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Emma Stone reveals her male co-stars have taken pay cuts to give her parity

Emma Stone recently said that her male co-stars have offered to take pay cuts so that she can make a salary that's equal to theirs.
/ Source: TODAY

Emma Stone may be an Oscar award-winning actress, but she says she still can’t get a paycheck equal to that of her male co-stars.

Stone, who stars as tennis player Billie Jean King in the upcoming movie “Battle of the Sexes”, chatted with King, as well as her co-star Andrea Riseborough for a discussion with Out magazine to discuss gender pay equality, among other things.

74th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Press Room
Emma Stone has starred alongside some of Hollywood's biggest male stars, including her "La La Land" co-star Ryan Gosling.Getty Images

Stone revealed that, despite her accolades, the only way she has earned a salary equal to that of the starring male actor is if he has offered to take less money.

“In my career so far, I’ve needed my male co-stars to take a pay cut so that I may have parity with them,” Stone said. “And that’s something they do for me because they feel it’s what’s right and fair. That’s something that’s also not discussed, necessarily — that our getting equal pay is going to require people to selflessly say, ‘That’s what’s fair.'”

Stone has co-starred with some of Hollywood’s biggest male actors including Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Steve Carell. While she didn’t name names, she did state how thankful she is to the men who have taken a pay cut in order to give her an equal salary.

Battle of the Sexes
Emma Stone as "Billie Jean King" and Steve Carell as "Bobby Riggs" in BATTLE OF THE SEXES.Melinda Sue Gordon / Fox Searchlight

"[T]hat's really what I’ve been so grateful for with male co-stars — when I’ve been in a similar-size role in films, and it’s been multiple people who have been really incredible and said, ‘That’s what I want to do. That’s what’s fair and what’s right.’”

Stone also revealed that, by her male co-stars taking a salary that matches hers, she can ask for higher pay for future projects.

“If my male co-star, who has a higher quote than me but believes we are equal, takes a pay cut so that I can match him, that changes my quote in the future and changes my life,” Stone said, adding that women in Hollywood, in general make “four-fifths at best” of what their male counterparts earn.

This is not the first time a Hollywood actress has spoken out about the pay gap between male and female actors. Last year Gillian Anderson revealed that when she started negotiations for the reboot of “The X-Files,” she was initially offered half the salary of her co-star David Duchovny. “House of Cards” star Robin Wright said she also had to fight for a paycheck that was equal to her male co-star, Kevin Spacey.

In April, “Jane the Virgin” star Gina Rodriguez spoke out on TODAY about the gender pay gap, stating that women on average make 20 percent less than men in their fields.

“In some states it’s much, much higher, which is bananas,” she told Al Roker and Sheinelle Jones, adding, “Once we start bringing awareness, then we can start creating change.”