Kaiser covered the embarrassing Sony Hack news for much of the past week. This scandal isn’t even close to finished, and it’s making for some very revealing gossip. Many new details have surfaced about Jennifer Lawrence in leaked emails. To summarize: (1) Her email handle (as Lorde recently hinted) contains the word “peanutbutt”; (2) JLaw and Amy Adams were compensated less than Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper in American Hustle; (3) Makers of the Cleopatra biopic considered replacing Angelina Jolie with JLaw. What?
The first detail isn’t surprising. The second is maddening because (as these emails freely admit) JLaw was the biggest name in the Hustle cast. Jennifer was paid less than her male co-stars because she’s a woman. The third detail confuses me. Can you see JLaw playing Cleopatra? Let’s jump into this cluster:
Email correspondences from the Sony hack reveal that Jennifer Lawrence was compensated less than her male co-stars, compounding the studio’s gender pay gap problems.
One of the most prominent A-list presences in the emails ripped from Sony’s servers by the hacking collective Guardians of Peace is none other than Jennifer Lawrence (who is, sadly, no stranger to hacking herself).
Lawrence and her fabulous email handle (peanutbutt) make several cameos in the leak, including numerous pleasant exchanges with Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, over her dazzling turn in American Hustle, which was co-financed by Sony arm Columbia Pictures. There’s also an interesting email exchange between Pascal and Brian Helgeland, screenwriter of the planned Cleopatra biopic, with Pascal suggesting that Helgeland dump Angelina Jolie in favor of Lawrence–an idea Helgeland says he’s given some thought to.
[T]he most troubling reveal concerning Lawrence is in regard to her financial compensation with hacked emails revealing that the Hunger Games star was compensated less than her male co-stars on American Hustle.
In an email dated December 5, 2013, Andrew Gumpert, President of Business Affairs and Administration for Columbia Pictures, wrote to Pascal and Doug Belgrad, President of SPE Motion Picture Group, about the “points”–or back-end compensation–that each actor was to receive on Hustle. (“Megan” is Megan Ellison, head of Annapurna Pictures, which co-financed Hustle.)
“Got a steve warren/gretchen rush call that it’s unfair the male actors get 9% in the pool and jennifer is only at 7pts,” the email reads. “You may recall Jennifer was at 5 (amy was and is at 7) and WE anted in 2 extra points for Jennifer to get her up to 7. If anyone needs to top jennifer up it’s megan. BUT I think amy and Jennifer are tied so upping JL, ups AA.”
Gumpert added, “The current talent deals are: O’Russell: 9%; Cooper: 9%; Bale: 9%; Renner: 9%; Lawrence: 7%; Adams: 7%.”
Pascal’s email response to the news of Lawrence making less than her male colleagues–despite the fact that she’s far and away the biggest star of the picture, since Hustle was green-lit after The Hunger Games–was: “there is truth here.”
[From The Daily Beast]
The Beast goes on to reveal how the gender disparity of these A-lister salaries is reflective of Sony staffers in general. One example: the two co-presidents (one male, one female) of production at Columbia Pictures do the same exact job. The man rakes in $2.4 million salary; the female draws $1.5 million in comparison. And so on down the corporate ladder.
There’s one last JLaw detail (so far) from the Sony hack. Amy Pascal and director/producer Ivan Reitman sent several back and forth emails about casting the all-female Ghostbusters III. Jennifer’s name popped up on the list, along with Emma Stone, Melissa McCarthy, and Lizzy Caplan. Oh, rly?
Photos courtesy of Columbia Pictures/Sony & WENN
Mad about Amy getting less money, but i’m not mad about JLaw. I don’t know what people are so upset about. It’s not like she earned to have the same salary as Bale. She has been in the business for like 5 minutes. + Her role was small.
This!!! How come no one seems to care that Amy was paid less than the men? Why the concern only for JLaw?
Just like nobody cared that a bunch of women were violated in the nude photo hack, other than her. They formed a support group for JLaw and made fun of the others. Jennifer is the favourite now, so everything has to be about her. For the record i love Amy, she has worked for a long time, give amazing performances. She deserves the guys salary.
I agree. JLaw is more popular among the public and an Oscar winner, but Amy has a longer and more acclaimed acting career. I can see why JLaw would get paid less, but Amy should get just as much as the men in that movie.
Exactly! Amy was much better in this film & had a bigger part!
Her P.R. Team.
The world is harsh on J.Law. But not harsh enough to give her an annoying complex, or anything.
All hail the Duchess of Tiki Light Little Black Dress Ambience
She who plays video games and doesn’t even THINK of her appearance!!!
Aka the butterfly of bimbos!!
Edited to Add: Playing this role reduces her to such, IMO.
Both Amy and JLaw were stiffed. People are just focussed more on Jlaws situation because its an easier case to make. The fact that Jlaw is now considered for pretty much every female role is proof that she IS a box office draw. She scores high on pretty much every hollywood metric, there are definitely people who went to see this because she prmoted it and was in it. Jlaw is A List period. Now lets go ahead and have a conversation about Bradley Cooper or Jeremy Renner.
I shudder to think what a black woman would have received. I bet Zoe Saldana has a story or two to tell by now. It wouldnt surprise me if Viola Davis makes less than the guy whose screen credit is “Truck Driver 2”
They should all have been on an equal scale. I hope this leak puts the fear of God in the studios and forces them to act right, if only for PRs sake.
Can’t we just be mad that BOTH women were getting less? Why do we have negatively compare the two wronged parties in this equation.
The facts are in the story that they both earned less, which yes, in the case of Amy is appalling since she was equal to both Bale and Cooper in screen time. But Jenifer had a substantial presence in the movie as well. Both earned nominatons for their roles.
