Only one woman of colour has made it to the 2019 list of highest-paid actresses unveiled by Forbes magazine last week, generating a debate about the pay gap between women of colour and white women in the industry.
Colombian-American actress Sofia Vergara is listed number 2 on the list and stands alone as the only woman of colour with an earning of $44.1 million.
According to Forbes, Vergara, alongside Kerry Washington, were the only two that made the cut last year for the television ranking after Forbes separated Television and Film categories.
Vergana, who features in Modern Family, comes second to Scarlett Johansson’s $56 million earnings. The final season of Modern Family premieres this fall and that is good news for Vergana who will be smiling on her way to the bank.
Also, Vergana owns a few lucrative entrepreneurial ventures, including Sofia Jeans and a furniture line at Rooms To Go.
In recent years, there have been concerns about production companies not paying the current crop of women of colour enough to make it on lists such as this.
It is these rankings that will influence their future jobs and boost their career, so a second look must be given to their situation, industry watchers have said.
In July, Face2Face Africa reported how American singer Beyonce was set to become the highest-paid actress in 2019 with her role in The Lion King. Beyonce, who acts part-time, plays Nala in the 2019 adaptation of the Disney movie.
It is unclear what the exact amount is, however, Hollywood Reporter stated that the actress would make $15 million to play the lioness. According to Vibe, Beyonce could earn nearly $25 million to work on Disney’s film.
Beyonce, who started her acting career in 2001 with her first movie, Carmen, is estimated to be earning $60 million in 2019 for her deal with Netflix to premiere the documentary titled Homecoming on a streaming platform.
