Tracee Ellis Ross is considering doing fewer appearances on Black-ish after it was revealed that she makes “significantly less” than co-star Anthony Anderson.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the issue came up during a recent Time’s Up meeting, an organization of Hollywood actresses aiming to end sexual harassment and workplace discrimination.
However, the publication reports that Ellis’ solution isn’t so cut and dry.
“The tactic has split opinions within Time’s Up, with some worried that it’s more a retreat than a forward-looking solution (fitting in extra work isn’t always feasible, and often an actress wouldn’t earn as much guesting as she would as a network star). A network source says a new deal will significantly increase her compensation and cautioned that Anderson and Ellis Ross’ roles aren’t equal given that he has been attached to Black-ish from the start and is an executive producer. Still, until a few weeks ago, this type of candid conversation would never have taken place outside an actress’ agency.”
The conversation around Ellis’ compensation comes hot on the heels of recent news that Michelle Williams made eight times less than Mark Wahlberg for their new film, All The Money In The World.
Both Ellis and Anderson have been on the show since it began in 2014, however, Ross is the only one to have taken home an award for her role as Rainbow Johnson, earning a Golden Globe and becoming the first Black woman to win for best actress in a comedy or musical TV series in over 30 years.