Benedict Cumberbatch has come to bargain - for equal pay. Speaking to The Radio Times the Avengers: Infinity War star revealed that he thinks that actors should refuse projects where their female counterparts are paid less, and intends to do so himself.
“Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism,” says Cumberbatch. “Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid, and say: ‘If she’s not paid the same as the men, I’m not doing it.’”
The SHERLOCK actor also revealed that he is perfectly happy to exploit his name and profile to get financiers onto projects that bring attention to female talent, which he will do through his new production company SunnyMarch with an aim to champion more female-centered dramas.
“I’m proud that Adam Ackland and I are the only men in our production company," the actor said. "Our next project is a female story with a female lens about motherhood, in a time of environmental disaster. If it’s centered around my name, to get investors, then we can use that attention for a raft of female projects. Half the audience is female!”
Cumberbatch can currently be seen on cinema screens in MARVEL’s Avengers: Infinity War and the television miniseries Patrick Melrose on ShowTime.