Current Events > Viola Davis: I'm called the Black Meryl Streep but get unequal pay to peers

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https://twitter.com/itsgabrielleu/status/1278165571322822656



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Does she draw people to the theaters like Meryl Streep? I prefer Davis but Streep seems like the bigger draw.

Isn't hollywood like sports though? You get as much as you can draw in regardless of skill.

Ronda and connor would the biggest cash cows in mma and they weren't the best

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She's right.
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ohiostate124 posted...

Does she draw people to the theaters like Meryl Streep? I prefer Davis but Streep seems like the bigger draw.

Since fucking when was Meryl Streep a box office star?

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Smashingpmkns posted...

She's right.

Is she though? Ever heard of supply and demand?

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brotrrwinner posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

She's right.

Is she though? Ever heard of supply and demand?

Imagine thinking Meryl Streep pulls more than Viola Davis in 2020. Did anyone here watch the Laundromat? Lmao
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Propane4Sale posted...

Since fucking when was Meryl Streep a box office star?

Is Viola Davis?

Propane4Sale posted...

Since fucking when was Meryl Streep a box office star?

She's not The Rock but she is a pretty big star. And she has been the lead actress in 42 movies (only 13 supporting roles).

Viola Davis has only been the lead in 8 movies and supporting in 18.

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Propane4Sale posted...

Since fucking when was Meryl Streep a box office star?

The 2 Mamma Mia movies have made a combined billion dollars. The Devil Wears Prada made nearly 400 million.

Also, not to knock Davis, but she has 1 Oscar & 3 nominations. Streep has 3 wins & 21 total nominations. That's a bit of a difference.

i've literally never heard of her being called the black meryl streep
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pfh1001 posted...

The 2 Mamma Mia movies have made a combined billion dollars. The Devil Wears Prada made nearly 400 million.

Also, not to knock Davis, but she has 1 Oscar & 3 nominations. Streep has 3 wins & 21 total nominations. That's a bit of a difference.

Streep has 30 more years of acting under her belt, so it's not too surprising she has more wins and noms. She also has significantly more starring roles.

I think Viola's point is that it's ironic people in Hollywood call her "the Black Meryl Streep" then treat her as less than Streep in the roles and pay they offer her.

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She also thinks Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore are in similar tiers.

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pfh1001 posted...

The 2 Mamma Mia movies have made a combined billion dollars. The Devil Wears Prada made nearly 400 million.

Also, not to knock Davis, but she has 1 Oscar & 3 nominations. Streep has 3 wins & 21 total nominations. That's a bit of a difference.

Meryl Streep also has been around much longer and plays the Hollywood game better than anyone. She's been nominated for piss-poor performances and won for a couple of them too.

If we are doing accolades though, Viola Davis has the Triple Crown of Acting whereas Streep doesn't.

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She should be comparing where she is now to where they were at the same relative time frame, to be honest. If she's expecting to make what Meryl Streep makes NOW then she's looking at the wrong data. Streep has done more by simple virtue of having a longer career. You can't discount that.

If they both have the same accolades then that's different.

Didnt know people referred to her as that, they really shouldnt

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lolife67 posted...

She should be comparing where she is now to where they were at the same relative time frame, to be honest. If she's expecting to make what Meryl Streep makes NOW then she's looking at the wrong data. Streep has done more by simple virtue of having a longer career. You can't discount that.

If they both have the same accolades then that's different.

But Viola has accolades that Streep doesn't. The argument is Streep has all these Oscar noms but she has three wins compared to Davis' one.

And again, Viola has a Triple Crown of Acting. Streep doesn't have that.

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Viola Davis is low key the best actress in the biz. She deserves heaps of money and praise.
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Kastrada posted...

But Viola has accolades that Streep doesn't. The argument is Streep has all these Oscar noms but she has three wins compared to Davis' one.

And again, Viola has a Triple Crown of Acting. Streep doesn't have that.

True, but Streep is just missing a Tony & she hasn't done that much stage work.

She has 3 Emmy awards to Davis' 1 also, and Davis won for that horrendous How To Get Away With Murder soap opera garbage. Streep has more BAFTAs, more Golden Golden Globes, etc.

And as I said earlier, Streep has led some big money makers, which leads to bigger pay.

Pay for acting isn't about talent it's about drawing crowds.

Daniel Craig is getting paid $80,000,000 for the next bond film.

Do you think that's because he's the greatest actor who ever lived?

No it's because thanks to Craig that move is going to gross over a Billion dollars.

It's a stupid thing to complain about regardless of what critics call you. Are you worth the paycheck for the studio making the work? If not then you won't get paid it

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Who calls her the black Meryl Streep?
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Phantom_Nook posted...

