TV’s Demelza whips up Poldark pay storm
POLDARK actress Eleanor Tomlinson has said she will be “pretty upset” if the pay gap between her and co-star Aidan Turner in the BBC show has not closed.
While admitting Turner was once the bigger, better-known star, the 25-year-old said she felt they had become “equal leads” on the period drama.
She stressed that in the wake of the entertainment industry’s gender pay row she hoped there would be more parity.
In an interview the star, who plays Poldark’s wife Demelza, was asked whether she thought she and Turner were now paid the same.
She replied: “My guess is no. And while at the beginning that might have been OK – he was a bigger star than me – now I don’t think so.
“We’re equal leads of the show, so I’d be pretty upset if the gap hadn’t closed.”
But last night a spokesman for Mammoth Screen, which produces Poldark for the corporation, admitted that Turner was still paid more.
Mates
He said: “Whilst we can’t and won’t disclose the details, we do pay Aidan Turner more for playing Ross Poldark as throughout all series Ross has significantly more screen time than any other character.”
Eleanor will reprise her role as flamehaired Demelza when Poldark returns to screens next month for a fourth series. She stressed that she and Irish heart throb Turner, 34, still enjoyed a very good working relationship.
“We’re great mates, although we do row,” she said. “[We row about] everything – usually our characters. We’re both ridiculously protective of them and squabble like an old married couple.
“Usually it’s one of us saying that our character wouldn’t behave a certain way. Aidan loves everything being his. But then he loves to wind me up.”
Asked about Poldark’s topless scene in series one, after which Turner fought to keep his clothes on in season two, she said: “It was all people could talk about.
“And when you make eight hours of television and people only remember two scenes, you’re like, ‘Oh, come on’. Like, don’t get me wrong. I’m looking, going, ‘Sure, yeah. I’m with you ladies.’ But I can see why he got frustrated with it.” Eleanor also revealed she nearly did not land the part of Demelza. “Initially they had me down as an Elizabeth,” she said. “They told me they couldn’t see me as a Demelza at all – they wouldn’t even let me audition. It was quite a shock when they offered me the role.” The gender pay row began when BBC China editor Carrie Gracie resigned in protest at the higher salaries of men. It was later revealed that Claire Foy was paid less for playing the Queen in The Crown than her on-screen husband Matt Smith. The full interview with Eleanor is in the July issue of Red, on sale from May 30.
IT’S GOOD to know that Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson has stepped into the equal pay debate but we are a little bemused by her declaration that she would “be pretty upset” if the pay gap hadn’t closed with Aidan Turner. “Would be”? Couldn’t she just ask him? Show a bit of mettle! You certainly do so on screen.