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Emmy RossumEmmy Rossum is seeking a pay raise so she can earn as much or even more than her “Shameless” co-star William H. Macy. This follows the push to end the gender pay gap in Hollywood led, by Jennifer Lawrence’s op-ed for Lenny Letter.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Macy recently renegotiated a deal for the upcoming eighth season that puts him toward the top of television earners. Now Rossum is said to be seeking a similar deal, even requesting more money than Macy, landing her in a pay standoff. Macy, who has a long history in film as well as an Oscar nomination for “Fargo” (1997), has so far been the top earner for the series.
However, Rossum is arguing for more money since her character, Fiona, has often been a focal point of the series. As the stand-in matriarch for the Gallagher family, she plays a key part in every episode.
READ MORE: Slay Your Pay: Negotiating the Salary You Deserve
It has been reported that should she close the deal, producer WBTV will likely renegotiate with her fellow cast members including Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, and Steve Howey. On the flip side, if she and the company cannot come to an agreement, Showtime could renew the show without her, or even opt to cancel it.
Rossum follows the lead of actresses such as “House of Cards” star Robin Wright, who famously threatened to go public if her salary didn’t start to match co-star Kevin Spacey’s. The leading lady of the Netflix series said, “I was looking at the statistics and Claire Underwood’s character was more popular than [Frank’s] for a period of time. So I capitalized on it. I was like, ‘You better pay me or I’m going to go public.’ And they did.”
Meanwhile, Lawrence is said to be earning $8 million more than co-star Chris Pratt on upcoming drama “Passengers,” per THR. She pushed for $20 million, while Pratt will be earning $12 million for the sci-fi flick. The news comes after it was revealed that Lawrence made less than co-stars Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper, and Christian Bale for 2013’s “American Hustle,” despite being arguably the bigger star at the moment.
READ MORE: 4 Reasons Why You Should Still Care About Equal Pay
“When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks, I didn’t get mad at Sony. I got mad at myself. I failed as a negotiator because I gave up early,” Lawrence wrote for Lenny Letter, noting that she felt bad negotiating for money that she didn’t need.
However, by the end of the letter, Lawrence vowed that she was done with putting equality aside, and what she deserves aside, in order to remain likable. She wrote, “I’m over trying to find the ‘adorable’ way to state my opinion and still be likable! Fuck that.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It’s just heard. Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves. If anything, I’m sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share,” the “Silver Linings Playbook” star concluded.
