Emma Watson Responds To The Gender Wage Gap In Hollywood

Emma Watson starred as Hermione Granger in eight consecutive “Harry Potter”; films and continued her acting career with starring roles in “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower”;, “The Bling Ring”; and “Noah”;. With upcoming roles in major films like “The Circle”; and “Beauty and the Beast”;, coming to theatres soon, the Lancome and Burberry campaign model has chosen to take some time off her busy career to focus on her activism in 2016.

The UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador sat down with Esquire UK to discuss her work with gender equality campaign #HeForShe, which she helped launch back in 2014, and the involvement of her “The Circle”; co-star in the initiative, Tom Hanks. The two actors appear on the cover of Esquire UK“s special “Men & Women”; issue.

When it comes to Watson standing beside Hanks on the cover of the magazine, she says, “Having him on the cover is making me seriously proud. Not just because of who he is as an actor, but because I respect him as a man. He is one of those rare Hollywood types who are authentic. He is who he says he is.”; She continues, “If you look at his career, a lot of his biggest movies — “Big”;, “A League of Their Own”;, “Sleepless in Seattle”; — have been with female directors. And also there’s something about the way he talks about issues, whether it be gay rights, Aids, environmental issues, children or the work he does with veterans, he speaks with such a humble grace and a credible voice.”;

Watson comments on the gender wage gap in Hollywood, saying, “We are not supposed to talk about money, because people will think you’re “difficult”; or a “diva”;. But there’s a willingness now to be like, “Fine. Call me a “diva’, call me a “feminazi’, call me “difficult’, call me a “First World feminist’, call me whatever you want, it’s not going to stop me from trying to do the right thing and make sure that the right thing happens.”; Because it doesn’t just affect me, it affects all the other women who are in this with me, and it affects all the other men who are in this with me, too.”;

She doesn’t, however, put Hollywood totally to blame. “Hollywood is just a small piece of a gigantic puzzle but it’s in the spotlight. Whether you are a woman on a tea plantation in Kenya, or a stockbroker on Wall Street, or a Hollywood actress, no one is being paid equally.”;

Watson goes on to describe the sexism she has faced as cause of being a woman. She says, “I’ve had my arse slapped as I’ve left a room. I’ve felt scared walking home. I’ve had people following me. I don’t talk about these experiences much, because coming from me they’ll sound like a huge deal and I don’t want this to be about me, but most women I know have experienced it and worse… this is unfortunately how it is.”;

When it comes to taking a one-year sabbatical from acting, she says, “This is the most fun I’ve ever had. It’s so awesome to be at the forefront of that wave and that energy and just being able to channel that which I found mildly horrifying — all of the crazy attention on me — and doing something good with it, it just feels like I’m really doing what I’m meant to be doing.”;