They led the story with Jennifer Lawrence because right now, she is the biggest female box office draw and the headline grabber.
You do get less money when you start out, with every job i think. Jennifer was fun in the movie, but let’s be honest, she didn’t get nominated for a great performance. This was probably her worst. She couldn’t keep up the accent for more then few seconds at the time. She was entertaining and she brought the viewers in, that’s all. Yes to all women generally getting more money tho!
BatWoman – I see what you are saying in most jobs one starts out earning less and that increases over time.
In Hollywood it doesn’t always work this way.
If that were the case, an actor like JK Simmons would be bringing in more per picture than Shia Labeouf. But sadly that is not the case.
Renner got 9% as well. You could compare Lawrence’s screen time to his. So let’s all agree to be collectively upset that the lead actress (Amy) and lead supporting actress (Jennifer) earned less than their MALE counterparts on this film.
All I’m saying is let’s not make this about which actress deserves more, let’s point our emotion where it belongs – in disapproval of the fact that BOTH women did not receive equal pay for equal work.
JK Simmons is King! I’m so happy that he’s FINALLY getting some recognition and praise.
@BatWoman It was “probably her worst”? Well, I suppose it’s all relative. She won the BAFTA and the GG for this role, so I think it was at least in the #2 spot of supporting performances of the year. lol
I agree with mia girl. But Hollywood is merely a microcosm of the entire country.
Post-feminist world…my ass.
Agree, Mia girl. I can’t believe woman are still paid less than men for a comparable job. It just makes my blood boil.
I Totally agree. Either way.
Her P.R. Team.
The world is harsh on J.Law. But not harsh enough to grant her an annoying complex, or anything.
All hail the Duchess of Tiki Light Little Black Dress Ambience
She who plays video games and does not even THINK of her appearance in the daylight!!
Aka the butterfly of bimbos!!
Edited to Add: playing the role is what would reduce her to such, surely.
@Mia Girl
100% agree with you and you articulated you argument very well. It does matter if you hate Jennifer Lawrence and love Amy Adams. Bottom line is BOTH ladies should have been paid the same as their male counter parts. Jennifer was an Oscar winner at that point and the star of one of the biggest money making female led films in Hollywood history. The person that brought huge free press to the movies. She deserved the higher pay. Amy was the female lead with more screen time and more Oscar nominations than the other men, she too deserved higher pay. End of!
Absolutely! Jennifer’s role was small compared to Amy’s, who was one of the main characters. But, on the other hand, Renner’s role was of similar importance to Jennifer’s, yet he got 9%. And he is less known (at least in Europe) than both Jennifer and Amy.
I don’t know where you are from, ( I’m from Middle Europe) but Renner is definitely more known here. Then again Amy was the star of the movie next to Bale. She should’ve gotten the same money. Renner, Cooper…weren’t even that good in this movie. In my opinion.
Yes. If Amy had made the same as Brad and Christian and Jeremy made less, okay. But it makes no sense that Renner made the same as the male leads. He and Jennifer were both supporting so they both should have made less. But there’s nothing besides sexism to explain why Renner gets more than Amy (a lead) or Jennifer (who’s an Oscar winner with a better ability to open movies than him). Arg!
@Gretchen: It is relative. Aside from her fans, people were generally upset that she was even nominated, they would have scalped her if she stole the Oscar from Lupita, who was superior. Awards don’t = brilliance. Many people won who didn’t deserve it. It’s that years voters personal opinion. You can be a fan of someone and not think everything they do is gold. I love Bale and i’m well aware he has a bad case diarrhea of the mouth. That jerk. 😀
I’m not sure where you are getting your “facts”, but only the haters were upset that she was nominated. Every credible critic/oscar watcher was sure from the first screening of American Hustle that Lawrence was on her way to another nomination. Hell, you can look at tweets from the first screening. The general shock was that Adams was even nominated.
Of course, you can’t dislike her, because then you’re a hater. I forgot she’s the Queen of tumblr.
Is it not at all possible that she was paid less because she had less screen time?
It’s actually harder to carry films as a male actor, overall.
It’s how the characters are written, IMO.
Females just milk emotions and rely on oozing appeal and charming people into forgetting about sex in moments,
Amy Adams was paid less than Jeremy Renner, WTF!!
Loo Loo, I disagree with your statement, except the part about the way characters are written, just I think differently. Plus the facts not just opinion support my line of thinking. I think it is hard for women not men to carry movies, because fewer rolls are written period where a woman carries a movie at all.
Your opinion about females oozing appeal and milking it, although I totally don’t agree at all, should only be based on the few movies where the female rolls are the lead and center. They may be the lead actress but generally their part is an ancillary to the male parts main character. Most movies are male centric to begin with, so if you don’t think the men can carry the movies, you must not think a lot about male actors today.
@Katey
No, Jeremy Renner also had less screen time like Jen Lawrence but was paid more. Also if you read more, Amy Pascal was going to ask Megan Ellison to pitch in and add to Jen’s salary to bring it up to the guy, so clearly they knew she should be paid more but they decided not to do that because then they would also have to increase Amy Adam’s pay to that same level. That is the straight up crazy. They didn’t think Amy Adams as the lead female was worth the same as either her male co-lead or ANY of the supporting characters. And they deliberately kept Jen’s salary low to further prevent Amy from getting more money. It’s a clear case of sexism where both women were punished for having vaginas.
