Back in 2010, Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher co-starred in “No Strings Attached.” Both received top billing as pals who embark on a “casual” relationship, but according to Portman, 35, she earned three times less than Kutcher for the film.

During an interview with Marie Claire U.K., Portman told the magazine that she knew that Kutcher, 38, made more money than her, but she didn’t speak out at the time.

Portman, who is on a promotional tour for “Jackie,” which is expected to land her an Oscar nomination, said she should have been more forceful.

“I mean, we get paid a lot, so it’s hard to complain, but the disparity is crazy,” she said.

Representatives for Kutcher did not return a request for comment.

As an increasing number of stars talk publicly about the gender pay gap (such as Gillian Anderson revealing she was offered half of what David Duchovny made on “The X-Files”). Portman isn’t the first to admit that large Hollywood paychecks are a contributing factor to why some women don’t speak up. After all, you’re already making millions – who would have an issue with that?

Of course, another issue at hand is opportunity: If there are fewer roles for women, they have less of a chance to increase their own salaries by starring in more projects. In 2014, a study from the Annenberg School at University of Southern California found that just 28 percent of characters in the year’s top 100 movies were women.

“I don’t think women and men are more or less capable. We just have a clear issue with women not having opportunities,” Portman said. “We need to be part of the solution, not perpetuating the problem.”


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.