Robin Wright's candid revelations on pay inequality, AI fears at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival
The main highlight of Day 3 of the 64th Monte-Carlo TV Festival was when Hollywood icon Robin Wright took center stage in a panel discussion with producer Rola Bauer (independent producer working with Amazon MGM Studios), followed by an extended Q&A session with international journalists. The acclaimed actress-director delivered a masterclass in industry truth-telling, tackling everything from systemic pay discrimination to the existential threat of AI in entertainment. During the closing ceremony on Tuesday Wright will be awarded the Festival’s highest honor, the Crystal Nymph, which is presented for career achievements and creating a lasting impact on the industry.
Robin Wright (left)
The journalists' questions lead Wright through a reflection on her four-decade career, from her early days on Santa Barbara to her groundbreaking role in House of Cards. "I was just memorizing lines and scared to get in front of the camera," Wright confessed about her soap opera beginnings. The conversation quickly turned to her transition to film, with Wright noting she never personally experienced the TV-to-film snobbery that plagued many actors of her generation.
The discussion took a fascinating turn as Wright recounted David Fincher's prescient words when pitching House of Cards: "He said, 'This is going to be our future, this new medium of streaming.' And look where we are today." This segued into a broader conversation about the seismic shifts in content consumption, with Wright lamenting the decline of theatrical experiences: "Why would anybody pay $50 for two tickets and popcorn when you're alone in a half-empty cinema? The magic was sharing that energy with an audience."
The most explosive moments came when Wright detailed her fight for equal pay on House of Cards. With startling candor, she revealed: "They literally said, 'We can't pay you the same as an actor, so we're going to divvy it up - make you executive producer, let you direct, and give you three different paychecks.' When I asked why, they said, 'Because you didn't win an Academy Award.'" Wright's matter-of-fact delivery belied the gravity of this admission. "That's been the protocol for years," she continued. "If you ask why a female co-lead didn't get Will Smith's salary, they say, 'Your quote increases if you win.' A nomination? Not so much."
The conversation took a sobering turn when Deadline's reporter raised the issue of artificial intelligence. Wright's expression darkened as she responded: "It frightens me for our industry. I know it'll help tremendously in medicine - saving lives, finding cures. But everywhere else? People are going to lose jobs."
When asked if AI could replace actors, Wright offered a nuanced perspective: "People say, 'Won't AI take over acting?' I don't think it ever can. It'll never get the emotion in the eyes. You'll never feel that human resonance." This sparked a broader discussion about technology's role in creative fields, with Bauer emphasizing that compelling storytelling would always require human touch. The executive also talked about the two big "E"s: “If you don’t Entertain people, they are not going to come. If it’s possible, and if we can, Enlighten. Give something back.”
The tone lightened as discussion turned to Wright's upcoming Prime Video series The Girlfriend, which she stars in, directs, and executive produces together with Bauer. Wright lit up describing the psychological thriller about a mother (Wright) threatened by her son's new girlfriend (Olivia Cooke). "We all collaborated to build this tension between two women fighting over one young man," she said, with Bauer joking about relating to the overprotective mother character as a parent herself. The journalists also got to watch a short exclusive never before shown teaser of the show which represented one scene, of Wright being in a sauna talking with ther on-screen son. Wright is exec-producing, directing and starring in the six-episode limited series, set to premiere in the fall.
Wright's passion for humanitarian work took center stage when discussing her sleepwear line Pour Les Femmes, which supports Congolese women affected by mining violence. Her voice grew fierce as she criticized corporate inaction: "More women are raped in Congo than died in WWII. If tech companies added $1 to device prices, it could protect thousands." When asked about political pushback, she scoffed: "In D.C., they'd rather take selfies than act."
An Italian journalist asked about the iconic Forrest Gump line. Wright smiled: "Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you'll get. That's true for our industry too." She grew reflective discussing her career longevity: On her biggest achievements, Wright said: "My children are still alive. Career-wise...there's that window of time when you're in your late 30s, early 40s. And when I was at that age, there just weren't roles. Then there was a resurgence that happened.But there was a moment in time where it was dry and that's when House of Cards came up. And that, I think, helped me plateau for a while. I don’t know if I would be able to get parts in films at the time."
As the session closed, Wright left the audience with a challenge: "we have to just keep pushing on and find the truth and find your stories and engage the people."
The discussion took a fascinating turn as Wright recounted David Fincher's prescient words when pitching House of Cards: "He said, 'This is going to be our future, this new medium of streaming.' And look where we are today." This segued into a broader conversation about the seismic shifts in content consumption, with Wright lamenting the decline of theatrical experiences: "Why would anybody pay $50 for two tickets and popcorn when you're alone in a half-empty cinema? The magic was sharing that energy with an audience."
The most explosive moments came when Wright detailed her fight for equal pay on House of Cards. With startling candor, she revealed: "They literally said, 'We can't pay you the same as an actor, so we're going to divvy it up - make you executive producer, let you direct, and give you three different paychecks.' When I asked why, they said, 'Because you didn't win an Academy Award.'" Wright's matter-of-fact delivery belied the gravity of this admission. "That's been the protocol for years," she continued. "If you ask why a female co-lead didn't get Will Smith's salary, they say, 'Your quote increases if you win.' A nomination? Not so much."
The conversation took a sobering turn when Deadline's reporter raised the issue of artificial intelligence. Wright's expression darkened as she responded: "It frightens me for our industry. I know it'll help tremendously in medicine - saving lives, finding cures. But everywhere else? People are going to lose jobs."
When asked if AI could replace actors, Wright offered a nuanced perspective: "People say, 'Won't AI take over acting?' I don't think it ever can. It'll never get the emotion in the eyes. You'll never feel that human resonance." This sparked a broader discussion about technology's role in creative fields, with Bauer emphasizing that compelling storytelling would always require human touch. The executive also talked about the two big "E"s: “If you don’t Entertain people, they are not going to come. If it’s possible, and if we can, Enlighten. Give something back.”
The tone lightened as discussion turned to Wright's upcoming Prime Video series The Girlfriend, which she stars in, directs, and executive produces together with Bauer. Wright lit up describing the psychological thriller about a mother (Wright) threatened by her son's new girlfriend (Olivia Cooke). "We all collaborated to build this tension between two women fighting over one young man," she said, with Bauer joking about relating to the overprotective mother character as a parent herself. The journalists also got to watch a short exclusive never before shown teaser of the show which represented one scene, of Wright being in a sauna talking with ther on-screen son. Wright is exec-producing, directing and starring in the six-episode limited series, set to premiere in the fall.
Wright's passion for humanitarian work took center stage when discussing her sleepwear line Pour Les Femmes, which supports Congolese women affected by mining violence. Her voice grew fierce as she criticized corporate inaction: "More women are raped in Congo than died in WWII. If tech companies added $1 to device prices, it could protect thousands." When asked about political pushback, she scoffed: "In D.C., they'd rather take selfies than act."
An Italian journalist asked about the iconic Forrest Gump line. Wright smiled: "Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you'll get. That's true for our industry too." She grew reflective discussing her career longevity: On her biggest achievements, Wright said: "My children are still alive. Career-wise...there's that window of time when you're in your late 30s, early 40s. And when I was at that age, there just weren't roles. Then there was a resurgence that happened.But there was a moment in time where it was dry and that's when House of Cards came up. And that, I think, helped me plateau for a while. I don’t know if I would be able to get parts in films at the time."
As the session closed, Wright left the audience with a challenge: "we have to just keep pushing on and find the truth and find your stories and engage the people."