They don’t pay based on how much work they do in the movie or how long they have been acting. They pay based on who they want to attract. When the movie first came out, many people wondered why JLaw had been cast in the first place. She was too young for the role. Clearly the producers knew her name would draw people. They wanted her badly. She should have been compensated accordingly. She had come off an Oscar nomination, a HUGE movie success with Hunger Games, critical acclaim with Winter’s Bone, and was also part of another small franchise…X-Men. When they cast this film she was definitely an established commodity. It would be nice to say actors are paid according to talent but they are not. They are paid based on how much money the studio things the actor will bring in. JLaw’s agent should have negotiated harder imo. She was certainly bigger than Renner and Cooper for sure. I don’t see how anyone could not see this as blatant sexism.
As for Amy Adams, yes, she is an extremely talented woman and she was amazing in this film. But she isn’t the big name to the general public that JLaw is.
Sony is a Japanese company. On business trips to Japan, I saw Japanese businesswomen delegated to getting coffee and standing around while the businessmen closed deals and negotiated. It might be their corporate culture (I’m not giving an excuse for them, just adding a detail).
Additionally, anyone looking into Japan’s current events should check out Taiji. It’s really horrendous and needs to stop.
They’re still doing this? I saw this when working for Nissan back in the late 80s. I was a low level staffer (i.e. the one whose actual job responsibility it was to get coffee) and it was embarrassing to see female department directors in the coffee room with me, pulling a pot for the corporate guys visiting from HQ. The women would eye-roll and say nothing. It was expected of them.
Yep. So weird
This. A friend of the family is a plastics engineer – she came back early from a Japanese business trip because the business men wouldn’t allow her to be a part of discussions. She was not allowed to sit at the business table (to discuss *her* job). I believe the men sat at a table together and she had to sit in a chair in a corner in the same room. This was compounded with other instances of gender inequality. She said “eff this” and came back to the US.
It may be a Japanese company, but I don’t give one flying sh-t about it. They are doing business in America, and frankly, in this country, women are supposed to get equal pay. So they don’t get a pass for their “culture.” This is happening because America is allowing it to happen, and not just at Sony. And it pisses me off. Our politicians ignore it because they’re too busy telling us how to reproduce. Companies ignore it because they’re too busy covering their butts and coming up with lame excuses for their cock-ups. And we just keep putting up with it like doormats.
/rant
Thank you. You want to do business here, play fair. But I have a nagging suspicion that this is widespread across all companies and industries, not just HW… Until women make noise about it, argue to get disclosure of salaries at all levels in a corporation and so on, nothing will happen.
Very well said Izzy, completely agree with you.
I agree Izzy. The reality though is women even in US companies are paid on average .80 to every $1.00. So we still make 20% less which is close to what Jennifer and Amy were paid on the movie. Until women start standing up and saying it is wrong it won’t change. I wish other women would stand up for each other when they see it. The worst part about this movie pay to me was two women of power in this movie Amy Pascal and Megan Ellison and neither one of them stood up to say this is wrong.
*Men* and women need to insist upon women’s equal pay. Many men reap the benefits and say nothing.
The chairman of Sony Pictures is an American and the co-chairman an american woman (Amy Pascal).
This is the well-established American branch of Sony; the sexism here is all-American. A hack of any other film company would likely reveal similar results.
Now that JLaw knows the score, I bet she won’t get screwed again.
Here’s hoping.
And I may be alone on this but I thought JLaw was incredible in AHustle. Like, totally mesmerizing and unforgettable and when I saw that movie I realized why she is such a “big deal”.
I’m repulsed that men just get more regardless. But I’m not surprised. It’s a messed up world and the film industry is a reflection of it.
She needs a better agent and so does Amy Adams.
They dont need better agents. Sony needs to stop living in the 40s and pay equally men and women. Even if Jen and Amy’s agents got more money the women employees at the studio are still getting way less money than men doing the same job. Its a company issue, not just agent.
I agree with Batwoman. JLaws still a newbie. The bigger diss is definitely Amy Adams. How many Oscar nominations does she have? She’s certainly on the same level as a Christian Bale
She certainly is. It’s about time she wins an Oscar. Long overdue.
This is just wrong but the way it is in Hollywood and the world in general. Granted Jennifer has only been around for a tiny bit and her part was smaller, but she was maybe the biggest star of the cast. Also, Renner isn’t that big of a box office draw with the same size part and he got more. Amy really should have gotten more too, and it is shocking because she is a better actor with a bigger part than Renner, and a more accomplished actor than Cooper- definitely more award nominations. I just wish with two women involved in the leadership of this project (Pascal and Ellison) , one would just stand up and say this is wrong and give up the 4% and make them both equal. I am guessing Ellison and Pascal are fighting for their place in Hollywood elite and they are too afraid to break that mold. Wish someone wouldn’t care, and bust the ceiling. This bothers me more about Pascal than the crazy emails.
Unfortunately you are probably right, but I think there could be a part of her that is just playing with the boys talk to fit in. Keep in mind there are so few women in rolls of power in Hollywood that the ones that are there are probably just trying to stay by appeasing others. Which is a shame, because until you pull others up there won’t be more. I know people have mentioned a few women in power, but the overall numbers are still white male.
I think that Jennifer would actually be better Cleopatra than Angelina. Cleopatra was not incredebly beautiful and was in her 20s early when the many of her lives important event happened. And she would certainly be charismatic enough and is a box office draw. But neither of them should be doing this film.
They would both be terrible. Get an unknown for Cleopatra, with a great supporting cast and it would be much more interesting. Otherwise it becomes just an ego trip for the main “star”.
JLaw and Angie would be terrible. We already have 1 Cleopatra movie thank you very much.
The uproar should be over Cooper and Renner getting 9% and Amy Adams getting 7%. Jen was a supporting cast member like Bradley and Jeremy, while Amy was a lead. Pure horsepoop.
Bale pissed me off during the promo for this movie. He barely showed up. He should thank his co-stars for his Oscar nomination because they were the only ones promoting the dreck that was American Hustle. Even though he struggled into the 5th spot and had ZERO chance of winning.
