In the Beyond Beautiful issue of Entertainment Weekly, actresses Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria and Elizabeth Banks speak out about Hollywood -- a place where women and minorities are routinely marginalized.
Washington, famous for her role as Olivia Pope on "Scandal," spoke about the intense pressures she faces as both a woman and a person of color.
"It reminds me of this line that Shonda Rhimes wrote on our show that has really resonated with African-Americans. It’s this idea you have to be twice as good to get half of what they have," Washington said. "I think it’s the same for women. You just know, you have to be twice as good. In a way, until girls don’t have that feeling, we will not have done our jobs. That’s almost the point: to not feel the pressure to be extraordinary."
Actress Reese Witherspoon echoed Washington's comments about working hard, sharing an anecdote that illustrates how actresses have to put in extra effort to find roles with substance.
"About four years ago I got sent an awful, terrible script. And this male star was starring in it, and there was a girlfriend part. And I thought, 'You’ve got to be kidding me. No, I’m not interested,'" Witherspoon told EW. "They said, 'Well this actress is chasing it, that actress is chasing it: three Oscar winners and two huge box office leading ladies.'"
Witherspoon, who won an Oscar for her role as June Carter in "Walk the Line" couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"And I thought, 'Oh, that’s where we’re at? You’re fighting to be the girlfriend in a dumb comedy?'" said the "Wild" actress. "For what? And by the way, two Oscar winners did it."
Earlier this year, fellow Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence made rounds for an essay that called attention to another problem women face in Hollywood -- the pay gap between men and women. In an effort to avoid being called "difficult" or "spoiled," Lawrence said that she often settled for less money.
"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," Lawrence wrote. "Fuck that."
To read more of EW's cover story, head here or pick up the issue when it hits newsstands Friday.
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