To most of us reading this, $100,000 to do anything sounds like a pretty good deal. But it needs to be put into context. Even if we ignore the overhead that Hader, Kaling, and other working actors need to do their jobs, paying agents, assistants, and other members of their support team, the number is minuscule compared to other aspects of Inside Out 2. Poehler was paid $5 million for voicing Joy in the sequel. As the lead character, it makes sense that she would get paid more, as she does more work than anyone voicing Fear and Disgust. But does she do 98 percent more work? Of course not.
Likewise, look at the profits that Inside Out 2 has already turned. As of this writing, Inside Out 2 has grossed $1.124 billion at the box office, making even Poehler’s big salary look miniscule. In light of the film’s continuing profits, the $100,000 offered to Hader and Kaling seems like a pittance, especially as it draws attention to all of the other people whose work made the movie possible. Certainly, the various animators, engineers, editors, and other support who also created Inside Out 2 weren’t even offered $100,000, let alone something commensurate with the level of work they put in.
Look, it’s hard to feel bad for rich people. Hader and Kaling are still riding high off of successes such Barry and The Mindy Project, and they have a net worth greater than anyone probably reading this. But they put more work into the first Inside Out than any of the executives and studio personnel who received a larger share of the $858.8 million that movie made at the box office.
As the recent actors and writers strikes demonstrated, labor has been devalued and those who profit off labor have been taking more while producing less (see: basically everything David Zaslav at Warner Bros. has ever done). The famous faces and huge numbers involved in Hollywood only serve to draw attention to dynamics that are in play throughout the American economy, with most workers receiving far less pay for their labor than the profits they generate.
Obviously, Hader and Kaling’s departure from Inside Out 2 didn’t hurt the movie in terms of earning potential and critical success. Nor has it seemed to stall either actor’s career. But it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the basic principle driving their decision: work deserves fair compensation, especially when it creates profit. When we notice that two actors have been shortchanged by a big studio, we shouldn’t feel disgust at the pampered movie stars’ arrogance or fear that big businesses could do whatever they want. We should feel anger that one worker has been devalued, because when one worker is devalued, all workers are devalued.
Inside Out 2 is now playing in theaters.
