Nia Long says men have gotten rich off of her hard work ‘I was being paid peanuts’
It’s no surprise that women suffer from pay disparities in Hollywood. Remember Mark Wahlberg got $1.5M for ‘All the Money’ reshoot, while Michelle Williams was paid less than $1,000? But most women keep quiet for fear of backlash for speaking up about pay discrimination.
But Time’s Up for those who have had a hand in Nia Long’s career and pocketed cash at her expense.
—Former football player put in chokehold by police now facing charges—
“I have watched a lot of men get rich off of the films that I’ve done and I was being paid peanuts,” the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and Boyz n the Hood actress told The Associated Press at a recent event for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Long is speaking out about the criticism she received just for advocating for her self-worth. She claims that many male producers and filmmakers shut her down when she tried to speak up.
“When I requested or wanted more, I was considered difficult, outspoken, entitled, and all of the things that should not be used to describe a woman who has earned her space, her place and delivers,” the 47-year-old actress said. “And that just doesn’t apply to me, that’s for everyone.”
The TV and movie veteran was most recently cast in roles on “NCIS: Los Angeles” and the Netflix biopic Roxanne Roxanne. It’s only recently, she said, where she’s seen a shift in the gender equality issue.
“I think we are talking about it,” Long said. “Women are more inclined to have those in-the-kitchen conversations with one another where we can just talk freely about all the things that we’ve been shamed [for].”
—Parents outraged after teacher punishes son for using respectful term—
In a 2016 interview with Larry King, she talked about the difficulties of being a Black woman over 40 in Hollywood.
“I work really hard to get sometimes crumbs. I feel blessed and lucky to have the career that I have. But there are times that I’ve been beat up in this business. It hasn’t just been roses and fairytales. It’s been a tough road.”
