In the May issue of Redbook Magazine on newsstands April 17, cover stat actress Bryce Dallas Howard talks about swapping her infamous heels for boots in her upcoming film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the ‘astronomically different’ pay between male and female celebs and how even her dad Ron Howard was shocked but it, and being inspired by #Timesup, to ask for what she’s worth.
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On swapping her infamous heels for boots in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom: “The first film for me was so much more challenging, but I didn’t realize it until I had boots on! Claire’s a girl who can totally sprint in heels, but maximum effort in boots is much easier.” As for herself, Bryce says, “I can do it, but do I want to?”
On the ‘astronomically different’ pay between male and female celebs and how even her dad Ron Howard was shocked: “I’m not a spender. I live in a three-bedroom house— in fact, we just downsized. I know that we’re privileged; we don’t have to worry about paying our rent or our medical bills. But I wish people knew that this is what the life of most successful female celebrities is. What we get paid is totally, completely, astronomically different than what male celebrities get paid. And for women of color, it’s a hundred times worse. Even my dad [Director Ron Howard] has been shocked at how expensive it is to be a woman in the industry. You’re told that it’s important to have a manager as well as an agent, and for a guy that’s not as important. That’s 20% out of your paycheck rather than 10%.”
On being inspired by #TimesUp, and asking for what she’s worth: “I’ve been [wimpy] about it in the past. I didn’t want people to think I wasn’t grateful for opportunities. I also get scared off by every threat during a negotiation. They’ll say, ‘We’ll just have to find someone else,’ and I back off. You can’t do that.”
Why she’s ‘grateful’ for her mom’s somewhat ‘extreme’ parenting: “My mom grew up in poverty and was terrified that her privileged children were not going to be contributing members of society. I realize now, as a parent, that some of the things she did to follow through on teachable moments were a bit extreme. But other things, like we don’t have trust funds and were told, ‘You’re 14— you need to get a job,’ I’m so grateful for. I started working at a restaurant when I was 14, and I’d be like, I just got yelled at by a customer. OK, I survived. Those moments made me feel like a capable person, and a lot of kids I knew growing up didn’t.”