LeBron James intervened to ensure Octavia Spencer got paid fairly in her latest role, and this is what male allyship looks like
As the fight to close the gender wage gap continues, one of the most important ways to advocate for pay parity is for those in positions of privilege to stand up for others. In Hollywood, this means that some actors and actresses have demanded equal pay for their costars as a term of their contact. And in an instance of male allyship, NBA star LeBron James stepped in to make sure that Octavia Spencer was paid fairly for the new Netflix show Madam C.J. Walker.
According to IndieWire, Spencer discussed her ongoing fight for equal pay at a January 26th Sundance Film Festival panel. The Academy Award-winning actress revealed that during the negotiation process for the new show, in which Spencer plays the first self-made black millionaire, James, who executive-produced the show, “had to intervene” to make sure she received the same pay as her male costars.
"I have to say, when I was negotiating my deal for 'Madam C.J.,' LeBron James had to intervene," Spencer said on the panel. "So we need all our male counterparts to be in the fight with us."
.@octaviaspencer at #SundanceFilmFestival panel on equal pay, “We need advocates and allies in negotiating. When I was negotiating my deal for Madam C.J., Lebron James had to intervene. We need all of our male counterparts to be in the fight with us.” (Photo: SundanceTV) pic.twitter.com/6kEfDNuxux
— On The Red Carpet (@OnTheRedCarpet) January 28, 2019
This isn’t the first time that Spencer has opened up about the allies who have helped her secure pay parity. At the same Sundance panel in 2018, she announced that Jessica Chastain, who co-starred with her in The Help, had demanded that they receive the same amount of money for their roles. At the 2019 panel, the Shape of Water actress again spoke about Chastain’s support for her, while stressing how important it is for coworkers to lift each other up.
"I think my goal is to make sure that all women of color get equal pay, and all women get equal pay," she said. "The only way to do it is to have these conversations, to talk numbers with your co-stars. Jessica and I stood together, and that was interesting that she would take that position—well, I mean, she is Jessica Chastain—but we also need advocates and allies in negotiating."
Watch the full panel below:
1 year later – what’s changed? Find out from @FrankieShaw, @OctaviaSpencer, @kyrasedgwick & more at the “Women Brea… https://t.co/8SZtytCfPC
— SundanceTV (@SundanceTV) January 26, 2019
It’s beyond frustrating that actresses as talented and accomplished as Spencer still need to rely on outside intervention to get the pay they deserve, but it serves as a critical reminder that allyship is both critical and necessary in today’s climate.
