The sad, recent passing of Anne Heche has brought a number of issues back into sharp focus within Hollywood.

The actress endured a prolonged struggle with her mental health over the years. As close family members and friends have expressed their grief over the tragedy, that has been one of the renewed topics of discussion in the industry, and among fans.

In eulogizing his mother, Heche’s firstborn son, Homer released a statement that read in part: ‘After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness. Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.’

Another issue that has also somewhat re-emerged in the wake of Heche’s death is about the gender pay gap through the decades in Hollywood. Although the chasm between what male and female actors are paid in movies has significantly reduced, it is still something that many celebrities continue to speak strongly against.

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This was definitely the case when Heche starred alongside Harrison Ford in the movie Six Days, Seven Nights just before the turn of the century.

What Was ‘Six Days, Seven Nights’ About?

On Rotten Tomatoes, a synopsis for Six Days, Seven Nights reads: “In the South Pacific island of Makatea, career-driven magazine editor Robin Monroe is on a week-long vacation getaway with her boyfriend, Frank Martin.”

“A work assignment in neighboring Tahiti requires Robin to hire a cargo plane piloted by the cantankerous Quinn Harris,” the plot summary reads on. “But when a powerful storm forces Quinn to make an emergency landing on a nearby deserted island, the dissimilar pair learn to set aside their differences in order to find rescue.”

Anne Heche played the leading character, Robin Monroe, with Harrison Ford portraying the pilot Quinn Harris. Robin’s boyfriend Frank Martin was depicted by Friends star, David Schwimmer.

Other cast members in the film included Allison Janney (The West Wing, Masters of Sex), Jacqueline Obradors (Unstoppable, Atlantis: The Lost Empire), Temuera Morrison (Star Wars, Moana) and Cliff Curtis (The Dark Horse, Fear the Walking Dead).

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Six Days, Seven Nights was produced on a budget of around $65 million, but a strong box office performance saw it register estimated returns of about $165 million.

How Much Did Harrison Ford And Anne Heche Earn From ‘Six Days, Seven Nights’?

Anne Heche appeared in an episode of Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast in November 2021. In an extensive interview, she spoke about being a mother, her involvement in the fight for LGBTQ freedoms, and the financial implications of working in Hollywood, especially as a woman.

It was in this episode that Heche spoke about the process that went towards hiring her for Six Days, Seven Nights, and the salary that she earned, compared to her main co-star, Harrison Ford.

“I think for Six Days, Seven Nights, I made $125,000 for four months of shooting. And Harrison made — and I know this because I used to make fun of him — He made $20 million and 12 points on the first dollar made on the movie,” Heche revealed.

That would essentially amount to a gigantic $19.9 million gap in pay between the two stars, even before considering the share of profits that Ford reportedly earned later on.

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The salary range for David Schwimmer and the rest of the cast members is not publicly known.

Anne Heche Still Referred To Harrison Ford As ‘Her Hero’

Despite the massive pay gap between her and Harrison Ford, Anne Heche insisted that she bore no ill-will towards her cast mate. In fact, she was full of praise for how supportive he was towards her, before and after she landed the role in Six Days, Seven Nights.

When Heche was officially hired for the movie, she had just made her then relationship with Ellen DeGeneres public. The two had started seeing each other in 1997. In that same year, Heche had starred in four high profile movies: Donnie Brasco, Volcano, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Wag the Dog.

The public nature of her same-sex relationship immediately complicated things for the actress, however. In fact, there were those who actively campaigned for her to be dropped from Six Days, Seven Nights.

On the other hand, Harrison Ford stood up for Heche in the midst of the backlash. “I would not have gotten that movie, [but] Harrison Ford, he was a hero,” she told Entertainment Tonight in a 2020 interview.

“He called me the day after they said I wasn’t gonna get it, because I took Ellen to the [Volcano] premiere… [and said] I’ll see ya on the set,” she added.

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