Hollywood's gender pay gap is crazy, says Natalie Portman

Of course the industry is horribly sexist but the proper response at that level is to take it up with your agent. That's what you're paying them for.

Also, to be fair, Bale and Cooper do quite a lot more in American Hustle than Lawrence does.

Wish I got paid to PRETEND I was someone else and become famous for it.

Portman revealed that she was paid three times less than her male co-star Ashton Kutcher for her role in the 2011 romantic comedy “No Strings Attached”.

At that time though, Ashton Kutcher was a bigger box office draw than Portman as a lead actor. Her biggest box office movies were Star Wars and Thor which still would have made the same amount of money no matter who the actress was.

Disagree with Portman. We just can't compare Hollywood (or any similar activity based on sponsors/investors money, viewership etc such as sports, arts etc) with other professions.

No question women in the exact same role, exact same work & conditions, performing at the exact same level should get paid the same as their male counterpart, that's equality.

Hollywood is a different story, it's all about who "puts the most bums on seats", who brings the most $ from producers, investors etc. If casting Portman means more bums, more investment etc than say Cruise or Bale, she will get the $. Whether we like it or not, the media market decides who gets what, this is sheer economics. Same with most sports: 1-3 billion ppl watch Messi, CR7, Ibra play every weekend. Not sure any women's football game is watched by 100,000 viewers worldwide. You may play the same sport, for the same amount of time, reality is you generate less money than men hence get paid less.

I cannot understand why they complain... it is not like actors have a standard hourly wage, they have agents and lawyers to negotiate their contracts. That and the roles are very specific on your appearance, voice, acting skill and likeability. One side of this story was that when women age, they do not have as many roles as older men. Well, tough luck. Go make a movie that is likeable based on older women?

They know what the job is like and what it requires and like a pro athlete, your prime does not last forever and becomes a huge reality check when that time comes. Dont blow your money on needless stuff and prepare yourself for the end game of your career. But nope... lets blame it on a pay gap.

You know what a problem is? Film actresses and actors getting paid stupid amounts of money when real people with real jobs get crumbs.

Portman is complaining that a man made $10 million for less than a years worth of work while she only got $3 million and I'm supposed to feel sorry for her? How many people make that much over a lifetime of work?

Depends whose role is more important to the story, who has the most screen time, who is the more popular actor that people will pay to see at the time etc. You cant just say MALE vs FEMALE. Its all in the negotiation to get as much money as you can without the producers deciding that you are replaceable and giving it to someone else.

They obviously find their work similar to getting employment in other fields, like high end office jobs. If you found out that the same job in an adjoining building was bing paid more to a male worker, then you'd feel short changed. If you think about it, Hollywood has been selling sex in movies since almost day one. And usually the poster is showing the hot babe with a falling strap, or legs, or whatever. The women in films are important, obviously, for many reasons. They sell tickets. And by the way, Jennifer Lawrence hit a home run in Joy. Natalie Portman is unreal in Jackie. These actresses don't want to misrepresent their sex in the business of Hollywood either. Thy feel a responsibility. We know the top women get huge checks, but they are women of power, and are standing up for their sex, not just for themselves. If you're out in the street, you don't let yourself get run over. Their salaries are public property.

Hollywood acting & the topic of equal pay just simply DOESNT EQUATE, it is NOT a normal job that can easily be compared, they are popularity contests.

Hollywood is an outlier WAY OUT there, doesn't even come close to normal reality so to expect things like equal pay seems rather silly. NOW if they want to push for that with all the extra's & people lower on the totem pole in Hollywood FINE, good idea!

But trying to apply it with top celebs is just daft, & who cares about people complaining about making millions, I for one would love to have their "problems"

How does she know how much he made?

Maybe she should hire his agent and fire hers.

Negotiate better.

Yeh, must be tough living on only $10M a movie

Maybe some of those actresses should become adult film stars

Just negotiate better...it is just a commercial contract like between goods. Men are more agressive and more ambitious hence the gender gap. By the way, as clever as Nathalie Portman may be, she failed to mention the life expectancy difference between sex. I am a man, should I ask to bridge that gap right away ?

Yeh, must be tough living on only $10M a movie

I hardly think that's the average pay for women in movies.