This paper uses a rich panel data set including 178 female and male actors in 973 movies released between 1980 and 2019 to explore a potential gender pay gap in Hollywood's movie industry. Our analysis explicitly distinguishes between an explained and an unexplained gender pay gap. Only the latter can be referred to as "discrimination." Our study reveals a pay gap between female and male actors. Yet, gender-specific representation in leading roles and systematic differences in performance measures can explain this pay difference. While female actors' underrepresentation in leading roles reflects consumer tastes and discriminatory attitudes, no evidence can be found for direct pay discrimination in Hollywood's movie business.
