Taraji P. Henson returns to the big screen for the year’s most anticipated film ‘Colour Purple’. Boasting of an all-star cast including Fantasia Barrino, the film is a musical adaptation of the 1982 novel of the same name.
Hollywood has been through the pandemic and Writer’s Strike, but the industry has been plagued by pay disparity for a long time. The issue has found no end, with Taraji P. Henson expressing her grief about the pay disparity that the actors still face in the industry.
Taraji P. Henson Breaks Down While Talking About Pay Disparity
This is not the first time that the ‘Colour Purple’ star expressed her disappointment with the pay disparity and also spoke about quitting acting. While making an appearance on Gayle King’s SiriusXM show to promote ‘The Color Purple’, the Oscar-nominated actress broke down in tears as she talked about getting underpaid for her work and almost quitting the industry altogether.
The ‘Hidden Figures’ star disclosed in her 2016 memoir that she received less than 2% of Brad Pitt’s pay for ‘The Curious Life of Benjamin Button’. Despite the film’s budget being around $150 million, the actress revealed that she was offered $100K but eventually settled for $150K. Despite delivering an incredible performance and an award for it, Taraji P. Henson was disappointed with the pay inequality.
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Henson’s Long Battle Against Pay Gap In Hollywood
During the interview with Gayle King’s SiriusXM, the actress said that she is treated like a novice when it comes to negotiating contracts for film and TV roles. Taraji P. Henson said, “It seems every time I do something and I break another glass ceiling, when it’s time to renegotiate, I’m at the bottom again, like I never did what I just did. And I’m just tired. It wears on you, you know?”
The Academy Award nominee got emotional when King asked about a past report that claimed that she considered quitting acting. Henson explained, “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, being paid a fraction of the cost.” She also gave a shoutout to the people supporting her behind the scenes. The actress said, “I hear people go, You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. The fact that we’re up here, there’s a whole entire team behind us. They have to get paid.”
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