Unequal Opportunities for UK Actors

Julie Walters is the latest actor to claim that opportunities for young actors in the UK are unequal in today's Daily Mirror. There seems to have been a slew of similar claims in recent months from the likes of Ian Mckellen, Judie Dench, Stephen Morrisey and Stephen McGann. How would economists illustrate this issue? If you are an A2 Economics student (and depending on which awarding body you sit), you may well have covered Marginal Revenue Product, drawn the 'walking stick' MRP curve and applied such a theory to inequality of opportunity for females or people from a minority ethnic background in the UK. Could the same be applied to acting?

As with everything in Economics, the strength of the argument comes in its relativity. Is the entertainment industry important enough to worry about inequality? Well, according to Government statistics, the Creative Industry sector (which includes film-making alongside television and music) is now generating £71.4 billion a year and accounts for 1.68 million jobs in the UK. That makes it the fastest growing sector in the UK economy (albeit a relatively small proportion).

You could argue that acting at a high enough level is a rare talent and finding the very best young actors is a difficult process. However, it is interesting that opportunities for young people from poorer backgrounds to find well-paid employment within the football and music industries seem to be greater than in acting thanks to grass-root systems and culture.

The argument put forward is similar to the one used for bemoaning internship opportunities in South East England based national and international firms. The best chance for an inspiring actor to receive adequate training and recognition now exists with attending fee-paying schools; either of the drama variety or those with good dramatic facilities. Thus, a lack of inclusion for those families with poorer incomes and a lower opportunity for talented actors from poorer backgrounds.

Arguments need to be based on statistics and evidence of course, so I'm waiting for someone in-the-know to give a good response to the claims made by Ms Walters et al. I did note that Benedict Cumberbatch's (who is often quoted in these stories as being from a privileged background and educated at Harrow) Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman (who also took the lead in the Hobbit trilogy) was educated at a state school and attended a state-funded college.