Yes, I came here to say just this. Lawrence had the smallest part of the big five names and her compensation should have been the smallest of those names. The headline should be that Adams was compensated for a lead role the same as a glorified cameo by Lawrence. That’s insulting to Adams.
+1
I would argue that Renners and Lawrences part were both classic supporting roles. if any thing Lawrence character had the larger role and scenes without the leads.
Lawrence and Adams were both underpaid because there women.
lol seriously? Jen had the smaller part but she was the one that made the biggest impression. She barely campaign for movie but she was still their only real chance at winning during award season, case in point she won a golden globe and a Bafta for the movie. I guarantee she also helped put a lot butts on sits to see the movie. She had just won an oscar, Catching Fire was the biggest movie of 2013 and she got amazing reviews for AH. She was and still is the most popular actress. She deserved more and of course Adams as the lead.
Bale was filming Exodus in Spain during American Hustle promotion in december and january.He promoted American Hustle in Berlin fest in february
Yes- Jennifer’s was a supporting role, so I have expected her salary to be a little less than the leads. But Amy was a lead, and should have been compensated appropriately.
JLaw isn’t the issue here, she came to the project late, only filmed for 2 weeks and her part was inflated during filming and editing. Renner being paid the same as the other men isn’t an issue either, since his bigger role was cut down during editing. So JLaw gained with a more substantial role and an oscar nomination but lost on wages, whilst Renner got the money but his role was cut to the point where he couldn’t compete with Cooper for supporting actor nominations. So both did ok. It is Amy Adams that should be angry. I guess there is a chance that she opted for a larger upfront payment, rather than the extra 2% share, but if nobody comes out and says that is what happened then I think it is disgusting. Also, don’t forget that Bradley Cooper was a producer on this film and so should be held accountable too.
To be fair to Renner, he excelled in AH. But he ain’t a box office draw. I could replaced him with similarly competent guy with lesser name recognition and star power and AH would still succeed because Jennifer Lawrence.
Meh. Cooper and Bale were leads and Renner was originally meant to have more screen-time, so he obviously got his deal all locked up before things changed. Everyone says he’s fantastic at negotiating these things so no surprise there.
Amy got screwed, but then she’s not a box office draw overseas. I love her, but she flies so under the radar she ends up having minimal impact on potential film-goers. Bale is Batman, Cooper’s known from The Hangover and Renner has The Avengers and that stupid Hansel & Gretel film that did very well overseas. Adams hasn’t had a film that really got her name out there since Enchanted.
BTW, I think JLaw is a much better choice than Jolie for Cleopatra.
Renner’ agent is the top man at CAA for movie actors. He reps people like Tom Cruise, but I think I am right in saying that Renner has been his client longer than anyone, well before he was at CAA and before Renner made The Hurt Locker. They seem to be really good friends and I suspect that is the real secret to Renner’s success, he is great to work with and people like him. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if his agent puts in extra hours on his behalf. Amy is lovely and I am sure she is equally well liked within the business, but maybe she needs to find stronger representation.
3 thoughts:
1. As someone who doesn’t identify as a feminist because of its issues relating to woc and the lgbtq community: I bet a lot of women are gonna need feminism now. Quite a few naysayers may be checking their pay.
2. I’m not sorry for J-Law (like someone up thread said she’s been ‘famous’/profitable for a minute. But Amy Adams getting paid less is bull crap. Like I said before things are going to be mighty awkward at Sony from here on out.
3. Studios want things regardless of reality. While Angie can miss me with her Elizabeth Taylor fantasies of playing Cleopatra, Jennifer Lawrence playing her is even more laughable. Then again maybe this can join the memes that mocked the Aaliyah casting. Ramses played by Justin Bieber!
If Diaper Pants Bieber is cast, I might consider going to see it… just so I can throw rotten fruits and vegetables at the screen.
Yeah, It would be magnificently BAD, not of the mediocre brand. It would become a cult fav of horrendous-ness.
I just don’t understand why Angelina is so obsessed with playing Cleopatra–I’ve been reading rumors about this project for YEARS. At least since 2009. If I was a producer/studio head, then I wouldn’t go near any kind of epics like this. Because 90% of them are always complete crap and/or cost tons of money that you don’t make up.
LOL. Too true. Anybody remember Waterworld? Or Ishtar?
I unfortunately remember that horrendous “Alexander” (also with Angelina in it, interestingly)…
Truthfully, Jennifer and Amy have been in more hits and have nominated more than all these guys. Renner?! he should be at the bottom. Bale, I can see being at the top. Cooper should also be at the same level as Jen — they rose at around the same time. But I guess The Hangover gives him pull.
Jen and Amy should fire their agents over this.
I think it is appropriate Lawrence was paid the least – she had a five-minute cameo. It’s Adams who should be griping. She was, unquestionably, the co-lead with Bale. She wasn’t an unknown quantity but had four Academy Award nominations at the time of filming. She deserved to be compensated at least as much as the men.
I don’t know if anyone knows the answer, but how does the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 play into this?
In my opinion, Amy Adams and Christian Bale should have been paid the same and then Renner, Cooper and Lawrence due to screen time, etc.
That being said, I’m more interested in the corporate salaries and discrepancies there. And, again, I guess I’m curious if the female corporate Sony executives can sue under Lilly Ledbetter? Have a feeling Lilly Ledbetter doesn’t oversee actors? I don’t know, I’m just curious. It’s appalling on so many levels.
