did what I just did, and I’m tired. I’m tired. It wears on you. What does that mean? What is that telling me? If I can’t fight for them coming up behind me then what the hell am I doing?” She was also told by various people in the industry that "there’s not a lot of money on the table because Black actors and stories don’t translate overseas."