Actress Robin Wright may be an on-screen icon for her roles in Forrest Gump, The Princess Bride, and Wonder Woman. But when taking on a leading role for Netflix’s hit TV series House of Cards, she had to take on two additional jobs—producing and directing—to make the same money as her male co-star Kevin Spacey.
“I asked, ‘Why can’t you pay me as an actor?’ ‘Because you didn’t win an Academy Award.’”
Wright played beloved character Claire Underwood in the series between 2013 and 2018—and was nominated for three Golden Globes and six primetime Emmys for her role, alongside two other Emmys for her producing chops.
Wage discrimination has long been an eye sore of Hollywood—actresses have had to fight tooth-and-nail to achieve a salary that an actor would be awarded, doing the same work.
“That has been the protocol for years—it just is,” Wright said.
“If you say, ‘Why did so-and-so female not get the same amount as Will Smith?’ They say, ‘It will increase after you win.’ Nomination, not so much. Why does it have to do anything with a raise?”
Netflix did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
