Keira Knightley: We have to do something about the Hollywood pay gap

12 November 2016

Keira Knightley has turned down roles "many times" because of the Hollywood pay gap.

Keira Knightley

The 'Begin Again' actress thinks it is "s**t" that male actors are paid so much more than their female co-stars and won't consider taking on a project if she finds out her salary is lower than the men in the cast.

She told Grazia magazine: "The Hollywood pay gap is ridiculous and we have to do something about it.

"I've turned down jobs many times because of it. It's s**t."

Keira's comments come shortly after Mila Kunis wrote an empassioned piece about the discrimination she has experienced in Hollywood because of her gender.

She said: "Throughout my career, there have been moments when I have been insulted, sidelined, paid less, creatively ignored, and otherwise diminished based on my gender. And always, I tried to give people the benefit of the doubt; maybe they knew more, maybe they had more experience, maybe there was something I was missing ...

"I'm done compromising; even more so, I'm done with being compromised. So from this point forward, when I am confronted with one of these comments, subtle or overt, I will address them head on; I will stop in the moment and do my best to educate. I cannot guarantee that my objections will be taken to heart, but at least now I am part of creating an environment where there is the opportunity for growth. And if my comments fall on deaf ears, I will choose to walk away."

Emma Watson has also spoken about the issue, admitting she used to worry about talking about it because she feared she'd be branded "a diva, spoilt or difficult".

And Rooney Mara thinks Hollywood is "having the wrong conversation" about the gender pay gap as she thinks the discussion should be about "why" rather than just stating the situation.

She shared: "I think that we're having the wrong conversation. The conversation isn't we're not getting paid as much as men.

"The conversation should be why and where does that come from because it's just a side effect of something much greater."

The issue of the gender pay gap in Hollywood has been a hot topic of conversation ever since hacked Sony emails revealed Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams had been paid less for their roles in 'American Hustle' than their male co-stars.