Jennifer Lawrence says she is ‘happy with my deal’ after being paid less than Leonardo DiCaprio for Don’t Look Up
Jennifer Lawrence has opened up about being paid less than Leonardo DiCaprio for Don’t Look Up despite having top billing on the film.
In Netflix’s forthcoming release, Lawrence and DiCaprio star as two mid-level astronomers who discover that a comet – described as a “planet killer” – is on a collision course with earth.
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Lawrence discussed pushing for top billing on the film’s credits as well as hearing the news that she was paid less than her co-star.
“I was number one on the call sheet,” said the actor. “[Am I ok] with being number one on the call sheet? Yeah. And I thought [the credits] should reflect that.
“Leo was very gracious about it. I think we had something called a Laverne & Shirley, which is this billing they invented where it’s an equal billing. But I guess maybe somewhere down the line, I kicked the stone further, like, ‘What if it wasn’t equal?’”
Despite receiving top billing, an annual Variety report on acting salaries – which was published in August – revealed DiCaprio earned more for Don’t Look Up.
The Revenant star was paid $30m (£22.4m) while Lawrence earned $25m (£18.7m). Vanity Fair noted that this meant Lawrence made 83 cents to DiCaprio’s dollar.
Asked about the pay gap, Lawrence told the publication that she “saw that too”.
“Look, Leo brings in more box office than I do. I’m extremely fortunate and happy with my deal,” she said.
The 31-year-old added: “But in other situations, what I have seen – and I’m sure other women in the workforce have seen as well – is that it’s extremely uncomfortable to inquire about equal pay.
“And if you do question something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s not gender disparity but they can’t tell you what exactly it is.”
Buzz around Adam McKay’s forthcoming release has been growing since it was announced in October last year.
McKay wrote the film for Lawrence, and the actor got the first read of the script.
Lawrence and DiCaprio lead an impressive cast, which includes Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Rob Morgan, Tyler Perry and Mark Rylance.
Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi are also set to appear.
Don’t Look Up will be released in UK cinemas on 10 December, before arriving on Netflix on 24 December.
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