Olivia Colman slams Hollywood’s gender pay gap

Olivia Colman speaks out about the movie industry’s uneven salaries.

The Wonka actress believes female-led cinema is undervalued by Hollywood’s power-wielders.

And she got straight to the point in an interview with Radio Times, railing against the disparity between male and female actors’ salaries.

“People say men get paid more because they get more bums on seats,” Olivia, 50, ranted.

“That’s a lie! It can be proved in the box office. I don’t know why we’re still having to discuss it!”

Having four BAFTA awards, two Emmys and three Golden Globes, Olivia is entrenched in the movie and TV industries – and feels free to speak her mind.

She also pointed out a number of movies starring female protagonists that hit it big at the box office.

“There’ve been many fantastic female-centric films which have moved me,” Olivia explained.

“And some of the biggest-grossing films, Barbie, Bridesmaids, Thelma & Louise, are led by women!”

It’s not the first time Olivia has had a no-holds-barred attitude to an interview.

On The Graham Norton Show’s New Year’s Eve special, Olivia described a funny moment on the set of her 2022 feature Empire of Light.

In the film, Olivia’s character, a cinema manager, has a relationship with one of her much-younger staff members, played by Micheal Ward, now 26.

“There was one particular moment when I was astride Micheal in a compromising and slightly embarrassing situation and he said, 'It's my mum's birthday today,’ she recalled.

“When he said she was 43, I was like, 'OK, stop talking!'