Olivia Colman is right that an ‘Oliver Colman’ would be paid more – but to a point

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Most people do not enjoy hearing movie stars discussing their income. It can be seen as distasteful or excessive, like something Chandler Bing from Friends would say: "My wallet is too small for my fifties and my diamond shoes are too tight." Even if the celebrity is as respected as Olivia Colman, it still tends to provoke negative reactions from commentators. Nonetheless, Colman raises a valid and important point about how compensation is distributed in the entertainment industry.

Over the weekend, the individual who was successful in earning an Oscar award shared with CNN that if they were in the shoes of Oliver Colman, they would be making a substantial amount more than their current earnings. Additionally, they disclosed that there is a significant pay gap of 12,000% in one particular instance. They advised others to do the calculations and see for themselves.

The topic that has gained the most attention from Colman's comments is the idea of paying actors better. This is understandable but not the most interesting thing she said. Instead, her comments reveal an industry that is unsure about how to handle equal pay but pretends otherwise. Colman mentioned that the industry justifies paying men more by saying they bring in audiences, but this is not true anymore. She believes this explanation is outdated and does not reflect the changes in the industry.

The concept of fair payment for all in Hollywood is a tricky one. In comparison to the real world, where the difference in wages between men and women is evident – it was found to be a significant 14.4% last year – the film industry operates within a unique realm of possibilities and choices that makes it challenging to relate to everyday language. Consequently, remuneration has historically been taken advantage of. When it comes to well-known actors, their status and worth are so fleeting that it's almost impossible to establish a standard of remuneration.

In the past, an actor's value was determined by how much money their movies made at the box office. For example, Jennifer Lawrence was paid $20 million for her role in Passengers, while Chris Pratt received $13 million. At that time, Lawrence had a more successful career with many hit movies, an Oscar win, and being known for the Hunger Games franchise. Pratt was only famous for his role in a single movie, Jurassic World, and a TV show called Parks and Recreation. Lawrence commented in 2018 that if her future movies did not do well at the box office, she might not receive the same pay as before. She felt that it was a temporary and unreliable system, and that actors might be seen as less valuable if their next movie did not do well.

In 2021, after appearing in two movies that didn't do so well (Mother! in 2017 and Red Sparrow in 2018), Jennifer Lawrence was paid less than Leonardo DiCaprio for their Netflix comedy Don't Look Up. She received top billing in the film but still earned $30 million compared to DiCaprio's $25 million. Even though some people might think it's unfair, Lawrence didn't mind and acknowledged that DiCaprio is a bigger draw at the box office. She considers herself lucky to have gotten a good deal.

Although Lawrence's argument seems to make sense, it can be easily criticized. Hollywood is an industry based on assumptions and no one can predict which stars will attract audiences. For example, in Dune: Part Two, Timothée Chalamet reportedly earned $3 million for his role while Zendaya earned $2 million. However, it is unclear who was the biggest draw for the movie's $574 million success. Was it Chalamet, a rising star often compared to DiCaprio? Or was it Zendaya, who has a strong social media presence and often graces magazine covers with her striking red carpet fashion? Or perhaps it was the appeal of the Dune franchise itself that drew audiences.

You can use this type of questioning regularly. For example, if Sydney Sweeney was able to make the romantic comedy movie Anyone But You a huge success by earning more than $200m (£158m) worldwide, why wouldn't she be able to do the same for Marvel's failed movie Madam Web only a couple months later? Is Tom Holland not a real movie star because he has never sold a successful movie solely based on his name, without being a part of a comic book adaptation or a blockbuster video game? Just because musical biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody and Bob Marley: One Love achieved great success, does that guarantee that Rami Malek and Kingsley Ben-Adir, respectively, will be popular actors in their next leading roles?

Could it be a huge hit? The sequel of "Dune" featuring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya is expected to perform really well at the box office.

Do you understand my point? It seems like everything is without significance and nobody really knows what is actually happening. I don't want to come across as a company yes-man, but it's difficult to determine how a movie studio can justly pay its actors if it's unclear who is truly deserving of what.

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Instead, Hollywood's financial records heavily rely on hype. Agents use persuasive language to justify the worth of their clients, arguing that they are big-name celebrities. They insist that the investment in their newest film will reap massive profits and validate the exorbitant salaries their clients demand.

It can be challenging to break into Hollywood, as the industry often favors young, conventionally attractive white people, despite claiming to be progressive. There is also a tendency for white men to receive more opportunities to fail and still succeed. For example, Adam Sandler had several unsuccessful films in the early 2010s, including Blended, That's My Boy, and Pixels. However, he continues to make a significant profit from his Netflix deal, which led to him being named the highest-paid actor of 2023. It's worth noting that Margot Robbie and Jennifer Aniston were the only two women in the top 10 earners, with most of Aniston's income coming from television and endorsement deals. This speaks volumes about the entertainment industry as a whole.

It is correct that Colman deserves higher compensation, particularly considering her success with films like Wicked Little Letters, which is currently the most profitable post-Covid British comedy at the UK box office, largely due to her reputation. However, achieving complete equality in an industry that relies heavily on speculations and networking is not an easy feat. Simply shattering the glass ceiling will not suffice. A significant upheaval of the entire industry is required for real change to happen.