Porter magazine (the magazine extension of shopping website Net-a-Porter), have released their third annual Women in Television Issue featuring Ellen Pompeo, Emma Roberts, Gina Rodriguez and new mum Gabrielle Union.
All 4 women look very glamorous in black and silver looks but display very strong and serious faces to coincide with the theme of the story which is ‘problems facing females working in TV.’ From fair pay to feeling empowered by other women in the industry…
ELLEN POMPEO
It is said that the 49yr old renegotiated her Grey’s Anatomy salary to $20 million.
The star also reveals that she doesn’t feel as much pressure to look perfect for red carpet events anymore as she is much more comfortable in her skin as she gets older, she says “it’s so much easier because I just give zero f***s. I mean, of course you want your outfit to be amazing, your hair, your makeup, but you’re so much less self-conscious at this age” she goes on to say “the little things don’t matter to you anymore. You’re just happy to be healthy and getting to do what you love.”
Pompeo is also a strong advocate of women’s rights and standing up for more representation of characters of colour on our screens particularly as she has children who are half African-American.
GABRIELLE UNION
The 46-year-old beauty and actress who has just gave birth to baby daughter Kaavia, has her own production company and tells Porter that she tells all the people she works with, “My job isn’t just to get you on the air, my job is to get you paid at the same rate as every other new find.”
EMMA ROBERTS
The youngest star amongst these power women, Emma Roberts who has made her own mark in the industry despite having a famous aunt (Julia Roberts), cites Reese Witherspoon as her inspiration when talking about ‘female trailblazers’ Roberts says “She’s a powerhouse. It’s really amazing to see what’s possible now. When I was younger, I never thought I could direct, produce and star in a show, because I didn’t see it. Now it’s being done and it really makes me feel confident in the places I can go in my career.”
GINA RODRIGUEZ
The 34-year-old who is famous for her leading role in Jane The Virgin, donated the money which was for her Emmy campaign to an undocumented Latina student so that they could pay for their college tuition. Now if THIS isn’t female empowerment, we don’t know what is.
Gina reveals that when she first started out in the industry she struggled financially and could barely make rent, she says “Now, when I get blessed to be the lead or get a big film, do I know my worth? And do I know how to ask for my worth? How do you get that when you’re not taught it?” she also talks about women in tv saying “I feel extremely listened to as a woman on set. Very empowered. Very respected. Jane the Virgin is female-led – 70% female writers, 70% female cast, 70% female directors – so it’s very common to see women in high-powered positions on our show. I know that’s not common, so I don’t take that for granted. At all.”
See the full interview and a small video of the shoot here