By Tessa Nolan
Kirsten Dunst has spoken out about the gender pay gap in Hollywood, revealing that she never even thought to question the disparity in pay between herself and her male counterparts.
Speaking on the BBC, Dunst said, “I definitely grew up in a time of serious pay inequality between the lead actor and myself.” Dunst was cast alongside Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” film at the age of 17.
She added, “Even though I was in Bring It On, and he wasn’t… I had more box office success than he did. I was 17, still in school, at that age I’m still learning my taste in movies, I didn’t even think to ask. I didn’t even know there was a place to challenge that. That’s how it was at 17.”
Dunst has previously commented on the same issue, telling the Independent in 2021, “The pay inequality between myself and Spider-Man was very extreme. I didn’t even think about it. I just thought, ‘Oh yeah, Tobey [Maguire] is playing Spider-Man.’ But you know who was on the cover of the second Spider-Man poster? … Spider-Man and me.”
Currently, as she promotes her role in the controversial action film “Civil War,” in which she plays a war photographer in a dystopian USA, she said that she sees herself as somewhat of a role model: “I’m not [in films] to have fun. I’m in it to give myself in the most honest, functioning way for my role. I hope the way I paved my way will help other actresses.”
The issue of gender pay disparity in Hollywood continues to be a hot topic, with many actors and actresses speaking out about the need for equal pay for equal work. As more and more individuals in the industry, like Kirsten Dunst, shed light on this important issue, hopefully, steps will be taken to address and rectify the gender pay gap in Hollywood.