Julia Roberts on Breaking the Salary Glass Ceiling for Female Movie Stars: ‘Get Real — Let’s Be Fair’
variety.comRebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Julia Roberts broke the glass ceiling for A-list female movie stars when she commanded $20 million for 2000’s “Erin Brockovich.” Until then, no woman actor had been getting as much pay as male counterparts such as Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks, who ruled the ’90s box office alongside Roberts.
In at the A+E and History Channel’s History Talks in Washington D.C. on Saturday morning, moderator Gayle King asked Roberts about the negotiations tactics she employed to gain equal pain. “I didn’t feel so boxish about it, but I felt like, ‘Come on,” Roberts said. “Which is my nature — not to be all up-in-arms about something, but to say, ‘Come on.
Let’s get real. Let’s be fair.” Roberts acknowledged that she’d earned her pay, having carried such culture-defining hits as “Pretty Woman,” “Notting Hill” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” “When I’m working, I work very hard,” Roberts said. “I’m ready.
I’m on time. I’m prepared. I’m happy. I’m all-in. So, show me the money.” During their conversation, Roberts and King also discussed the challenges of speaking out as a women.
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