Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes, 43, says she has "only just" started asking to be paid the same as co-starring male actors.
She said that "great parts are being written" for actresses over 40 and that "times are changing".
Speaking to Britain's Times newspaper The Durrells said "I've only just asked to be paid the same to do exactly the same work as someone else."
The Doctor Who actress said before she was reticent ask for more pay because: "In the past, it was always a case of take it, no questions asked, because if you don't someone else will take it."
Hawes attributes Jennifer Lawrence for breaking the ice on the issue: "You need a big profile to be able to stand up for yourself. It took people like Jennifer Lawrence saying it to move things forward.
"It made her unpopular at the time but it's started a hugely powerful movement."
The Line of Duty actress said: "Generally, the statistics for women's pay are still horrific compared with men's, but it's all moving in the right direction."
