Last year it was announced that Netflix picked up Octavia Spencer and LeBron James’ series about Madam C.J. Walker. During a panel at the Sundance Film Festival, Octavia spoke about how LeBron helped to make sure she received equal pay.
According to Indie Wire, Octavia spoke on the “Women Breaking Barriers” panel and she shared how LeBron, who is executive producing the project, stepped up for her to make sure she received equal pay.
She said, “I have to say, when I was negotiating my deal for ‘Madam C.J.,’ LeBron James had to intervene. So we need all our male counterparts to be in the fight with us.”
Around the same time last year, Octavia spoke about a similar situation when actress Jessica Chastain negotiated for higher pay and insisted that Octavia receive the same pay as they co-starred in a holiday comedy together.
Octavia said, “I think my goal is to make sure that all women of color get equal pay, and all women get equal pay. The only way to do it is to have these conversations, to talk numbers with your co-stars. Jessica and I stood together, and that was interesting that she would take that position — well, I mean, she is Jessica Chastain — but we also need advocates and allies in negotiating.”
As we previously reported, the Netflix series on Madam C.J. Walker will be eight episodes and will be based on her great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles’s biography “On Her Own Ground.” It will share the story of how Madam C. J. Walker became the first self-made female millionaire in the U.S. by creating black hair care products and improving the hot comb.
Source: https://www.indiewire.com/2019/01/octavia-spencer-lebron-james-pay-netflix-1202038554/
