Gabrielle Union 'feels like a jacka**' demanding equal pay

16 November 2018

Gabrielle Union feels "like a jacka**" having to demand equal pay.

Gabrielle Union

The 46-year-old actress has said that whilst the issue of the gender pay gap is still rife in Hollywood, she also sees a large difference between the pay of white actresses compared to women of colour, but insists she feels like she "should be grateful" for the money she earns, even though someone else is earning more than her for doing the same job.

Speaking with Ellen Pompeo, Emma Roberts, and Gina Rodriguez as part of PorterEdit's Women in TV issue, she said: "You feel like a jacka**; you feel like you should just be grateful and be quiet because it's more [money] than others [make]. But at the same time, when those lists come out, when Forbes drops the top-paid actresses in television or the top-paid actresses in film, and there's no women of colour on it, it's like well why didn't you speak up?"

The 'Being Mary Jane' star says it can often be a risk because if she complains about her pay she may lose the role altogether, but notes that she shouldn't feel "undervalued" on set either.

She added: "Sometimes it's your teams that are like, 'We could go too far and you could lose [the job] altogether'. But then it's like, do I want to be part of a project where they don't really value me? But [they] somehow saw the value in all these other people, and that value comes with a very clear number that isn't anywhere close to what we're asking for. I'm asking for a crumb compared to what you've actually paid and not gotten a return on.

"You just wanna work, but there comes a point where you think I'm not gonna feel good on set if I'm undervalued and my money doesn't match my contribution."

And Gabrielle isn't the only one feeling the pressure of the pay gap, as 'American Horror Story' star Emma says she's willingly taken less pay because she was told she wouldn't get the part if she wanted more money.

The 27-year-old actress said: "I've taken less money knowing I'm taking less than a male costar, because they're telling me this is as much as we're going to give you; your male costar is getting more, if you don't take this deal, another girl will. And I take it because I'm so passionate [about the project]. I was embarrassed to tell my friends, because what if my girlfriends are making as much money as their male costars."