Hollywood loves to sell the illusion of equality on screen, but behind the scenes, salaries often tell a very different story. Over the years, numerous films and TV shows have sparked controversy when it was revealed just how wide the pay gaps were between co-stars, raising questions about star power, negotiations, industry norms, and systemic inequality. From shocking multimillion-dollar differences to disparities that only came to light long after release, these examples reveal how uneven Hollywood’s payday structure can really be.
Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg (All the Money in the World)
Source: IMDb
The most notorious example of modern pay inequity occurred during the 2017 reshoots for Ridley Scott’s kidnapping drama, which were required after Kevin Spacey was replaced by Christopher Plummer. Michelle Williams agreed to return for the reshoots for the contractual minimum—roughly $80 per diem—while Mark Wahlberg’s team negotiated a staggering $1.5 million fee for his participation.
Although both actors were represented by the same agency, the disparity amounted to less than 1% of her co-star’s take. Williams later revealed she had been willing to work for free to support the film’s completion, saying, “They could have my salary, they could have my holiday, whatever they wanted.” The revelation ignited a firestorm that ultimately led Wahlberg to donate his entire reshoot fee to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.
Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
In an extreme case of passion over profit, Jonah Hill famously accepted the SAG-AFTRA minimum wage of $60,000 for his seven-month shoot on the Martin Scorsese epic, while Leonardo DiCaprio earned a cool $10 million.
Hill’s decision was purely strategic; he was so desperate to work with the legendary director that he allegedly signed the papers immediately to prevent the studio from changing its mind, ultimately trading a massive paycheck for a career-defining Oscar nomination.
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny (The X-Files)
Despite being the intellectual heartbeat of the series, Gillian Anderson spent the early years of The X-Files fighting to close a massive salary gap with David Duchovny, only to face the same hurdle two decades later for the 2016 revival.
Reports surfaced that the studio initially offered Anderson only half of Duchovny’s salary for the reboot, a move the actress publicly called shocking given her Emmy-winning contribution to the franchise’s global legacy.
Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy)
For years, the Dr. McDreamy effect meant that Patrick Dempsey outearned the show’s titular star, Ellen Pompeo, despite her character being the narrative’s central nervous system.
Pompeo eventually reached a breaking point, famously revealing that she used the data of the show’s massive global earnings to negotiate a landmark $20 million-per-year deal, making her the highest-paid woman in a dramatic TV series and finally eclipsing the salary of her former male co-star.
Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams (American Hustle)
The 2014 Sony Pictures hack exposed more than just private emails; it revealed that Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams received significantly lower back-end profit percentages than their male counterparts Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper.
While Lawrence used the moment to pen a viral essay about the likability trap that prevents women from negotiating harder, Adams later noted that she was aware of the disparity but felt she had to accept the deal or lose the role entirely.
Terrence Howard and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man)
Source: IMDb
In the early days of the MCU, Terrence Howard was actually the highest-paid actor on the Iron Man set, but the tables turned drastically for the sequel when the studio reportedly offered him a massive pay cut to return as Rhodey. Howard famously alleged that Robert Downey Jr. took the money that was supposed to go to him, leading to Howard’s replacement by Don Cheadle and creating one of the most enduring what-if salary feuds in superhero history.
Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt (Jurassic World)
Initial reports suggested a $2 million gap between the Jurassic World leads, but Bryce Dallas Howard later clarified that the reality was far bleaker, stating she was paid “so much less” than the reported figures for the trilogy.
Because she signed her multi-film contract in 2014 as a rising star, she was locked into a lower pay scale, though she has since praised Pratt for successfully advocating for her to receive equal pay on ancillary projects like theme park rides and video games.
Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
The domestic bliss of the Johnson family on Black-ish didn’t initially extend to the actors’ contracts, as reports emerged in 2018 that Tracee Ellis Ross was making significantly less than Anthony Anderson.
A network source noted that Anderson’s role as an executive producer and his earlier involvement with the show contributed to the difference in their initial compensation, though Ross’s salary was significantly increased in later deals.
Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man)
Reflecting on her time in the original Spider-Man trilogy, Kirsten Dunst noted that the pay gap between her and Tobey Maguire was extreme, despite her face being featured just as prominently on the marketing materials.
While Maguire’s salary ballooned to $17.5 million for the sequel, Dunst made $7 million and pointed out that as a young actress in the early 2000s, she lacked the leverage to demand a share of the massive box office profits she helped generate.
Claire Foy and Matt Smith (The Crown)
Source: IMDb
In one of the most ironic pay scandals in television history, it was revealed that Claire Foy—the actress playing the literal Queen of England—was paid less than Matt Smith, who played her consort, Prince Philip.
Despite Foy being the focal point of every scene and winning a Golden Globe for her performance, the producers admitted Smith’s prior fame from Doctor Who dictated the higher rate, a PR disaster that eventually led the production company to pledge that “no one gets paid more than the Queen” in future seasons.