There is no such thing as equal pay in Hollywood. There is no such thing as an expected salary or budget per actor — there is only a MINIMUM required salary per week/per diam as demanded by the Actors unions such as SAG/AFTRA. Anything that pays above that required minimum is all up to the negotiation skills of their agents/managers/lawyers (who take 10% each off the top). That required minimum per week for a full budget SAG feature film (years ago when I worked in a talent agency) was barely around $2,000 for the LEAD. Not supporting, guest or day players…and the minimum fluctuates per type of film and per actor billing and distribution deal.
There are around 155,000 members of SAG. Less than 14% can make a living as a semi-working actor. Most union actors never make more than $6-7,000 in their careers…IF THAT.
Kind of like real estate purchases. Just because a house had the same sq. ft. and no. of rooms in the same block doesn’t mean that both homes will sell for the same price.
The more that comes out in this Sony hack, the less I like Amy Pascal. I intensely dislike her at this point, and I am rapidly approaching loathing.
The good question is not why Lawrence is less paid than the male co-stars ( she’s a last-minute casting for a supporting character) but why Renner is more paid than Amy Adams whereas she’s co-lead and he’s a supporting character?
Amy needs to talk with her agent and Renner’s agent looks very efficient
American Hustle was awful anyway. But I do like JLaw and I think she could do Cleo just as well as anyone.
I thought Hollywood was filled with liberal elites. Equality between men and women is a fundamental tenet of the liberal canon.
Well don’t believe everything you hear on Fox News.
I don’t find the issue with Bale and Bradley making more. They have been in the business longer and her name is not any bigger than theirs and her part wasn’t huge. Amy deserved more, but her name is not a big box office draw, but her work and career longevity deserved more. And it’s an insult she was paid less then Renner. Amy is the issue here receiving less, not Jennifer. But it’s no surprise women are paid less than men. It’s not exactly a secret and is talked about.
Amy should be pissed. She was the only good thing about AH.
And God no to either Angelina or ESPECIALLY JLaw as Cleopatra. Just no. Go back to Lupita being up for the role.
LMAO
Lupita as Cleopatra
Why would you laugh at that…? A beautiful, talented actress in a film chosen over two overrated actresses. Your sense of humor is odd.
for real.
Lupita is just as overrated as Jolie and JLaw.
I would laugh at that because NO studio would cast her in the lead role of an almost $200M film.Lupita hasn’t even played a lead role. Besides TYAS what has she done? Yes she has an Oscar.Oscar does not equal worldwide appeal.A $200M film has to perform well in Europe,Asia.
Despite what posters on CB believe,Lupita is not well known.My own father so a picture of her and thought she was the girl that work at Krogers,, grocery store.So yes Lupita could play Cleopatra on HBO maybe but not in big budget film.JMHO
You think Lupita should play Cleopatra, who was Macedonian Greek?
How is Lupita playing a Macedonian Greek any weirder than Christian Bale playing an Egyptian Jew? Or Joel Edgarton playing an Egyptian? Or Rooney Mara playing Tiger Lily?
It would be great to see an ethnic actress play Cleo, even tho people are hell-bent on her being white. For the record Lupita would be awesome. She sure has a lot of elegance and power to her.
Cleopatra was actually Greek (Ptolemy Dynasty), insofar as ethnic distinctions really existed back then – so European casting isn’t necessarily wrong for the part, but Lupita would probably do the job really well. Having said that, I suspect that neither herself or J-Law would touch that part with a bargepole.
I think Lupita is great, but I can’t for the life of me understand how anyone can conclude she’s an obviously better actress than Lawrence and Adams based on a single supporting performance in one film. I think all three are exceptional – and Lawrence and Adams were by far and away the best two things about American Hustle.
She was Greek Macedonian from the Ptolomeic family. So I guess everyone needs to start searching Greece.
Lupita is gorgeous and awesome, and I’d prefer her to be cast as Cleopatra as opposed to Hollywood white-washing yet again, but Egyptians don’t tend to have very dark skin, and, as Jbap said, the Cleopatra associated with Caesar was actually Greek anyhow. The Nubians (living in the same part of the world) do have dark skin, but their empire was an enemy of the ancient Egyptian empire, so there wouldn’t be much overlap.
Lupita could play an imaginary Nubian arch-nemesis of Cleopatra.
As far as some of the emails, I agree with Scott Rudin, I think Cleopatra sounds like a bad idea, and Angelina is too old to be playing her anyway.
I think Amy Pascal’s going to be gone by Monday. She got Aaron Sorkin to come out in support of her, and then after is release an email about how poor he is and is sleeping with the author of Molly when discussing why he wants to do that project.
He has to be seething that he came out in support of her. If he is sleeping with the author, boy, his wife isn’t going to be a happy camper right now.
The tone of these emails don’t surprise me. I was on Gawker reading all of them, and in comments there were a few people who have worked in lower levels in the industry who have said none of this is uncommon at all, just business as usual, but most everybody said they can’t believe how immature and high-school sounding Amy Pascal comes across and bad grammar, not like a studio head.
I find what is offensive are the Obama emails. I reread them again and it’s more offensive every time I read them. It’s mind-boggling that these two would sink so low in their racist snark and I do find it shocking coming from two people so high up in the industry and oh-so liberal that they would even think in those terms for their snark even if they didn’t like Obama. Ha-ha. I’m laughing.
Sorkin is single. But I’m sure he’s pissed about the violation of privacy.
Its really unfair that how studios treat women in salary whenever there is a popular male leads.Do you think emily blunt got paid anywhere near tom cruise in EOT?She is badass in that movie…
I’m surprised no one has picked up on the portion of emails where Amy Pascal and Aaron Sorkin are discussing projects for him to work on.
Amy wants him to adapt the latest Michael Lewis book, Flash Boys, and Aaron would rather do the Jobs biopic.
Aaron’s entire objection is that the book’s lead character is Asian and apparently there are no Asian movie stars!!!!!!
