Viola Davis: “If I’m The Black Meryl Streep Pay Me What I’m Worth”

Published: Thursday 15th Feb 2018 by David

Viola Davis is tired of being underpaid and wants the world to know it!

Full report below…

As more women speak out against the unfair wage gap between them and their male colleagues Viola has added to the conversation by revealing that she too feels cheated.

In her case? By a system that pays her less because she is a black woman.

I have a career that’s probably comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Sigourney Weaver. They all came out of Yale, they came out of Juilliard, they came out of NYU. They had the same path as me, and yet I am nowhere near them. Not as far as money, not as far as job opportunities, nowhere close to it.

I have to constantly get on that phone” to “hustle for my worth.”
“People say, ‘You’re a black Meryl Streep. You are and we love you.’ … ‘Well, then if there’s no one like me. You pay me what I’m worth,'”.
Her statement stands to support the comedienne Monique who came under fire when she criticised Netflix for offering her a contract that wasn’t befitting as her status as an Oscar winner.

What do you make of Viola’s remarks?

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  1. erica February 15, 2018

    I always agreed with Monique I never thought she was wrong, however I didn’t think 11 million or anything more was deserve. I thought she would be I the ball park of 3-5 million and than after the success of the special, she should demand that 11 million

    • Jasmine February 15, 2018

      Viola oozes class and talent. Unlike Monique, Viola’s target audience is huge and she appeals to all races of people so pay Viola her money. Viola deserves more money per project. Monique should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as Viola because Monique is her own worst enemy and Monique lacks the huge audience Viola brings in to theaters and televeision programs.

      Monique hsould be compared to people on her level like Luenell, Sommore, and Laura Hayes because any of them could have lucked up ang got a lucky break in Precious to play themselves in a movie and they would have won that Oscar too. Monique thinks she is better than she is but audiences, film companies, and tv networks like BET thinks differently and the latter determines what will you earn.

    • Jasmine February 15, 2018

      Viola oozes class and talent. Unlike Monique, Viola’s target audience is huge and she appeals to all races of people so pay Viola her money. Monique should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Viola because Monique lacks the huge audience Viola brings in to theaters and television programs.

      Monique should only be compared to people on her level like Luenell, Sommore, and Laura Hayes because any of them could have lucked up and got a lucky break in Precious to play themselves in a movie and they would have won that Oscar too. Monique is delusional but audiences, film companies, and tv networks like BET think differently and the latter determines what she will earn, which right now is nothing.

      • Erica February 15, 2018

        Girl you tired it Mo’Nique is a Oscar winner & she had the same audience before she got blackballed, also mo had & a hit talk show and all I think mess up her situation in the pass but can’t never say that about her, she achieve something a lot of people in the business have not

      • Jasmine February 15, 2018

        Yup I read Monique but you know everything I said is the truth girl. Monique stays on social media with her delusions because she lucked up and got an Oscar for playing herself in a film, something Luenell, Sommore, and Laura Hayes could have done too. Now Monique is pretending like she is Halle Berry when she is more like Esther Rolle from Good Times and Weezy Jefferson from the Jeffersons.

      • Retribution February 15, 2018

        Monique did not “luck up” and win that Oscar. Nobody lucks up and wins an Oscar. She did not play herself and not anyone could have played that role as well as she did which takes talent not luck. Give credit where it is due because you are doing yourself a disservice. What Monique has hurt herself though is burning bridges with Lee Daniels, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey who are big black ball players in Hollywood. She has lost her d*** mind and became so arrogant after getting that Oscar. She lost her show with BET because of her arrogance and demands, and so many other directors and networks don’t want to touch her so she has no one to blame but herself.

  2. Meme February 15, 2018

    This woman should be one of the highest, if not the highest actors in the America. Notice I said actors and not just actress. Why are we still having these convos in 2018.

    • Retribution February 15, 2018

      True.

  3. Achooo! February 15, 2018

    It’s good to fight and stand for something. I’m glad Voila is speaking out on pay inequality

  4. JOHNVIDAL February 15, 2018

    She better be careful cause there are tons of people (don´t ask me why) that don´t like an actor or whoever person that earns a lot talking about equality in salaries. Ask Jennifer Lawrence. She got crucified by some many people.
    Viola is one of my fave actors btw. She truly is good.

