Michelle Williams 'paid a fraction of Wahlberg's salary' for Spacey reshoots

Back in November it was revealed that disgraced actor Kevin Spacey would be cut from true-life thriller All the Money in the World, despite the fact the film was already in the can. Veteran actor Christopher Plummer was recast in his place as oil tycoon John Paul Getty in Ridley Scott’s film dramatisation of the kidnapping of Getty’s grandson, John Paul Getty III.

All the Money in the World also featured Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg, and both were required to return to England to take part in the reshoots, with both spending a similar time on-screen with Plummer’s character. It’s been reported by USA Today, however, that Williams earned only a tiny fraction of her co-star's paypacket for this additional filming: she was paid $1,000 while Wahlberg earned a cool $1.5 million, 1500 times Williams’ paycheque.

This news is contrary to director Scott’s comments about reshoot costs when asked if Spacey would be sued to cover the expense. “No," he said, "the cost involved was relatively, comparatively not bad because we all did it for nothing.”

Williams said something similar about her fee, and her comments seem to suggest that she was eager to do the reshoots to help the film, which had suddenly become tainted by Spacey’s association. "I just thought that this experience that we had all treasured was going to be essentially flushed down the toilet...” she told USA Today last year. “I said I'd be wherever they needed me, whenever they needed me. And they could have my salary, they could have my holiday, whatever they wanted. Because I appreciated so much that they were making this massive effort."

Wahlberg evidently felt differently, and negotiated a hefty fee that is a considerable portion of the reported $10 million reshoot costs. What makes this pay disparity more galling is that Wahlberg and Williams are both repped by the same agency: William Morris Endeavor.

The news comes directly after the heartening events at the Golden Globes at the weekend – where Williams was nominated for Best Actress for her forceful performance in All the Money in the World and was one of the chief voices in support of the Time's Up initiative. (Wahlberg's performance, it should be noted, was not similarly recognised in the Best Actor category.) It’s a chastening reminder that things are still far from equal in Hollywood, and as well as having to fight to end sexual harassment, the women in the industry still have a gross pay inequality to deal with.