That’s horrible! Hollywood is disgusting on so many levels.
Disgusting…..
I haven’t read the emails ,but it sounds like they want a marquee name in this movie. There really aren’t that many big name Asian movie stars ,but if movies like the Last emperor and Memoirs of a Geisha can be made then surely this movie can be made too.
you are, as always, a welcome *voice of reason*.
Fingerbinder: I know what type of actor they want to cast, BUT! My comment shows in stark reality what Hollywood thinks about the non white actors.
I said a few threads ago what i’ve been told many times ie Black doesn’t sell, to which i’ll add that non white doesn’t sell.
This attitude is prevalent throughout Hollywood, and the big guns aren’t willing to take a chance or even consider an alternative universe where a non white is selling.
Michael Lewis books are amazing, and they make amazing films eg ‘the big short’ which was the source material for WALL STREET. The Aaron Sorkins of the studio system ie the big guns at the studio, would rather take a chance on an unknown white actor eg Charlie Sheen in the original WALL STREET than cast a non white actor.
Take a moment to think about why there are no marquee names of Asian actors in hollywood and only a handful of non white actors all together. The studios are not willing to consider anything outside the box. Period.
What Christian Bale said the other day, which seemed tone deaf is actually the truth vis a vis Indies taking chances on non white actors AND changing the system.
BTW: Flash boys is going to be made into a film, and it will star a white actor in the lead role, because that’s how studios role.
BTW: despite this attitude, BOLLYWOOD and the Asian films as whole generate more money than Hollywood.
well thats still better than “Save the world,Jack” BS…
Maybe that would change if, you know, THEY COULD ACTUALLY GET PARTS. JFC, I hate Hollywood. They’re increasingly looking toward international audiences to make up lost American revenue, but they refuse to acknowledge the fact that the vast majority of the world’s population is not white. They’re so far behind where the rest of society is headed, it’s appalling. This is one of the reasons I rarely step into theatres anymore unless it’s something I really love. Otherwise, I’ll wait until I can rent it.
These emails have made me really lose respect for Aaron Sorkin. I thought he was a brilliant writer who wants to be involved with high quality films and hire really good actors for the roles but he comes across as the Hollywood establishment who is all about hiring the biggest name actor to “sell” the film to the masses. Talent not important.
Amy Pascal too seems to be a pushover, letting a the men make her decisions without standing up for herself. The latest leak is she fired her big PR guy for Sony beause her husband told her to and she forwarded his email to HR. All because she wasn’t invited to be on a panel of studio executives for some blog Q&A.
Well, this isn’t shocking, but as many other comm-enters stated, Jlaw had the smallest part and was required to do the least amount of filming, but Amy Adams being paid less is the real outrage.
On another note, neither Jlaw or Angie are fit to play Cleopatra, but the casting of such a historical prominent figure can only mean that they want a huge star for the part. Has anyone seen the coin of Cleopatra’s profile? Neither one bare a marginal resemblance to her.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=What+Did+The+Julio+Claudians+Really+Look+Like++Reconstructions-+Joe+Geranio
It’s at the bottom of the page.
Thanks! Looks like I could play Cleopatra *lol*
Lyndsey Marshal played Cleopatra in the HBO series Rome. She was excellent.
this is truely disgracefull. would love to hear more female stars talk about how they “are NOT FEMINISTS” after this. honeychild, we still have a long way to go.
This explosion of news is good. It clearly demonstrates what’s wrong with our society on broader scale. Between the racism, sexism, poverty, etc…I hope a revolution is coming (*crosses fingers*).
Thank you. I think a lot of people tend to forget that JLaw is mostly internet famous.
@BatWoman Really? I’m sorry, but you’re just wrong. J.Law is big. 3 oscar Nominations, critical acclaim, 2 global multimillion dollar franchises, and numerous other awards. Not to mention name recognition that puts her at the top of any casting list. J.Law is famous and she has the work to back it up. You may not like her, but don’t let your hate of her cloud your judgement.
How is JLaw Internet famous? My coworkers know who she is. My friends talk about her movies. My *58 year old mother* who hasn’t watched a movie in years knows who Jennifer Lawrence is. She helmed one of the biggest blockbuster franchises in recent years. She may be fairly new, but she’s more or less a household name at this point. Benedict Cumberbatch or Tom Hiddleston, I could see an argument, but not her.
Seriously? She’s won an Oscar, been nominated two other times and she’s in two extremely successful franchises. She’s one of the most well-known celebrities in the world right now. My grandmother knows who she is, and I think it’s honestly been about a half century since she set foot in a cinema.
Exactly! You might not like her or think she is overhyped or whatever but to not admit she is a the top of hollywood just make you look stupid. The girl is very famous and loved in the industry. Nobody can’t deny that.
I do hate her very much. I think she so mediocre, it’s a crime against humanity that she’s getting so much praise. Tho honestly i wouldn’t think she’s that famous. Maybe i live in a cave, maybe i’m stupid, maybe it’s Maybelline.
Hahahahaaaa
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, look it up
It should have been Bale/Adams 9 points, Renner/Cooper 7 points JLaw who is barely more than a cameo 5 points.
You know im right…
J-Law’s role was as big as Renner, and she’s a much bigger box office draw than him.
No she wasn’t when she was cast and she still isn’t now beyond teen/cartoon franchises which incidentally Renner has also had – im basing it on THIS bit of insider info
‘Think his pay has more to do with the role he was hired for rather than the role he played. Originally Christian Bale was set for the lead with Bradley Cooper but had to drop out so they cast Renner to replace him. Then later on Bale’s commitments cleared up so he could rejoin the project and Renner moved to a supporting role. His pay is most likely due to them honoring the deal they made with Renner for the lead. ‘
So yes im still right.