    • Jasmine February 15, 2018

      JOHNVIDAL The reason I call you an Uncle Tom and recognize your agenda is because African Americans have been OPPRESSED more than any other race or minority group. As a woman of color, I understand, empathize, and sympathize with the plight and low socioeconomic status of African Americans historically and currently. When you purposefully try to push other minority groups such as white woman or gays as having the same oppression as black people that means you have an agenda and you are trying to marginalize the oppression of black people. You keep saying I need to “read a book.” Girl I have written a few books and it seems like you are the one who needs to “read books” instead of pushing your agenda (purposefully or unintentionally) because you can no longer use the excuse you are naive since I educated you.

      • JOHNVIDAL February 15, 2018

        Are u pucking serious? LOL So you recognize that you have an agenda but others cannot have one? Are u actually pfucking serious? YOU, as a member of a minority group that was opressed for so long should empathize with all types of discrimination and opressions. Do u have any idea of the things that happen in this world? Girl there are more issues than black people in the USA in 2018. All my support but there are so many terrible things people are suffering out there that you trying to impose to others the idea that only your cause is worth it is repulsive. I´m sorry.

        You have always been arrogant since day one and you keep on constantly proving it. You have written books my ass LOL Your diary you mean? ?
        If only you could let the stupidity of the Uncle Tom thing (that I don´t even know the meaning of) and your obsession with relating me to s****** blonde go then maybe you could start being taking seriously as a good human being with some brains. I hope this is the last of it. Have a nice day and keep opening your mind.

      • Jasmine February 15, 2018

        “YOU, as a member of a minority group that was opressed for so long should empathize with all types of discrimination and opressions.”

        All the other opresssions of the world pale in comparison to the terrible oppression black people have suffered so no I am not about to “open my mind” to marginalize the discrimination and oppression black people are faced with. Gays, spanish people, white women, etc have never faced the same level of oppression as black people and that is a fact.

        So are you going to stop Uncle Tomming or nah? LOL

  5. pat February 15, 2018

    Viola is one of the most in demand actresses in the world, and demands to be compensated as such. This does not parallel monique’s case.

    • JOHNVIDAL February 15, 2018

      Monique is in demand?

      • StarXavi February 15, 2018

        He said that does not parallel Monique’s situation. Which means Monique is not in demand.

  6. Superstar! February 15, 2018

    Sorry, not sorry but you are NOT on the level of Meryl Streep. You are a very good actress but let’s not go that far dear.

    • JOHNVIDAL February 15, 2018

      She could be maybe, but it´s not been proved. She may have the talent to do it but she has a long way to go for that. Meryl has nailed absolutely any and every type of role for the last 40 years. No bish is near her effortless slayage.

      • Jasmine February 15, 2018

        JOHNVIDAL That is not true at all. Meryl is overrated and she certainly is not everyone’s cup of tea. I feel confident in saying that if Viola could do just as well as Meryl if she were given more diverse roles. Glenn Close, Cate Blanchett, even young Jennifer Lawrence, and the late Bette Davis acted circles around Merly’s capabilities.

      • JOHNVIDAL February 16, 2018

        Casual thanks for your sane comment. It´s pretty much what I said. This girl Jasmine is in a cruzade and trying to go against anything that doesn´t suit the buble she lives in in whatever American viallage she lives in.

      • Superstar! February 16, 2018

        @Johnvidal – I agree with you that no woman has come near Meryl’s level of talent. As far as your comment concerning Viola, I don’t believe she’ll ever reach Meryl’s level. I don’t think it works that way. As you stated Meryl has enveloped and represented every character she’s ever played extremely well. (Sometimes I’ve forgotten that it was her she was so convincing of a portrayal.)

        I don’t think that more roles have anything to do with it. It’s like saying that James Brown could have sang Billie Jean better than Michael Jackson. Each actor has their abilities and limits (some seemingly very few). Sorry not sorry but I don’t think that a Michael Jackson comes around that often or nor does a Meryl Streep or Denzel Washington.

