Julia Roberts on equal pay: ‘For me it was, why not get paid this amount of money?’

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Julia Roberts is promoting Secret In Their Eyes, which I keep having a brain-fart about and I’m continuously referring to it as The Secrets In Her Eyes or The Secrets of the Eyes. I’m just saying, the name is not great nor is it particularly memorable. Julia has a new interview with the New York Times and while I’m ordinarily on Smug Watch for Julia, I have to say… I enjoyed this piece. Not in a “Julia patronizingly goose-honks at everyone” way, but in a genuine, she’s-a-good-interview sort of way. Here are some highlights:

How she chooses roles: “I’ve always been pretty picky… it just has more to do with a combination of picky and the school calendar and my husband’s work schedule.”

She considers herself on the fringe of Hollywood: “I don’t know the players and the temperatures of everything, what movies are doing well and not doing well. There’s not quite enough hours in the day to keep up with all that.”

Why she enjoys working with Danny Moder: “We trust each other… It’s not just, you know, make me look 30 in every room in the house. We want to show the truth of the character.”

Getting more complex with age: “You’re drawn to things as an actor that have as much of an arc as possible. I don’t know how much resolve I had or could portray when I was 20. I think it’s a kind of a gift that comes with age, that you get more complexities to play.”

She loves romantic comedies: “People say, oh she’s against romantic comedies — I’m not. I love them. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in some really good ones, so the bar for me is really high. Also, it’s hard to find a true original idea of a romantic comedy for a 47-year-old person, that’s going to be funny and realistic and relatable. I’m totally open to it. I would love to read a good romantic comedy.”

On equal pay & being the first actress to command $20 million a film: “Well, I think it does this [seesawing hands], and then we kind of go, O.K. we’re fair, we’re good. And then it’s like, not so much. For me it was, well, why not get paid this amount of money, equal to my peers and male counterparts? Barbra Streisand was a real pioneer in that, I look to her, or Faye Dunaway. If you’re talking about what people perceive you can accomplish, if you can open a movie, then that’s that, but if it’s just based solely on your gender, I don’t really get that. But I don’t make the rules….I’ve done my best, sort of forging my path and standing up for myself. And whatever ripple effect might come from that, I couldn’t really say for sure. It’s so funny that this is still the topic. Any of those things that try to herald women at the same time almost perpetuate the problem, because you’re saying, “All hail the women directors.” Well, they’re just directors. They’re just fabulous directors. For me, I’m a creative person, it’s about the part and not losing the part but seeing how far you could push the business side of it. But I would never have risked the creative side of it for the business side of it.”

[From The NYT]

The last part really interested me because while Julia was completely a pioneer in how women were paid in Hollywood, she wears it lightly. She doesn’t see herself as an equal-pay pioneer, possibly because not that much has changed after her glass-ceiling-breaking, and possibly because she never wanted to become the spokesperson for those issues. It seems like she’s saying that the Hollywood pay scale should be meritocracy in addition to equality too, right? The way she talks around the issue, I’m sort of glad that she’s not putting herself out there as the spokesperson for equal pay. And hey, at least she’s not saying “That’s not my job.”

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Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

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25 Responses to “Julia Roberts on equal pay: ‘For me it was, why not get paid this amount of money?’”

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  1. Mimz says:

    I know people don’t like her in here in CB but I do like Julia. And I also recently saw an interview on E! with Jason Kennedy and she was super pleasant… And I also don’t happen to think people need to be super nice for me to like them or their work (or maybe that’s just me, most of my closer friends are uhm “acquired tastes” for most people).
    I saw a mini trailer on ig for this movie and I totally want to watch it.
    And I also liked the way she spoke about the equal pay issue.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      I like her, too. And I often like people that other people don’t like. Hmm. My husband calls them the Odd Ducks. I think they often have a true beauty inside that comes with some imperfections. But who’s perfect? At least they’re interesting. Anyway, I never got the hate for her either.

      • Mimz says:

        My sister (who is also an Odd duck) says that my friends are all complicated messes and doesn’t know how i found all these people. And they’re mostly Leo’s, so you see 😀 . But I know them very well and they are amazing people. Even if other people come to me and flat out say “I really don’t like your friend”. Well, I love them.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Haha! I’m a Leo. Probably my friends’ husbands call ME an Odd Duck. I love them, too, and I have had people tell me “how can you be friends with so and so, she’s so weird” or similar, but maybe they have a great sense of humor or are sweet underneath the bristly part or whatever. It pays to dig a little deeper sometimes.

      • Mimz says:

        oh yeah. This is why we get along so well (virtually haha!). I’m a capricorn, but a fun one 🙂 And oddly enough, my sister is a Leo too so. Yeah I’m bound to befriend feisty Leos forever and ever (just not date one, I don’t think I could deal!).
        It does pay off to dig deeper and find the amazing side of these rough diamonds!!
        I love my Leos, so you’re in my good books 🙂

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      Yes, I don’t have to love the person (as much as I can ever know a celebrity) to enjoy their work. She can be smug and condescending but I LOVE her on screen. Without exception. Even if the movie sucks, I enjoy watching her. There’s a line I draw (let’s say Polanski and Cosby are definitely far behind that line) but in general, I don’t care all that much. For example, I find Michael Fassbender’s dating behavior slightly off-putting (I’m going to be quartered for bashing Fassy, I know it) but I love his performances.