Fair enough then for Renner: his pay makes more sense with that info. I still think J-Law’s a much bigger star than him, and not just on the teen franchise front – she has name recognition and multiple Oscar noms, and in general there aren’t many names bigger than her right now. But I guess her profile was lower in 2012…
When she was cast she had just won an lead Oscar and was also lead in the first hunger games which was hugely successful. Not to forget she was often the main focus when it came to promotion. She and Amy Adams were underpaided compared to the male actors.
I feel bad for JLaw and Amy if they honestly didn’t get paid as much a their co-stars especially since they got the most acclaim from that movie.
Secondly, No I wouldnt want Jennifer Lawrence as Cleopatra. If they did want to another Cleopatra movie, can they just have it ethnically right for a change?
Also, Jennifer lawrence is apparently part of the new Ghostbusters cast according to these leaks.
This Cleopatra movie needs a serious asp to it’s breast.
I suspect that the deals for Hustle were signed away back in 2012. J-Law is a much bigger star now than then, so the initial imbalance is fairly explicable. Also, the impact of her performance and the publicity it generated for the film was greater than was probably originally anticipated, given that it’s only a supporting role – she ended up being the only one seriously in the running for an Oscar, and the film came out just as she was moving on up to A+ status. So the imbalance looks worse now than it probably did at the time. Having said that, it’s still gobsmacking that Renner was on more than either Adams or Lawrence – especially since his role (at least in the final cut) is no bigger than J-Law’s, and his profile is nothing close to hers.
I commented above but I figured I would mention it again…TECHNICALLY, by law, they are being paid the same. The minimum required payment demanded by the unions are equal and applicable to both men and women. Any additional compensation (money, bonuses, back end, perks) are negotiated and determined by the clout and persistence of their representatives. Hence why actors change representation so often.
Lawrence’s role wasn’t that big. But then, neither was Renner’s. If both had gotten less, it would be fair. Amy deserved the same percentage as Bale and Cooper. The persistent inequities are so depressing.
Even though it’s criminal, the hack has really opened a can of worms. Good.
I can be upset about women making less (of course!). However, when you’re throwing millions into the equation, you’re losing me. I’m sorry, but these women are well above the poverty line. Should they get compensated as much as their male co-stars? Yes. But once I start seeing those numbers, my eyes get stuck in the back of my head. Both sides just appear greedy in that argument.
You could say that about any job where you are paid more than 50k. It isn’t about needing the money. It’s about being properly compensated for your work just as your peers, male or female.
The amount is irrelevant. If woman at the top, perceived as powerful can’t even be paid equally for their work there is no hope for women living on minimum wage or below it. Change has to start somewhere and if it’s well publicised like this, people are more likely to take notice.
Bale was the main character, so I could see 9% for him, what what the hell about Renner and Cooper’s performance justified them being compensated higher than Adams or JLaw? Adams in particular headlined the movie nearly as much as Bale, and JLaw brought both the mass appeal and the Oscar weight to the film. In what reality is Renner more bankable than either of these women? JFC. Okay, so you can make the argument JLaw was supporting, but that doesn’t explain Adams, whose performance is really the standout of the film.
But you know what, I’m glad. I’m glad this hack happened, and all of this information is out there for the world to see. Because when the numbers are laying in out in such a way that make it obvious women are being paid less for no valid reason – and white women at that, imagine if they’d been POC! – then maybe it’ll make someone sit down for a minute and think hard about the reality they live in. I hope it will inspire actresses to push harder because obviously “settling” isn’t getting them anywhere.
As for Cleopatro, NO, TERRIBLE. Not a JLaw film. But ghostbusters? I could see it. It would fit with her personality.
The top tier movie stars in Hollywood are so overpaid it is ridiculous. I really don’t care if Jennifer gets her 7 pts and Bradley his 9. Both stars are pulling in millions.
While the rest of the cast, the production assistants, the writers, the gofers, are paid shit. Stage actors, dancers, painters, poets make nothing. Not enough to live without another job. Only in Hollywood, only the top tier of actors and agents and producers are compensated out of the stratosphere right now. France just passed a law to limit the salaries of movie stars.
The real disgusting news is the difference in pay between the Sony women who work in the OFFICE and the men. The women are paid half. And probably put in more work and hours.
So Bravo!!! To Guardians of the Peace. I’m sorry Jennifer that you now lose your peanutbutt handle, but truth will out. I am not naive enough to think that Sony is the only Hollywood company embedded with racism, misogynism and plain old stupidity, but the ball has to start rolling somewhere.
This times a thousand.
To be fair, it’s not a law to limit actors’ salary that was passed. You also can’t compare Frenchies’ salary and Americans’ . It’s a law that limits the government’s investment in a movie if the salary of the lead is above 900 000€. In France, the government is heavily involved in the movie making process, the spending program was bypassed by the directors to pay actors’ salaries when it shouldn’t have been used for that. It’s been a hot topic since 2012 when directors (like Abdellatif Kechiche) and distribution houses started calling out overpaid actors (Dany Boon, Gerard Depardieu) who were making bombs just to get their money. I’m glad the law passed though
I would argue that regardless of the paycheck size, the discrepancy in pay is still an issue. If it’s happening at the top, then it’s setting a standard that filters all the way down all the way to the bottom. Sexism is sexism is sexism regardless of the numbers they are pulling in.
