Bryce Dallas Howard hasn't been shy in pointing out the huge pay disparity between her and Jurassic World leading man Chris Pratt. Reports first appeared in 2018 regarding the inequality, with a purported $2 million difference in the 2 stars' salaries.
In a recent interview, Howard discussed the initial reports, the truth behind them, and how co-star Pratt actually fought for equality in their pay in any properties spinning off from the Jurassic World franchise.
Speaking to Insider, Howard discussed the initial reports surrounding the wage gap between her and Pratt. “The reports were so interesting because I was paid so much less than the reports even said, so much less,” Howard said before going on to discuss how having to negotiate a 3 picture deal upfront inhibited her ability for further negotiation along the line. Howard goes on to praise co-star Pratt, saying, “What I will say is that Chris and I have discussed it, and whenever there was an opportunity to move the needle on stuff that hadn’t been already negotiated, like a game or a ride, he literally told me, ‘You guys don’t even have to do anything. I’m gonna do all the negotiating. We’re gonna be paid the same and you don’t have to think about this, Bryce.'”
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Howard also spoke about the effect that Pratt's intervention had on subsequent pay for related projects. "I’ve been paid more for those kinds of things than I ever was for the movie,” she said. The most recent and probable conclusion to the Jurassic World franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion, opened in June and has since raked in $974 million worldwide, no mean feat during a pandemic.
Howard and Pratt co-starred in the recent Jurassic World trilogy of films, a continuation of the original Jurassic Park films where dinosaurs are a much more common part of daily life. With the spread of dinosaurs in the world comes a new set of problems, and Howard and Pratt are caught in the middle, trying to prevent dino disaster. The most recent entry also featured the return of original trilogy actors Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, and Laura Dern reprising their original roles.
While it is great to hear that Howard's co-star stepped up to create a more equal environment when he could, it doesn't alter the underlying issue of the wage gap between male and non-male presenting actors in Hollywood. On average, cis male actors earn $1 million more than their counterparts. For example, Scarlett Johansson was the highest paid actress in 2018, making $40 million, however, George Clooney was the top earning male actor and brought in $239 million that year.
Jurassic World: Dominion is now available on digital platforms.
Source: Variety