Emma Stone reveals male co-stars have taken salary cuts to ensure equal pay

Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone has revealed that male co-stars have taken pay cuts to ensure that she is paid equally.

The La La Land star told OUT magazine that her male co-actors take smaller salaries to match hers because “they feel it’s what’s right and fair’:

“So 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.’ 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,” she said.

Although Stone does also admit that it’s not always the case of women being underpaid, as certain male actors can in some cases be the film’s major selling point:

“[It] ebbs and flows in a way that’s like: ‘How much are you bringing into the box office?, How much are you the draw or is the other person the draw?’ I felt uncomfortable talking to my agent or lawyer about it because I was like, ‘Do people want to see me as much as they want to see Steve Carell?’ It’s a weird conversation to have because it’s trying to see oneself from the outside.”

Stone next stars in tennis and female empowerment story, Battle of the Sexes which arrives in theaters on 22nd September. See the trailer below in the meantime: