“Non-white actors, whichever role they are playing, will be seen through the same cultural lens, unless they have a proven track record to be of high net worth at the box office. Then, miraculously, color becomes irrelevant.” This statement by Newsweek captures the reality of many minorities who choose careers in film and television. Backed by a recent study conducted by Variety, the salary differences of whites and black actors and actresses show that – although Hollywood has an issue with diversity and how it awards its ethnic talent, but – there’s also a major problem with how they are compensated. On the high end, Dwayne Johnson, who is of black and Samoan descent, is earning $400,000 pay rate for HBO’s “Ballers.” Johnson, has earned his stripes to become one of the highest paid Black/Samoan actors, but he should not be alone. On the low end, there are a significant number of Black actors and actresses that are recognized with Emmy and Oscar awards, but unfortunately, the pay isn’t reflective of those accomplishments. Who’s surprised though? Peep the following salary discrepancies in the Drama and Reality TV/News realm: DRAMA REALITY TV/HOST/NEWS Photo credit: Variety, Getty Images
