No women of color made the Top 10 Highest-Paid Actresses list
It’s happened! Forbes’ yearly “World’s Highest-Paid Actresses” list is up, and the results are honestly not that surprising. In case you’ve been pondering whether or not Hollywood actually has a diversity problem, then we’d like to rest our case with this list — because not a single woman of color is in the Top 10.
Forbes’ annual roundup calculates the yearly income of Hollywood’s sweethearts, and this year’s highest-paid actress is 28-year-old Emma Stone. While we’re happy for the La La Land star, more than anything, we’re disappointed that there are no women of color represented.
There Are No Women of Color on the Top Ten Highest Paid Actress List https://t.co/JV3VyVph1s pic.twitter.com/792URupgkI
— Seventeen (@seventeen) August 17, 2017
This year, Emma took the #1 spot — which Jennifer Lawrence has held for the past two years — for $26 million. Jennifer Aniston is at the #2 spot with $25.5 million, with Jennifer Lawrence under her at $24 million. Other women on this list include Emma Watson (the highest-paid British actress), Julia Roberts, and Amy Adams.
While these actresses all landed some major movies and endorsement deals, what we really can’t get over is the lack of representation present.
According to Seventeen, Natalie Robehmed, associate editor at Forbes, addressed the lack of diversity on the list in a statement. She said,
“The lack of diversity on the list comes down to roles: Only 28.3% of all speaking roles across formats go to characters from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, according to a 2016 study. That means there are simply fewer characters—and fewer high-paying roles — written for women of color. When studios, directors and screenwriters begin creating more main characters for women of color in the types of big budget movies that pay huge upfront fees and backend profits, we’ll see more actors of color on the list.”
So yes, this list presents an issue. But really, it’s indicative of a much bigger problem in Hollywood. If we are going to see women of color on this list, then we need writers, producers, and directors who believe in diversity and representation, who are willing to write, and at the very least, cast these women for their roles.
So please, Hollywood. Let’s not have this problem in 2018, okay?
