Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson ‘pretty upset’ to be paid less than Aidan Turner

Eleanor Tomlinson has admitted she would be “pretty upset” if she wasn’t paid the same as her Poldark co-star Aidan Turner.
Pay disparity has been a hot topic in the showbiz industry in recent years, and the British actress was asked about the issue during a cover interview with Red magazine. The 26-year-old, who plays Demelza Poldark in the British drama series, admitted she hasn’t discussed her wages with Aidan, who portrays title character Ross Poldark, but would be disappointed if they weren’t paid the same because they both have similar screen time as the show goes into its fourth season.
“No, I can’t say that we have,” she told the publication when asked if they’d talked about pay. When 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.”
Aidan was seen as the bigger name when the show launched in 2015 thanks to his roles in The Hobbit franchise, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, and TV show Being Human.
Poldark airs on BBC One, but the actors are paid by bosses of independent production company Mammoth Screen, who confirmed that Eleanor is paid less than her co-star.
“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,” a spokesman said in a statement.
The gender pay gap scandal comes months after it was revealed Matt Smith earned more for playing Prince Philip on The Crown than his co-star Claire Foy, who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II. It is thought Claire received back pay to settle the issue after the disparity went public.