"Because you didn't win an Academy Award": Robin Wright recalls her fight for equal pay on 'House of Cards' set

ANI
17 Jun 2025, 01:09 GMT+10

Los Angeles [US], June 16 (ANI): Actor Robin Wright, who is best known for her role of Claire Underwood in 'House of Cards', recently recalled how she was denied equal pay because she did not have an Academy Award.

Wright made such claims during a chat moderated by Variety's international features director Leo Barraclough.

'When David Fincher introduced 'House of Cards' to me, he said, 'This is going to be the future, it's going to be revolutionary,'' Wright recalled. 'And look where we are now.'

However, she said she had to fight for equal pay on the hit show, which also featured Kevin Spacey.

'Yes, it was difficult. I am going to be honest,' she said.

'When I said, 'I think it's only fair because my character became as popular as [Spacey's], they said, 'We can't pay you the same as an actor, so we will make you exec producer and you can direct. We will give you three different paychecks.' I asked, 'Why can't you pay me as an actor?' 'Because you didn't win an Academy Award.''

'That has been the protocol for years -- it just is. If you say, 'Why did so-and-so female not get the same amount as Will Smith?' They say, 'It will increase after you win.' Nomination, not so much,' she continued. 'Why does it have to do anything with a raise?'

As per Variety, she also talked about that controversial ending: 'That was my idea, so... Sorry. Initially, I said: 'Let him kill her.''

However, Wright said getting to direct the show was a 'gift.'

The Netflix series House of Cards ran for six seasons. The show premiered on February 1, 2013, and concluded with its final season released on November 2, 2018. (ANI)

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