Combing through hundreds of email threads obtained by a collective calling itself Guardians of Peace The Daily Beast found evidence showing Amy Adams and Silver Linings Playbook star Jennifer Lawrence were paid less than actors Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and director David O. Russel.
According to The Daily Beast an email – dated December 5, 2013 – from Andrew Gumpert, President of Business Affairs and Administration for Columbia Pictures, wrote to Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Doug Belgrad, President of SPE Motion Picture Group, about the back-end compensation – or “points” – that each America Hustle actor was to receive. (The “Amy” referred to is Amy Adams, “O’Russell” is director David O. Russell, “Renner” is Jeremy Renner, and “Megan” is Megan Ellison, head of Annapurna Pictures, a co-financer of the Oscar-nominated film.)
“Got a steve warren/gretchen rush call that it’s unfair the male actors get 9 per cent in the pool and jennifer is only at 7pts,” the email reads. “You may recall Jennifer was at 5 (amy was and is at 7) and WE wanted in 2 extra points for Jennifer to get her up to 7. If anyone needs to top jennifer up it’s megan. BUT I think amy and Jennifer are tied so upping JL, ups AA.”
Gumpert added: “The current talent deals are: O’Russell: 9%; Cooper: 9%; Bale: 9%; Renner: 9%; Lawrence: 7%; Adams: 7%.”
Pascal’s email response to the revelation that Lawrence was making less than her male contemporaries – despite being possibly the biggest star on set – was: “there is truth here.”
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
American Hustle cast: Amy Adams, Bradly Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence.
The revelations compound the film industry’s gender pay gap concerns and Sony’s gender pay disparities are not limited to actors.
One hacked email reportedly contains spreadsheet detailing the incomes of 6,000 of the company’s employees, 17 of which were raking in salaries in excess of $1 million, but only one of those $1 million-plus earners is a woman.
Also leaked is the salaries of the two co-presidents of production at Columbia Pictures – who have the same job – but male boss Michael De Luca’s – who reportedly earns US$2.4 million – is said to earn $1 million more than female exec Hannah Minghella – who reportedly takes home US$1.5m.
It has been speculated that the Sony emails were accessed by North-Korean affiliated hackers in response to actor’s James Franco and Seth Rogan’s film, The Interview, which is a satirical comedy about assassinating North-Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un.
