Cate Blanchett says Hollywood is “nowhere near equal pay” for women
English actor Cate Blanchett recently shared her opinion on the progression of equality in Hollywood, arguing that women are “still having to fight for the same basic conversations”, including issues around pay.
Discussing the current state of the film industry in the context of the #MeToo movement, the actor explained how the call for action that burgeoned after the explosion of allegations against Harvey Weinstein failed to gain traction as much as it should have.
“The conversation had just begun, and suddenly everything was being discredited and undermined, so we’re still having to fight for those same basic conversations,” she told the Guardian. Blanchett discussed her views on the movement earlier this year when she claimed it “didn’t really ever take root” and that to move forward, there needs to be a reshuffle of who is responsible.
“When you talk about equity and inclusion,” she elaborated, “that means the people who’ve had all the toys need to share. They’ve got used to that being normal. And so you have to be very vocal in order to rebalance it.”
One of the major issues that seems to have plateaued for Blanchett is the topic of equal pay. According to the actor, this is because conversations failed to transform into real action. “We’re nowhere near equal pay! Talking about it noisily doesn’t mean action has happened,” she argued. “There’s a greater concentration of wealth than perhaps there ever has been in human history. And we can see where that’s got us.”
While she also says that speaking up about important topics is difficult in today’s landscape because the world is “fragile” and there is “so much at stake”, she admits she worries that this sometimes adds to the issue that conversation rarely turns into action. This can make it even more challenging when “a throwaway comment gets picked up and suddenly becomes a mission statement”.
Blanchett rarely shies away from platforming her views on significant topics. In 2018, she spoke up about Weinstein, whose company produced several films she featured in, such as The Talented Mr Ripley, Carol, The Aviator, and The Shipping News.
Last year, she also discussed why she thought Carol struggled to get funding, suggesting that films about LGTBQ+ romances struggle to gain the same backing as heterosexual stories: “At one point, another director was going to do it, and he got sort of taken off the project,” she explained. “It was a five-year period, because no one wanted to fund it at that point. No one wanted to see… who was going to watch a film with one woman, let alone two women, falling in love?”
Blanchett is currently promoting her latest movie, the spy thriller Black Bag. In the movie, Blanchett and Michael Fassbender play agents whose loyalty is tested by the secrecy of a black case. In Blanchett’s view, it’s an interesting take on marriage in today’s climate because it tests the parameters of honesty.
“It’s all about the things that are not said,” she said. “Which is really interesting to play. I think it’s a fascinating way to look at a marriage now, because it’s meant to be all about honesty, having everything out there.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.