Don’t forget these people were hired and salaries agreed, then O’Russell pretty much rewrote the script. Then during filming they improvised new scenes and the thing was effectively rewritten again during editing. O’Russell’s obsession with Copper and Lawrence would have greatly favored them in this process, especially Lawrence who was hired very late, for only a couple of weeks and for a small part. I personally think this process resulted in caricatures and a generally flabby film. I would have preferred to have seen a film that focused on the other 3, BUT, the key point is that Lawrence’s pay packet reflects what she was hired for and since the changes were to her benefit and resulted in her nomination, then I don’t think she has anything to complain about. Amy is a completely different matter – I am angry for her.
WAIT!!!
Melissa McCarthy in an all female Ghostbusters???
Oh hell YES!!!!!
I can SO see that! I love her!
Make it happen Hollywood!!
I love your enthusiasm! It’s an all-white cast, though.
I’d be ok with Melissa being in the film as long as they didnt resort to using fat jokes on her.
I am all for it, too. Can you imagine the bloopers if she and J.Law are in it? Good times. I agree with the other comments that they need more variety in the film. The 90s television cartoon did a really great with diversity, so I’d prefer to see that echoed in film.
Renner may have originally negotiated the 9 points when he originally signed on to play the male lead opposite Cooper after Bale dropped out in 2012 due to scheduling issues. When Bale ‘dropped’ back in to play Irv, roles were re-shuffled and Renner was kept on to play the supporting role of Carmine. (This can be googled sorry to lazy to post links). I bet part of that deal was Renner keeping his original salary and points.
But yeah Amy should have had equal comp and billing with the three males. That’s inexcusable.
I get why Bale and Cooper got what they did. They are big names. I don’t get Renner making more than Adams.
So, Renner was originally hired to play a supporting role, got bumped up to a lead, got his pay bumped up, and then dropped back to supporting. While keeping his leading-role salary.
I wonder if they’d do that for a female actor.
It was around this time Renner had to back out of Captain America Winter Soldier, due to scheduling problems. It maybe that he forced Sony to sign off on the higher wage before he backed out of Cap2, perhaps aware that Bale could come back. The guy is a smart businessman and he has one of Hollywood’s top agents, who also happens to be a good mate.
What I can’t believe is that both of these Women were paid less than Bradley Cooper. I just don’t find him to be all that talented. I’m probably in the minority. But the real issue here is that ALL the women even behind the scenes are making less than their male counterparts. And most of these Hollywood ladies have no idea what Feminism is or don’t care just judging from interviews. They need to start looking at the salary disparity in their industry and get with the program. Equal pay for equal work.
Ok looks like i really live in a cave then, because no one i know even heard of JLaw.
+100
Like they’re hurting for money.
Do any of you understand how business works? It’s Sony’s job to make a movie that is as profitable as possible, which is a factor of how much it cost to make and how much it earns. So it’s in Sony’s best interest to manage expenses or, in this case, keep the back-end points. The person largely responsible for this situation is Jennifer’s agent, who (it seems) could have done a better job negotiating her deal.
All that said, sometimes actors want to work on a particular project because of the story or a co-star or the director, and they don’t care as much about the terms of the deal. And that could be the case with American Hustle… but we will probably never know.
This is gender bias pure and simple. But payback is going to be a Bee-yotch!!!! I’d love to be a fly on the wall, when JLaw, Amy Adams and other A-list actresses go in to negotiate their next picture deals with Sony, LOL!
I hope they get BIG salary increases and points at the expense of these smarmy, sexist male executives!
Clearly, the issue here is pay inequality. Both women in front of the screen as well as behind makes less than men for equal work as this hacking incident shows. Maybe some of these younger actresses will finally understand what modern feminism means – equal opportunity and equal pay. Just because a few women have broken through the “glass ceiling” does not mean the majority of working women get paid equally as their male counterparts for EQUAL work and EQUAL effort. This sucks!
I didn’t see American Hustle but didn’t Jennifer Lawrence get the least amount of screen time? She is also fairly new to the business and the least experienced of the actors. Christian Bale has been around the longest and Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper probably have equal experience in the movie industry at this point. I think it’s more upsetting Amy Adams was paid less than her male costars than Jennifer Lawrence. Not fair. 🙁
Agree with most of the comments here. I’m angry on Amy’s behalf. I do love Jlaw but her part was small and she entered project late up work with Russell. Amy carried the movie with Bale and Cooper. She had 4 oscar nominations when she signed on for the film. She had the box office of Enchanted and The Muppets (and now the Superman franchise too) behind her. She deserved equal pay. She’s ::earned:: equal pay:
are you serious!?! JLaw is NOT the biggest name draw.
Christian Bale is a much, much bigger draw than JLaw. Please. Please. Jesus Christ will we all just stop with this nonsense.
I’m guessing that a lot of you are not familiar with the way that Business works in hollywood. There are many factors that we do not yet know. Several Factors that effect backend pay scale from movies (and this list is far from extensive):
– Multi-movie deals (where an actress -usual somebody with star potential- is signed -before they are a star- to do a certain number of movies for a specific studio). Generally these movies are at a certain rate. This is often why new “Super-stars” are making less than you would expect. The movie studio is taking a risk on the actor just as the actor is taking a risk on the studio
– Other forms of compensation are negotiated by different types on managers. Notice that the only thing that is being talked about it back-end pay. Actors often take pay-cuts for preferential placement in the credits.
– These are from initial releases for theater runs and does not include after-market merchandising – where Lawrence and Adams are likely to be more recognizable figures.
– Lawrence and Adams may have been in negotiations with different actresses for the parts and make have agreed to a lesser pay to get the role.
As of now, the information that has been released by GOP does not give a full picture of the pay structure of Sony Pictures and to make overly sensationalized claims about the industry (where women are often more highly-valued I should add) is irresponsible journalism and shows a lack of knowledge of Entertainment Finance.
Source: I’ve grown up in the industry. My mother as well as close-friends have been in situations either identical or similar to the ones shown above.
DONT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS