As news of draft legislation being initiated by the Government to reduce the gender pay gap in Ireland came out last week, there was a feeling of hope across the country. The legislation would look at tackling the 78% of the 10,000 companies based across Ireland and the UK who pay their male workers more money than their female workers.
However, the gender pay gap is a worldwide epidemic and even the most successful of companies and workers aren’t immune to the scandal. Netflix show The Crown recently came under fire as it was revealed that Claire Foy as the Queen made less money in the two seasons than her supporting actor Matt Smith as Prince Philip. Fans of the show were outraged that the main star of a female led drama was paid less than her supporting actor and they set up a Care2 petition which urged Matt Smith and Netflix to pay the difference of the pay gap to the Time’s Up Legal Defence fund. “You know gender pay gaps are a problem when the Queen isn’t paid fairly” said the organisers of the petition. The petition received over 30,000 signatures and some even urged Foy to sue Netflix however social media and even the cast and crew were divided on the issue.
The series producer Suzanne Mackie who first let slip about the pay gap said “Going forward no one gets paid more than the Queen”. Jared Harris who portrayed King George in the series hit out at Left Bank, the production company responsible for The Crown saying it was an embarrassment to the company and said that an apology was not enough and that they should bring Foy’s pay up to parity.
Claire Foy then addressed the pay gap scandal herself in an interview with The EW saying that it was odd to find herself at the centre of such a scandal and also that she wasn’t surprised people were quite shocked about it. “But I know that Matt feels the same that I do, that it’s odd to find yourself at the centre of a story that you didn’t particularly ask for” said Foy.
In Left Bank’s apology they addressed the unwarranted backlash against Smith saying that none of the actors on the show are aware of the others salaries and that they “cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues”.
However, despite the disheartening feeling Netflix fans felt after the pay gap revelations for The Crown were revealed, the complete opposite situation happened for another Netflix favourite Stranger Things.
As the stars of the sci-fi series prepare to film season 3 later this year, the Hollywood Reporter announced earlier this week that the actors of the Emmy nominated show took part in intense contract negotiations and were receiving significant pay rises. The adult actors of the show are reportedly earning up to $350,000 per episode. However, some pay gap questions could arise with the five young actors on the show. Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) and Noah Schnapp (Will) are all set to collect roughly $250,000 per episode but 14-year-old Milly Bobby Brown, who is considered the breakout star of the show, renegotiated her contract separately to the rest of the stars. Despite remaining quiet about her earnings, it is reported that Brown will earn between $250,000 to $350,000 per episode, quite a hike compared to her male co-stars.
Whether or not Brown will receive more money that her co-stars is unknown however she is turning the pay gap scandal on its head at just 14 years old which is a step in the right direction. This was welcoming news for Netflix fans after the scandal with The Crown however some fans are noting that Brown should be paid the same as her male co-stars for pay equality.
It has been a rocky few months for Netflix and the gender pay issues however the scandal and the negative media attention brought on from the pay issues for their shows will hopefully be enough for them to address the issue, be transparent in the future and finally have fair pay for both males and females as both parties need to be protected.