Benedict Cumberbatch revealed in an interview this week that he will only sign onto new projects if they agree to pay his female co-stars equally.
During a recent sit-down with Radio Times, the Avengers: Infinity War star explained that from now on, he’ll be turning down any project that doesn’t practice equal pay.
“It’s about implementation,” he said in the interview. “Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism. Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid, and say: ‘If she’s not paid the same as the men, I’m not doing it.’”
On top of that, he’s focusing his production company on projects that promote all kinds of diversity. “I’m proud that [my friend and partner] Adam and I are the only men in our production company… If it’s centered around my name, to get investors, then we can use that attention for a raft of female projects. Half the audience is female. And, in terms of diversity, Black Panther is now the third most successful film of all time.”
Benedict Cumberbatch Says Male Actors Should Reject Roles That Don’t Give Women Equal Pay https://t.co/595ywWN9Xa pic.twitter.com/POsncInClt
— The Mary Sue (@TheMarySue) May 14, 2018
It’s a decision that nods to Frances McDormand’s famous call for inclusion riders in her Oscars speech back in March, and part of a growing trend in Hollywood for male celebrities to bear some of the burden of advocating for gender equality in the workplace. Just this month, Netflix awarded back-pay to The Crown‘s Claire Foy after it was revealed her salary was a fraction of her male supporting star’s.
Fans online spoke out in support of Cumberbatch’s announcement, though some are questioning why he’s still a minority in the industry.
“I suggest that from now on the first thing male actors are asked in interviews is if the’ve done this too,” one fan tweeted. “And if not, why?”
https://twitter.com/Cass_Frances_/status/996066862499860480
The industry might be a way off from that reality, but this is certainly a start.