Hamilton’s Leslie Odom Jr. Almost Refused To Do Movie Over Pay Dispute
Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. admits he almost didn't appear in the film version of the hit musical because of a pay dispute. Odom's star has been on the rise in recent years thanks to roles in movies like Murder on the Orient Express and Harriet, but he's undoubtedly best known for his incredible performance as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. Odom originated the role of Alexander Hamilton's friend-turned-rival when the show first opened on Broadway in 2015, and he went on to win the Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in 2016. As the musical's narrator, Burr essentially serves as Hamilton's lead next to the titular character himself.
Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton was a smash hit from the moment it opened, and to this day it remains incredibly popular. Earlier this year, Disney announced its intention to bring Hamilton to the big screen next year with a filmed performance. However, the coronavirus pandemic led the studio to shift Hamilton to Disney+ in July, which proved to be an excellent move as it brought in a whole host of new subscribers for the service. This Hamilton presents the show almost exactly as it is on Broadway, and it features the original cast.
However, Disney's Hamilton very nearly didn't include Odom. While appearing on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, Odom revealed he came very close to walking away from the film because he wasn't being offered the same amount of money as white leading actors. "I'm like, here's the thing: This is it. This is my area of expertise. This is all I have. This is my life's work on the stage too. And so I just can't sell it away for magic beans. I can't give it away," Odom said. "So I can ask CAA [Creative Arts Agency], what does my white counterpart, what does Aaron Tveit make to do Grease Live! on TV? What does he make to do Grease? This is Hamilton live, right?" He then added that he asked for exactly the same amount that Tveit received for Grease Live! and "I didn't ask for a penny more."
Negotiations went down to the wire, with Odom saying he still held firm the day before the film was supposed to be shot. "The day before we shot that movie I called out. I was not kidding. I was not coming to work the next day to do the movie," Odom explained. Clearly, Odom's pay demands were met, as he appeared in the Hamilton film alongside his fellow Broadway stars. He added, "It was a principle for me and sometimes it doesn't work out. Sometimes they look at you and go, 'We're just not paying it,' and you have to go, 'That's OK.'" It remains to be seen if any of Odom's co-stars ended up in a similar position.
This year has seen quite a change in Hollywood as performers of color come forward with stories of past mistreatment and demands for better representation onscreen. Odom is the latest to share his story, and it's good to know that it had a happy ending. That Odom was being offered less than his white counterparts for the Hamilton film even despite winning a Tony for the role is disheartening and provides a new example of how actors of color are typically underpaid compared to white performers. The hope is that things will begin to change within the industry, and with actors like Odom coming forward with their struggles, perhaps they finally will.
Source: Armchair Expert