Tracee Ellis Ross Threatens to Do Less Black-ish If She Doesn't Get Equal Pay

Tracee Ellis Ross might be the next Hollywood actress to join the watershed movement for pay equality.

In its story about the way women are fighting for equal pay for equal work in Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporterrevealed that Ross makes significantly less than her black-ish co-star Anthony Anderson. The actress is in the process of negotiations for her fifth season contract and is arguing if the show can't bring her up to Anderson's pay level, she'll do less episodes to allow her to appear as a guest star on other shows to make up the pay difference.

Alec Baldwin Lands Family Comedy at ABC with Black-ish Creator

The black-ish situation is more complicated than what happened with Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg for re-shoots of All the Money in the Worldwhere Williams was paid one percent of Wahlberg's pay check to return to the film after Kevin Spacey was replaced with Christopher Plummer. Williams and Wahlberg were both just actors in the film. Anderson is not only Ross' costar but helped developed the series and serves as an executive producer with black-ish creator Kenya Barris. Still, Ross has a right to argue to match Anderson's acting pay check.

According to THR, the move has split support from the TimesUp movement, with some of the women worried that Ross taking less episodes is a retreat rather than an empowering move. Guest starring and extra work isn't a guarantee and it definitely doesn't pay as much as being the star of a broadcast show.

If Ross' deal doesn't go through, it could mean a creative shift to show more of Dre (Anderson) at work or give more time to the kids' storylines if Bow (Ross) isn't there to fill screen time.

Black-ish airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.