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When the world is on your shoulders and you’re sinking fast, sometimes it takes a good friend to throw you a lifeline!
Well, Hollywood isn’t exactly known for its sense of justice, especially when it comes to paychecks.“Money makes the world go round,”they say, but it’s easy to forget that, sometimes, it’s not just the money—it’s who gets to hold the wheel. Let’s enter the world ofJurassic World, where the dinosaurs roared, the box office soared, and, for a while, so did some very big pay disparities. But amidst all the CGI beasts and wild action sequences, there was an equally wild story behind the scenes that had everything to do with Hollywood’s gender pay gap.
We all remember the 2015 juggernautJurassic World. It was a mammoth-sized success, breaking records, bringing in a staggering $1.6 billion worldwide, and cementing Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard as the faces of theJurassiclegacy. But while audiences were feasting on popcorn and CGI dinosaurs, Howard was feasting on something else: paycheck that, quite frankly, could’ve used a little more bite.
It’s hard to believe, but the actress, despite being a central figure in the series, wasn’t exactly treated as such when it came to her earnings.
Jurassic Worldmovies: How Bryce Dallas Howard’s salary lagged behind Chris Pratt
Here’s where things start to get a little Jurassic-sized themselves. WhileJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom(2018) brought in massive revenue and had bothChris Pratt(Owen Grady) andBryce Dallas Howard(Claire Dearing) standing shoulder to shoulder in the spotlight, there was a pretty gnarly pay disparity lurking behind the scenes.
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We learned fromVarietythat Howard was paid $8 million for her role inFallen Kingdom, whileParks and Recreationtook home $10 million. On the surface, that may seem like a reasonable difference. After all, Pratt was a certified star by then, theGuardians of the Galaxyhero, and an all-around funny guy. But there’s a bit more to the story than just a couple of bucks.
It turns out that Howard’s pay was locked in as part of a deal she made in 2014 beforeJurassic Worldeven hit theaters. Back then, the Hollywood world looked much different, especially when it came to negotiations for female actors. Howard was at a disadvantage, working in an industry that hadn’t quite yet caught up with the notion of equal pay for equal work.
She was locked into a multi-film deal with a salary that, honestly, didn’t match her star power. As she herself put it in anInsiderinterview, the discrepancy was “so much less than the reports even said, so much less”. The actress continues:
So here we have a powerhouse actress, fully capable of leading aJurassicfranchise, essentially sidelined when it came to pay. It’s not a one-off tale—this is the kind of thing that has been dinosaur-sized in Hollywood for decades. Yet, what makes this story interesting is not just the injustice of it all, but how the tides eventually turned.
Chris Pratt fought for Bryce Dallas Howard’s fair pay in theJurassicfranchise
While some might imagine that Bryce Dallas Howard could’ve been left to fend for herself in the shadows, there was a beacon of hope in the form of her co-star, Chris Pratt. Now, we all know the latter as the action-packed, lovable star.
And, in an eye-opening moment of solidarity, Pratt stepped up when Howard was in the dark. He wasn’t just concerned about his own paycheck. No, he made sure that when it came to side projects—like games, theme park rides, and ancillary revenue for the franchise—both he and Howard would be on equal footing. As Howard recalled (via Insider):
What I will say is that Chris and I have discussed it, and whenever there was an opportunity to move the needle on stuff that hadn’t been already negotiated, like a game or a ride, he literally told me: ‘You guys don’t even have to do anything. I’m gonna do all the negotiating.We’re gonna be paid the same, and you don’t have to think about this, Bryce.’ And I love him so much for doing that. I really do, because I’ve been paid more for those kinds of things than I ever was for the movie.
Now, that’s a true pal move. And yet that doesn’t overshadow the fact that it took Pratt—another man in Hollywood—to get the “needle” moving for a woman to be paid what she deserved.
Actresses like Jennifer Lawrence and Julianna Marguliesspeak out on pay disparity
So, what does all this mean? On one hand, it’s heartwarming that Chris Pratt stepped in to correct the scales a bit. After all, it’s crucial for those with power—especially men in the industry—to amplify the voices of their female colleagues.
But on the other hand, it’s pretty disheartening that it had to take a male actor to push for equal pay in the first place.
Anyway, just askJennifer Lawrence, who went public about the pay disparity between her and her male co-stars after the 2014 Sony hack. In aLenny Letteressay, she reflected on why she didn’t push harder for a fair deal (viaPeople):
I would be lying if I didn’t say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight.
Later in 2021, Lawrence was once again shedding light on the issue when she realized she made $5 million less than herDon’t Look Upco-star,Leonardo DiCaprio. While she expressed understanding about the differences in their box office draw, the actress still pointed out the discomfort of even questioning salary discrepancies, saying (viaVanity Fair):
If you do question something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s not gender disparity but they can’t tell you what exactly it is.
Then there’sJulianna Margulies, who also took a bold step in standing up for her worth. When CBS allegedly wouldn’t meet her pay demands for theGood WifespinoffThe Good Fight, she walked away from the project.
Margulies wasn’t just standing up for herself—she was standing up for the idea that women should be paid what they’re worth, no more, no less.“If you are worthless, if you are not valued for your work, then what’s the point?”she said (viaDeadline). No truer words have been spoken in a business that often prizes men’s contributions above women’s.
Chris Pratt’s Salary in Jurassic World Franchise Was Insanely Higher Than Any of His MCU Movie as Star-Lord
And let’s not forgetMadam C.J.starOctavia Spencer, who has spoken out multiple times about the wage gap. She understood that allies are essential in this fight (viaIndieWire): “We need all our male counterparts to be in the fight with us,” she said, reinforcing the notion that equality isn’t just a women’s issue; it’s a human issue.
The wage gap may be a stubborn problem that’s here to stay for now, but as these women continue to break down barriers and raise their voices, it’s clear that change is in the air. Equal pay isn’t just about money—it’s about showing women the respect they’ve earned through their talent, dedication, and hard work. Until equal pay becomes the rule rather than the exception, these actresses will keep leading the charge, turning their personal battles into a movement that lifts women everywhere.
Jurassic Worldis currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