Who calls her the black Meryl Streep?

People who want to win points with the woke crowd

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pfh1001 posted...

True, but Streep is just missing a Tony & she hasn't done that much stage work.

Streep's 13 stage work to Davis' 10.


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Kastrada posted...

Streep's 13 stage work to Davis' 10.

Ok but what about literally everything else in that post?

ohiostate124 posted...

Ok but what about literally everything else in that post?

Meryl Streep has two acting Emmy awards to Davis' one. It's a pretty negligible comparison.

How to Get Away with Murder is a shitty show. That doesn't negative Davis' talent within the show.

Streep has been in massive successes true. But that's kind of the point Davis is making. If she's on that level of acting talent, or at least right there, why is she not making that money? Why is she not getting those roles. She's not a newcomer to acting, she's been at this a while. You've never hear anything negative about her behind the scenes, at awards shows, nothing. So it can't be her being blackballed.


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ohiostate124 posted...

Does she draw people to the theaters like Meryl Streep?

We all know the answer to that. No.

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lilORANG posted...

Viola Davis is low key the best actress in the biz.

Well that's kind of the problem in terms of pay. "low key"

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Yeah, a successful and wealthy actress is horribly mistreated. Im actually crying.

Dont Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman make oodles of cash? Might have something to do with their box office draw.

Theres definitely racial discrimination in Hollywood, but its not against high profile actors. Unless youre talking about awards ceremonies, but theyre run by a bunch of elderly racist snobs.

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Lol people will literally argue over some millionaire not getting paid enough while their own bank account sits at zero. It is funny how people can be manipulated into advocating some rich person get even more money while the common people get less and less.

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I dunno who Viola Davis is...is this the woman from Black Panther?

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Kastrada posted...

Meryl Streep has two acting Emmy awards to Davis' one. It's a pretty negligible comparison.

How to Get Away with Murder is a shitty show. That doesn't negative Davis' talent within the show.

Streep has been in massive successes true. But that's kind of the point Davis is making. If she's on that level of acting talent, or at least right there, why is she not making that money? Why is she not getting those roles. She's not a newcomer to acting, she's been at this a while. You've never hear anything negative about her behind the scenes, at awards shows, nothing. So it can't be her being blackballed.

You are ignoring the part about the other awards mentioned in that post.

TooLateToGoBack posted...

i've literally never heard of her being called the black meryl streep

This, but also don't know who she is

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She is a great actress for sure.

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sorry i'll start paying her more

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Davis puts on a master class in any performance that she's in. Meryl Streep is able to have freedom to be in a variety of different roles, Davis' lane hasn't been that open for the roles that she is able to get. She's The Viola Davis, not the Black Meryl Streep. If they compare her to Streep then run her coins and pay her.

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ohiostate124 posted...

You are ignoring the part about the other awards mentioned in that post.

The BAFTA is the same thing as the Emmy's. Two acting award wins to one. Not much of a difference.

And the Golden Globes are a joke of an organization. The voting body of the Globes are a bunch of international press members who vote for their friends or celebrities they want to be friends with. Something they have proven time and time again.

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Quicksilver posted...

Lol people will literally argue over some millionaire not getting paid enough while their own bank account sits at zero. It is funny how people can be manipulated into advocating some rich person get even more money while the common people get less and less.

You're missing the point. If a woman of color is getting paid less and getting less opportunities compared to her white peers of equivalent talent, then what does that say about the rest of minorities in Hollywood?

It's not a "We have to get Viola Davis more money" and that's the end of it. She's a powerful minority representative that can be a figure head for the whole thing.


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I think complaining about the number of roles Davis is offered can be a legitimate argument. I don't think comparing pay is.

Kastrada posted...

You're missing the point. If a woman of color is getting paid less and getting less opportunities compared to her white peers of equivalent talent, then what does that say about the rest of minorities in Hollywood?

It's not a "We have to get Viola Davis more money" and that's the end of it. She's a powerful minority representative that can be a figure head for the whole thing.

And thats where Im calling bullshit. Shes not Meryl Streep. If she thinks she deserves more pay, thats on her and her agent. As Ive mentioned, there are a number of high profile black actors who receive top billing and top dollar. Viola Davis isnt drawing those crowds.

Available roles is an entirely independent issue and not what shes complaining about. Her problems are also not remotely comparable to a struggling black actor, and hitching herself to that wagon is ridiculous.


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Viola Davis is definitely a bigger name than Meryl Streep currently

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Who is Viola Davis?

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RE_expert44 posted...

Who is Viola Davis?

https://youtu.be/BzJCPw5KiFE

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RE_expert44 posted...

Who is Viola Davis?

the black meryl streep jeez are you paying attention

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