    • Casual February 15, 2018

      Meryl’s BEEN MERYL for a long time. We are just getting to know Viola. Viola may be as talented as Meryl (maybe, b/c Meryl can NAIL an accent), but Viola was unknown to the public before The Help. As Viola’s time in the big leagues goes on, her checks will continue to increase. And y’all know she’s getting PAID for starring on HTGAWM.

    • StarXavi February 15, 2018

      On pure acting ability, as an actor myself, in my humble opinion, I believe that Viola is just as talented and capable of embodying a role as Meryl is. Viola puts her all in every acting job that she has gotten. And maybe she wasn’t on everyone’s radar before The Help but she was slaying every role I had ever seen her in even before that. The problem is for such a long time she has been pigeon holed because of her looks to play “the help” or small roles, but she always brings intensity, honesty, and presence to every role she has played. This takes nothing away from Meryl, I think she is amazing as well, but she’s had many more opportunities to show how good she is on a bigger scale and for longer due to her being a beautiful blonde white woman. That’s just the truth.

      • Jasmine February 15, 2018

        @StarXavi I agree 100%

    • Retribution February 15, 2018

      She is definitely on the level of Meryl Streep. She is the first black woman to win an Emmy in a leading role, she has two Golden Globes, an Oscar, two Tonys and she kills every role she touches. Meryl has nothing on Viola Davis and Viola has shown that. Don’t try to down play Viola because Meryl has been given more opportunities because Viola has been out here for a long time. The fact, which Viola highlighted, is that there are not a lot of roles for African Americans and especially black females. With her talent, she has broken down so many barriers and stereotypes but is still not getting paid what she is worth. Pay the woman her money and you need a reality check.

      • Superstar! February 16, 2018

        @Retribution – No she’s not.

  7. Retribution February 15, 2018

    Viola is the most talented black actress Hollywood has ever seen and that it used to be Angela Basset for me, but Viola has surpassed her because Angela won’t play certain roles. Viola will play ANYthing and kill it. I love and respect her for that so much and that is the nature of a true artist. Angela is very talented as well but I wish she did not turn down Storm in X-Men, and I wish she had taken more risks in her career and pushed harder because I always felt she was worth so much more and should have gotten an Oscar ages ago. As far as Viola, she is the black Queen in Hollywood and she should be making what Meryl, Jullianne Moore, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence are making. Give the woman her money already.

  8. Jasmine February 15, 2018

    Uh uh, uh uh. This is Queen Jasmine and this John Vidal Uncle Tom is starting to work my last nerve. Do not let this cheap kinikalon side ponytail fool you Tommy Boy, I wear the most expensive Jordan’s and have successfully funded my book writing through my section 8 rations. I will read you just like I read my last book “The Coldest Flyy Girls Winter Ever in the welfare office”(in stores now). Don’t try me again white b****

    • S****** Blonde February 15, 2018

      Sorry everyone. This meth has me trippin! Here I am impersonating Princess Jasmine again when I promised that I would try to stop. I want to be her so bad that I could not resist. Please forgive me Princess Jasmine. I apologize for the disrespectful ish I wrote above. I know you are an educated woman of color that puts me in check for my stupid racist generalizations.

    • Jasmine February 15, 2018

      Stop impersonating me B|TCH boy. It is not funny and certainly do not approve of this.

  9. Jasmine February 15, 2018

    You peasants need to stay in your lane! I am the iconic Jasmine and these white b****** Uncle Tom muthaafuckas John Vidal and S****** F*** need to get in formation for the reigning Wakanda! Just because I have on the same lace front wig I got for my bday last year doesn’t mean I won’t take off my Jordan’s, put some Vaseline on my face and stomp all you heauxs out. You better get in formation B**** #WakandaTribesFinest

    • Jasmine February 15, 2018

      Stop impersonating B|TCH boy. Obviously you want to be me so bad that it kills you. Unfortunately, for you the class, education, and wit that I possess far exceeds any negative ghetto stereotypes you are trying to project onto me. You need mental therapy to help you get over your obsession with me. You are not funny. You are rather sad / pathetic indeed.

  10. cap February 16, 2018

    starts at 24:00

  11. James Brigham (Bigg) Bunyon February 16, 2018

    OK, that would be an RC Cola and a Moon pie.

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