Felicity Jones talks gender pay gap

CEBU, Philippines - Like many of her peers, Felicity Jones has had it up to here with unequal pay for women.

 The 33-year-old British actress, who starred in “The Theory of Everything” and plays young rebel Jyn Erso in the new film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” is the latest actress to speak openly about the problem, following the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Patricia Arquette.

 “I want to be paid fairly for the work that I’m doing,” Jones told Glamour in an interview published in the magazine’s January 2017 issue, which features her on the cover and in a fashion spread.

 “That’s what every single woman around the world wants,” she said. “We want to be paid on parity with a man in a similar position. And I think it’s important to talk about it.”

 In her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress at the 2015 Oscars, Arquette had called for wage equality and equal rights for women. Her words earned her a standing ovation, including from Meryl Streep. The actress continued to advocate for the issue publicly.

 Lawrence, who Forbes deemed the highest-paid actress in the world for the second year in a row with $46 million in annual earnings, confirmed in a 2015 op-ed titled, “Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars,” published in Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter newsletter, that she was paid less than her male co-stars were for “American Hustle.”

 “I would be lying if I didn’t say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal without a real fight,” she said. “I didn’t want to seem ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled.’”

 “It’s brave of those women to come forward and make a point about it,” Jones told Glamour. “Now younger actresses will have a confidence in those discussions with their agents and be able to say, ‘Can we make sure that I’m being paid the right amount for the work that I’m doing?’”

 The actress also talked to Glamour about her “Rogue One” character and breaking onscreen gender stereotypes.

 “Everyone wanted to create a character that was not in any way objectified,” Jones added. “We didn’t want to sexualize Jyn. We don’t even see Jyn’s arms! That’s not her priority. She’s a survivor, and she has a mission to complete.”

 Jones told Glamour her personal nickname is Tiny Warrior.

 “I’m small. I’m petite,” she said. “But I’m a bit of a fighter inside. In my work I fight for – I hope – showing women in a true way. They’ve got brains.”

 “I’ve always been a feminist, and what I love in my work is being able to explore a full-sided woman and not patronize her,” the actress added. (FREEMAN)