In her cover story for the November issue of Elle U.K., Amy Adams spoke candidly about the gender wage gap that persists in Hollywood. The Nocturnal Animals actress said that she is still faced with a three choices when considering a role: to accept lower pay, to walk away, or to stand her ground and negotiate. She chooses to stand her ground.
"The negotiation comes to a standstill and I have to make a choice, which a lot of women do. I can walk away. But I choose not to," Adams told the magazine. "This is an issue not just about women's pay; we need to work on how women are viewed in society and then the pay will be reflected in that… Right now, time is more important to me. So that's what I negotiate, because any time I'm working, I'm not spending with my daughter." A project needs to be worth it if it means Adams will be away from her 6-year-old daughter with actor Darren Le Gallo, Aviana. And that means she has to be worth the same as any other actor in a leading role, man or woman.
Adams was most notably paid less than her male co-stars on American Hustle, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, and Christian Bale, as revealed in the 2014 hack on Sony emails. So was fellow female co-star Jennifer Lawrence, who was arguably the most famous name in the entire film. Adams and Lawrence were each paid a 7% cut of the film's profit, while the men each received 9%.
Both women have said they blamed themselves for not negotiating more; Lawrence herself has written about how she held herself accountable. Of course, neither is responsible for the cultural attitudes that place women at an immediate disadvantage in many industries, including Hollywood. Pushing back and making demands can be awkward and uncomfortable, and some women way wind up steering clear of taking hard lines, to avoid being labeled a bitch or even losing a job.
Adams does see some hope on the horizon for female empowerment: She expressed her excitement at being able to talk to her daughter about Hillary Clinton as a role model. "It is beautiful to tell your daughter that a woman is running for president," she said. "I get emotional. England has had female leaders for generations, but we have not had that."