TARAJI P HENSON MADE UNDER 2%
OF BRAD PITT'S THE BENJAMIN BUTTON MOVIE, SO SHE IS
PUBLICIZING HER NEW MEMOIR CALLED AROUND THE WAY GIRL.
SHE TALKS ABOUT HER FILM, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
BUTTON, SHE WAS PROMISED
SOMEWHERE IN THE MID-SIX FIGURES
FOR HER ROLE, BUT THE PRODUCERS LOWBALLED HER AND ACTUALLY
OFFERED HER SOMETHING IN THE LOWEST OF THE SIX FIGURES RANGE.
SHE HAD BEEN WORKING IN HOLLYWOOD FOR OVER A DECADE
AT THIS TIME, SO THIS WAS REALLY INSULTING.
SHE NOW GETS PAID SIX FIGURES PER EPISODE ON THE HIT SHOW
EMPIRE.
OF THIS SHE CREDITS TYLER PERRY BECAUSE HE WAS THE ONE THAT
RAISED HER QUOTE IN THE MOVIE, I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF.
SHE WAS ACTUALLY NOMINATED FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN
BENJAMIN BUTTON.
SO THIS IS A CONVOLUTED STORY, A LOT GOING ON HERE.
HOW DID YOU REACT WHEN HE HEARD THIS?
>>WHAT I CAN SAY IS HOW I REACTED, I CAN DO BAD ALL
BY MYSELF IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD MOVIE.
IF YOU HEARD TYLER PERRY AND YOU THOUGHT OF MEDEA, WHATEVER,
BUT SHE WAS AMAZING IN I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF.
SHE IS A REALLY GOOD ACTOR.
WHEN I HEAR THAT YOU MADE 2% OF WHAT BRAD PITT MADE, ICE
THINK YEAH, OF COURSE YOU DID, THAT IS BRAD PITT.
I GET IT.
THE LOGIC I HAVE TROUBLE WITH IS I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN HOLLYWOOD
FOR OVER A DECADE AND I AM STILL NOT MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.
YEAH, THAT IS HOLLYWOOD.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN HOLLYWOOD FOR OVER A DECADE AND I'M
NOT MAKING THAT MONEY.
>> WELL, YOU ARE NOT TARAJI P HENSON.
>>I AGREE.
BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD ARGUMENT.
>> I DO NOT KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT HER.
YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE FEWER PARTS FOR BLACK ACTRESSES.
THE THING I FIND MOST OUTRAGEOUS IS THAT THEY MADE HER PAY
TO STAY WHERE SHE WAS.
THEY ARE SHOOTING A MOVIE IN NEW ORLEANS, AND THEY HAD HER
TO BE AN ACTRESS, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THIS MOVIE, OR NOT, BUT TO SEE BRAD PITT.
HE BRINGS IN THE MILLIONS AND HE GETS PAID MORE BECAUSE OF THAT.
TARAJI P HENSON IS GETTING PAID VERY WELL FOR IT.
>>IN YOUR OPINION YOU THINK THIS IS FAIR TREATMENT?
>> IS UNFAIR FOR ME TO SAY ñ I AGREE WITH BRETT.
I DON'T FIND IT APPALLING THAT SHE IS GETTING 2%
OF WHAT BRAD PITT IS MAKING.
I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD BE THE HEADLINE OF THE STORY.
THE HEADLINE SHOULD BE THAT IT IS VERY HARD FOR BLACK
ACTRESSES.
IT TOOK SOMEONE LIKE TYLER PERRY TO PAY A BLACK ACTRESS WHAT
THEY SHOULD BE MAKING AN CREATED PARTS FOR BLACK ACTORS THAT
DIDN'T EXIST.
I THINK TO THAT END, HER STORY AND HER PLATE ARE VERY REAL.
BUT THAT SHE MADE LESS THAN BRAD PITT, OF COURSE SHE DID.
PEOPLE WENT TO THAT MOVIE TO SEE BRAD PITT.
AND IT WASN'T VERY GOOD.
>> THE LOWEST OF SIX FIGURES IN A MOVIE AT THAT KIND OF
MOVIE, THERE ARE A LOT OF CLIENTS OF ALL COLORS AND
GENDERS WHO ARE AT THAT WEIRD LEVEL, THEY NEED SOMETHING
BIG TO HAPPEN.
IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THERE IS WAY MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
WHITE ACTORS TO GET THAT ROLE.
LIKE THAT COOKIE ROLE, HOW COULD SHE EVER IMAGINE THAT THE
ROLE OF COOKIE WOULD EVER COME ABOUT?
ASK ANYONE ANYTHING ABOUT EMPIRE, IT WAS LIKE THIS
WAS THE CASE OF US REALLY BELIEVING IN THIS PROJECT
AND EVERYONE TELLING US WE ARE CRAP.
HE HAD TO GO TO FOX.
FOX IS THE ONE THAT STOPS AIRING ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING AFTER
10 PM.
FOX IS THAT NEXT YEAR.
MY JOB AT THE AGENCY WAS TO CALL FOR THE RATINGS, AND FOX
WAS ALWAYS A STEP LOWER THAN OTHER NETWORKS.
AT LEAST UNTIL AMERICAN IDOL.
>> HERE SHE MADE SIX FIGURES, NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT.
SHE GOT A NOMINATION, WHICH PROPELLED HER CAREER.
I'M SURE THERE'S MORE TO HER STORY THAT MAKES HER RIGHT,
BUT I AM JUST SAYING I AM NOT OUTRAGED AT THE PERCENTAGE
OF HER SALARY COMPARED TO BRAD PITT.
>>
I GUESS I SOUND SO DEFEATED BY THE INDUSTRY ñ BUT IT IS TOUGH.
IT IS DIFFICULT.
THE CONTRACT YOU SIGN WHEN YOU AUDITION FOR A SHOW LIKE
EMPIRE IS A 5 TO 10
YEAR CONTRACT TO BE ON THE SHOW BEFORE YOU AUDITION FOR IT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO A LOT OF HOLLYWOOD SCREEN ACTORS,
MOVIE ACTORS, WERE DOUBLING BACK AROUND TO TAKE EVEN MORE
ROLES AWAY FROM YOU.
ESPECIALLY AT THE TIME EMPIRE WAS COMING OUT.
THOSE OFFER ONLY HIGH NUMBER ROLES JUST DISAPPEARED.
THAT SCREWS YOU.
IS NOT UNTIL YOU HAVE A HIT ON YOUR HAND THAT YOU ARE ABLE
TO RENEGOTIATE AND MAKE BIG MONEY WHEN THEY START
APPROACHING SYNDICATION, YOU ARE FIVE.
>>I THINK FOR ME WHAT STUCK OUT IS THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY
FOR WOMEN OF COLOR IN HOLLYWOOD, OR TELEVISION.
>> OR THIS PANEL.
>> OR ON THIS PANEL.
ANOTHER THING THAT STUCK OUT TO ME WAS THE INEQUALITY OF
TREATMENT WHEN SHE WAS ON THE MOVIE.
YOU KNOW FOR A FACT THAT CATE BLANCHETT'S EVERY NEED AND
DESIRE WAS TAKEN CARE OF.
THE FACT THAT SHE IS THE THIRD STAR IN THAT MOVIE, AND IS
A MEMORABLE CHARACTER, AND THAT SHE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HER
OWN HOTEL EXPENSES IS ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS AND INAPPROPRIATE.
IT JUST WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO KATE BLANCHET AND BRAD PITT.
THAT UNEQUAL TREATMENT IS WHAT IS BOTHERING ME AND DOESN'T
SIT WELL WITH ME.
BACK TO THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY, IT HAS BEEN A CHRONIC
ALMOST DISEASE IN HOLLYWOOD THAT WOMEN OF COLOR, PEOPLE OF
COLOR, ARE SO UNDERREPRESENTED.
WE ARE MAKING STRIDES.
EMPIRE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR THAT, BUT THINK WHEN DID
THIS MOVIE COME OUT?
>>2008.
>> AND EVEN THEN, 2008 WASN'T SO LONG AGO AND WE ARE STILL ñ
WE STILL HAVEN'T COME AS FAR AS I WOULD LIKE US TO.
>> THEY SPENT WAY MORE MONEY ON TRANSFORMING BRAD PITT INTO
A SHRIVELED RAISIN BABY.