Love/Hate star Tom Vaughan-Lawlor has spoken out in defence of female actors, saying that the treatment of women in the acting industry is shameful.
The Dublin native, who is best known for playing the part of Nidge in the RTE crime drama, revealed that male actors don’t have to deal with the same issues as females, such as reaching a certain weight to achieve a role, and the pay gap.
Speaking at the Waking The Feminists event at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre Tom said, “Over the years it became clearer and clearer to me that acting is a different profession for women. Besides the visible imbalances in terms of pay and available roles, the focus on ageing and weight.
“There are a myriad of subtle ways that women in rehearsal rooms and on sets are deliberately or otherwise made to feel less.
“Once you open your eyes to it, you can see it everywhere,” he said.
The 38-year-old also told the audience that his wife Claire Cox, who is also an actor, pointed out this gender imbalance to him and he now vows to stand up for the rights of all female actors.
“She told me ‘you have no idea how hard it is to be heard in such a masculine environment’. I laughed it off at the time and teased her for not being tough enough.
“When you realise the deep profound effects not only on those you love but also colleagues that inspire you and make you want to become an artist in the first place, it is shameful if you don’t at least add your voice to the call for change.
“The one thing I have resolved to do is to strive to be active in support rather than simply standing on the sidelines playing lip service to an ideal, to be more educated about the intricacies of gender inequality and to use that knowledge to play a part in making real change happen,” he said.
