Bryce Dallas Howard has been "scared off" asking for better pay in the past.
Bryce Dallas Howard in Redbook
The 'Jurassic World: Fallen World' actress has been inspired to hone her negotiation skills by the #TimesUp movement as she's always "backed off" when faced with the threat of movie bosses simply replacing her with someone else who would work for less money on her projects.
She admitted: "I've been [wimpy] about it in the past.
"I didn't want people to think I wasn't grateful for opportunities. I also get scared off by every threat during a negotiation. They'll say, 'We'll just have to find someone else,' and I back off. You can't do that."
The 37-year-old actress claimed the gender pay gap is "astronomical" and even her father, director Ron Howard, is "shocked" at the differences for men and women working in the movie industry.
She told Redbook magazine: "I'm not a spender. I live in a three-bedroom house-- in fact, we just downsized. I know that we're privileged; we don't have to worry about paying our rent or our medical bills. But I wish people knew that this is what the life of most successful female celebrities is.
"What we get paid is totally, completely, astronomically different than what male celebrities get paid. And for women of colour, it's a hundred times worse. Even my dad has been shocked at how expensive it is to be a woman in the industry. You're told that it's important to have a manager as well as an agent, and for a guy that's not as important. That's 20% out of your paycheque rather than 10%."
Bryce - who has son Theo, 11, and daughter Beatrice, six, with husband Seth Gabel - credits her strong work ethic to her mother, who was determined her family wouldn't take their "privilege" for granted.
She said: "My mom grew up in poverty and was terrified that her privileged children were not going to be contributing members of society.
"I realise now, as a parent, that some of the things she did to follow through on teachable moments were a bit extreme.
"But other things, like we don't have trust funds and were told, 'You're 14 - you need to get a job,' I'm so grateful for.
"I started working at a restaurant when I was 14, and I'd be like, I just got yelled at by a customer. OK, I survived. Those moments made me feel like a capable person, and a lot of kids I knew growing up didn't."
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