Benedict Cumberbatch Asks Actors to Reject Roles If Lead Actress Not Paid Equally

Benedict Cumberbatch is taking a hard line when it comes to equal pay for equal work.

Or, as one "Avengers: Infinity War" fan put it...

He saw 14 million possible futures and this is the only 1 where everyone wins. https://t.co/4fzXpqWjua

— Steven Tsapelas (@StevenStaples81) May 12, 2018

Nice. Cumberbatch, who is now starring in "Patrick Melrose" on Showtime, told Radio Times men like himself need to lead by example when it comes to paying women equally for the same amount of work.

"Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism. Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid, and say: 'If she's not paid the same as the men, I'm not doing it.'"

Cumberbatch said he'd be using his new production company, SunnyMarch, to help bring more representation for women to the screen:

"I'm proud that [partner] Adam [Ackland] and I are the only men in our production company; our next project is a female story with a female lens about motherhood, in a time of environmental disaster. If it's centred around my name, to get investors, then we can use that attention for a raft of female projects. Half the audience is female!"

So far, the fan reaction has been very positive, although there are some folks who still think pay exceptions should be made for "bigger" stars even if they don't have bigger roles. Like Mark Wahlberg's agent getting him so much more money than Oscar nominee Michelle Williams for "All the Money in the World," Matt Smith making more than queen Claire Foy in both of their seasons of "The Crown," and Evan Rachel Wood not making as much as the men in "Westworld" despite being the main star and literal face of the series.

Great to see a male ally with some considerable clout in his industry pledging to actually do something to help! Looking forward to seeing (and supporting) what comes of this #EqualityForAll #Equality #MaleAllies https://t.co/uD2qpMHHU3

— Fractio Vitri (@FractioVitri) May 11, 2018

Thank you #BenedictCumberbatch for proclaiming your commitment to #equalpay4equalwork. All industries need to have leaders take this stand. #paytransparency https://t.co/OT6mX2QkGt

— Cassandra Jones (@CassandraDJones) May 12, 2018

Yes lmao, people should be paid fairly for their work, who cares if they're not known or established

— Raph Lumbroso 🍑 (@raphlumbroso) May 12, 2018

that concept is so old school now. j law is the highest paid but couldn't draw in audiences

— 🦄 (@reeohhh) May 12, 2018

There should not be a salary gap based on gender discrimination. They work equally hard if not more. And they should be paid according to their skill set. Not underpaid. Not overpaid. Just what they deserve. Love Benedict cumberbatch for this. https://t.co/VbOCer9TYy

— Shiven Sen Gupta (@Shivenizer) May 12, 2018

Cumberbatch's "Patrick Melrose" airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Showtime. He's also in "Avengers: Infinity War," now in theaters, and may or may not ever return to "Sherlock."

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