Carey Mulligan can currently be seen in the poignant film Suffragette about the women’s suffragette movement in Great Britain. In the film, Mulligan portrays a housewife fighting for the right to vote, a decision that forces her to make sacrifices in the name of independence. In a recent interview with Deadline, the actress sat down to discuss feminism and other inspiring women who choose to bravely speak up in the name of equality.
Even though the story unfolds almost a century ago, the film still raises questions about women’s rights and opportunities that are relevant today. When asked about how Jennifer Lawrence’s essay on the wage gap resonated with her, Mulligan replied;
“I think it’s a good thing for someone like Jennifer to speak out; it means an awful lot to women. Sure, there’s been cynicism toward her speaking out and the fact that she makes a lot of money, but she is completely and selflessly rising above that. (The discrepancy) is inherently unfair and she has an enormous platform to speak out against it. Men in Hollywood look up to her because she is powerful. She’s using that platform to correct something that isn’t right. It’s a long overdue conversation and it’s admirable what she has done. This is an age-old issue that’s in every part of society”.
Lawrence penned a very honest, candid and powerful essay back in October where she rightfully blasted Hollywood’s gender pay gap. In the letter Lawrence bravely shared her thoughts and inner-turmoil, she concluded the essay with this insightful statement;
“I’m over trying to find the “adorable” way to state my opinion and still be likable! Fuck that. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It’s just heard. Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper all fought and succeeded in negotiating powerful deals for themselves.
If anything, I’m sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat and not getting my fair share. Again, this might have NOTHING to do with my vagina, but I wasn’t completely wrong when another leaked Sony email revealed a producer referring to a fellow lead actress in a negotiation as a “spoiled brat.” For some reason, I just can’t picture someone saying that about a man”.
The essay was later shared through her friend Lena Dunham’s newsletter LennyLetter. Mulligan isn’t the first celebrity to openly praise Lawrence’s essay, other stars who have shown their support include Emma Watson, Jessica Chastain, Elizabeth Banks and Bradley Cooper. Mulligan also touched upon female empowerment and strong female role models within modern film, once again paying tribute to the awesomeness that is Jennifer Lawrence;
“There are, and young people today are bombarded with images that I didn’t have when I was growing up. There are some that pertain to female empowerment and others that do not. Young kids are looking to these characters as some sort of a role model. However, there are great ones, such as Jennifer Lawrence’s character in The Hunger Games. What she does with that role is incredible in terms of the subject for young adults. For teenagers that character is an incredibly strong female role model”.
#Peace.Love.CareyMulligan
