Film

Benedict Cumberbatch Will Refuse Acting Roles Unless His Female Co-Stars Get Equal Pay

“Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism."

by Patrick Lenton  14 May 2018

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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch has pledged to only take on new projects if his female co-stars receive equal pay to him.

In a recent interview with Radio Times, the Avengers: Infinity War actor said that male actors should boycott projects where their female co-stars aren’t being paid what they deserve. “Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism,” he said. “Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid, and say: ‘If she’s not paid the same as the men, I’m not doing it’.”

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Cumberbatch also said that he plans to use his new production company to tell more female-led stories.

Equal pay between men and women in Hollywood is a big issue at the moment, with a lot of actors pledging their support to the movement — such as when Mark Wahlberg donated his $1.5 million paycheque to the Time’s Up movement (although this was after some criticism).

The statement comes after several high-profile cases of actresses being paid less than their male counterparts, such as Claire Foy in the Netflix drama The Crown, and Evan Rachel Wood on Westworld.

Cumberbatch’s already enthusiastic fans are taking the news with dignity and grace, of course.