Pay me as much as my screen husband says star of Poldark
‘While at the beginning that might have been OK – he was a bigger star than me – now I don’t think so’
ON SCREEN, Demelza Poldark is every inch her husband’s equal. Not so for the actress who plays her.
Eleanor Tomlinson has revealed her frustration at being paid less than Aidan Turner, who stars as Captain Ross Poldark, as the gender pay row hits the BBC’S flagship drama.
Poldark returns soon for its fourth series, with Ross and Demelza at the heart of the action. Asked if she and Turner had ever discussed their salaries, Tomlinson, 26, said: “No, I can’t say that we have.”
Pushed on whether she thought they were paid equally, 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.”
She was speaking to Red magazine, which noted that the actress looked “despondent” as she discussed the issue.
Poldark actors are not paid by the BBC but by Mammoth Screen, the independent production company that makes the drama.
Tomlinson’s statement forced them to confirm her pay was inferior. A spokesman said: “While we can’t and won’t disclose 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.”
Turner was the bigger name when Poldark launched in 2015, having appeared in the Hobbit films. He also had several BBC dramas on his CV, playing Dante Gabriel Rossetti in Desperate Romantics and a vampire in Being Human.
Tomlinson, eight years his junior, had been building a career in period dramas, enjoying supporting roles in The White Queen and Death Comes to Pemberley. If Turner was more wellknown when he joined the cast, his topless scything scene turned him into a national obsession.
“It was all people could talk about. And when you make eight hours of television and people can only remember two scenes, you’re like, ‘Oh, come on,’” Tomlinson said, expressing sympathy for Turner. “I can see why he got frustrated with it.”
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Matt Smith was paid more than Claire Foy in The Crown for his role as the Duke of Edinburgh. She played the Queen. Netflix promised to redress the balance and Foy has reportedly received £200,000 in back pay.
Smith said afterwards: “Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly. I think we should all bear in mind that we need to strive to make this better and a more even playing field for everyone – not just in our industry, in all industries.”
The full interview appears in the July issue of Red, on sale from May 30.