Oscar-winning actor Olivia Colman said the gender pay gap in the film industry is real and that she would be paid more if she were a man. 

Speaking with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Colman said the discrepancy is rooted in the outdated idea that male actors attract larger audiences.

“Research suggests that [women have] always been big box office draws,” she said, according to The Guardian. “Don’t get me started on the pay disparity but male actors get paid more because they used to say they draw in the audiences and actually, that hasn’t been true for decades. But they still like to use that as a reason to not pay women as much.

“I’m very aware that if I was Oliver Colman, I’d be earning a s*** lot more than I am,” she added. “I know of one pay disparity which is a 12,000% difference. Do the maths.”

Colman did not specify to which production the pay disparity relates.

This is not the first time the “Wicked Little Letters” star has discussed gender disparity. Last month, while speaking to the Radio Times, the actor noted that when it comes to obscenities, there’s still a gendered double standard.

“If a woman swears, people act shocked. [Expletive] off! Women are human — funny, filthy, loving, caring — just like men,” she said.

Colman is known for her her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in “The Crown” and “The Favourite,” where she plays the 18th-century monarch Anne. The performance earned her the Best Actress Oscar.

She also clinched another nomination in 2022 for the same category for her role in “The Lost Daughter,” alongside her “Wicked Little Letters” co-star Jessie Buckley. Additionally, Colman received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for “The Father” in 2021.

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