      And frankly, she’s a movie star. She knows it, she’s earned it, she behaves like it. I don’t mind.

      • Mimz says:

        Exactly. Same way I enjoy Charlize, I think she’s great. I LOVE John Mayer’s music although he’s a douche, it doesn’t make a difference to me, unless it’s a Cosby situation, like you said.
        None of us are perfect examples of niceness, so why should we expect these actors to be perfect?

  2. MrsBPitt says:

    That was actually a good interview, and I totally get what she is saying. Equal pay for equal work is how it should be….unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. So, the fight continues…

    Does anyone else think this new movie of hers, seems very similar to the Sally Field movie Eye for an Eye? That movie was awesome….I love Sally Field!

    • Blabberwort says:

      Watch the original Secret in their Eyes with Ricardo Darin (yummy). This is a remake of the Argentinean film that won the Oscar a few years back

  3. LB says:

    I have no idea why they remade this movie. The original was amazing and heartbreaking and wonderful. I don’t see how adding Hollywood stars and translating it into English will improve it. Hopefully though it makes people seek out the original.

    As for Julia, I thought her answers were good but I’ve long since been over her. I will never get over how she made Denzel’s win about her. She did the same thing again at the Emmys two years ago. It’s a pattern. I don’t hate her but I’ll never love her. I’ll still watch some of her movies from the 90s but I can’t get invested in her anymore.

    • Lilacflowers says:

      She infuriated me when she did that to Denzel. I didn’t like her before that but it made me despise her.

    • Blabberwort says:

      I have no idea why they remade it either but I am interested in what their changes to the story will be. The original was relevant because of Argentinean history and they must have changed a good chunk of the film or it won’t really make sense. I do want to see it though

      • LB says:

        I’m going to wait for the dvd but I am curious about the changes as well. They already played with the dynamics by having the victim as one of the officer’s child – making it more personal for all the officers.

    • chick b says:

      I liked the original so much that I get angsty when I see the trailers for this remake. I go especially nuts when Kidman’s face is shown, free of both wrinkles and emotion b/c it would seem she has the role of Irene – played by a beautiful woman with signs of age in the original). As Blabberwort mentioned, Argentinian government played a big part of the story. And the part Julia is playing is another element that flips the original story sideways; I also don’t think she’s an actress who can make the part interesting.

      Maybe I am only able to see Julia through ‘Aloe Vera’ eyes (I totally didn’t mean that to be a weak pun on the movie title). But I also hated the Denzel thing. And the Sidney Poitier thing. And I get a serious Not a Girl’s Girl vibe from her.

  4. alice says:

    Most memorable part of the interview: “my husband’s work schedule” LOL

    • maeve says:

      Haha! I noticed that too but you beat me to it. Interesting to see if there are any more thoughts

    • I think she is and has been doing her best to make him feel like someone and formidable force in their relationship because she was still in her prime (somewhat) when she got with him and the way she did (he was married)….. I know she probably always will feel like I need to almost make him feel important or coddle him or make him feel special lest he leave her for someone else on a movie set (insert the movie locale The Mexican)

      so he probably read her interview and was like awwwwww I am somebody. The man of the house….LOL

    • chick b says:

      Well someone has to hold the camera for those Burger King kids meal commercials. Think of the children!

  5. foxface says:

    Julia is right.market should decide wages.gender quotas are always wrong.

    • Breakfast Margaritas says:

      Who has suggested gender quotas? I’ve only seen interviews of people advocating for equal pay.

  6. Naddie says:

    I understand the importance of celebrities pointing equal pay, I really do. I know it’s not about needing the money, it’s about gender equality and I support that, but I’m starting to get annoyed just by see how overpaid these people are. Seriously.

    • Pandy says:

      Starting? I’ve been irritated about this for years! They’re not saving lives, they’re pretending to be other people for entertainment. Same with athletes. Our priorities are so screwed up.

  7. K says:

    I sort of like what she said about the equal pay and directors…pay should be based on can you open a movie. We should view women directors as just fabulous directors, just like minorities should be viewed as fabulous writers actors directors etc. unfortunately we haven’t gotten their as a society. But she has a point about classifying it can give executives an excuse to belittle the accomplishments sadly.

    Anyway this was an actual good interview and she is right ask for what you are worth no harm. Oh and I liked what she said about rom come and appreciate she would do one if it was right for her age. Refreshing. All her comments about age were true. She came across well in this

  8. db says:

    Speaking of pay pioneers, let’s not forget Elizabeth Taylor (Cleopatra) 🙂

  9. Lrm says:

    Good. I love romantic comedy too and I am someone who was into indies and foreign films decades ago before they were trendy. Romantic comedy has a place in the human psyche as much as thrillers or sci fi or action movies etc. People say they are stereotypical about women and feminine views and then they react by over valuing these traditional masculine qualities that are hyped in our society through sports and entertainment. It’s not equal by eliminating anything defined as weak by the dominant paradigm.

    Yea women can be physically strong etc but both genders can fantasize about happily ever after. It’s not a weakness to do so. People say it’s so unrealistic etc. Um ,super hero movies aren’t realistic either. Who cares?

    I feel the same about sitcoms. Everything works out unlike real life and this is a nice reprieve for me. That’s what entertainment and art can both do: provide an outlet fot escape or relaxation and some people don’t enjoy thrillerd or action movies.

    I hope Julia gets a good script and makes a great romantic comedy.