‘Actors Shouldn’t Be Making $20 Million’: Simu Liu Says Such Paychecks Hurting Hollywood

Simu Liu has once again sparked debate in Hollywood, this time by speaking about pay gaps within the film industry. The actor, who has earlier raised concerns about the lack of space for Asian talent, has now spoken about how money is shared on big projects. During a press event for his new series The Copenhagen Test, Simu spoke openly about the huge difference between what lead actors and producers earn compared to extras, who often work long hours for very low pay.

He said that extras are a key part of film sets, but still find it hard to earn enough to live comfortably. The Avengers Doomsday star questioned if it was fair for top stars to earn so much money while others are paid almost minimum wage. He made it clear that these low-paid jobs

are not the reason the industry is struggling, and the real problem lies elsewhere.

Simu Liu Speaks Up On Hollywood Pay Gaps

As per Times Now, Simu Liu said. “My worry is that the industry becomes even more opaque and even more inaccessible to people who come from outside. You know? And I think that, of course, you’re going to have, I guess we call them nepo babies, but you’re going to have people who are born into the system and who have a lot of connections, and that’s fine.

That’s a reality of our industry. But I also think it’s very important that we are still accessible to people who grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who have a dream of seeing their name in lights one day. And so that’s one part, and the other part is that I’m not convinced that that’s the money-saving measure that’s going to save our industry either.”

“I don’t think that we should be taking money away from people who are trying to make a living off of that. And rather, and my agent’s going to hate me for saying this, but maybe actors shouldn’t be making $20 million, and maybe producers shouldn’t be making $50 million. Maybe we should all take a little off the top, rather than trying to say that these $11-an-hour wages are what’s killing the industry, because I can guarantee you that’s not true,” the actor added.

Simu Liu explained that working as a background actor was his first real entry into Hollywood. He said he did not have any contacts in the industry and being an extra helped him learn how actors work on set, follow the director’s instructions and understand camera movements. He added that these early experiences are very important for people who do not have easy access to the industry.

According to him, replacing background actors with AI will take away this learning path and stop many newcomers from gaining the skills and experience needed to grow in their careers.
The Copenhagen Test, which is now streaming on JioHotstar, also stars Melissa Barrera, Sinclair Daniel, Brian d’Arcy James and Mark O’Brien.