Some actors in Hollywood take on a role for reasons beyond the paycheck: passion for a project, the ability to work with esteemed directors, or the opportunity to be part of something unique and creative. While their colleagues may be taking home more, these folks view their decisions as investments in their craft and career. Here, 20 actors have been chosen who, though they got far less than the co-stars of their respective movies, delivered remarkable work. Their stories tell a lot about commitment to artistry and faith in collaborations and opportunities.
1) Zoe Saldana in Guardians of the Galaxy
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Gamora is certainly integral to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Zoe Saldana took home a surprisingly modest check compared to her male co-stars. Chris Pratt, playing Star Lord, reportedly banked much more money, a fact reflecting pay disparities generally industry-wide. Even with Guardians becoming a major blockbuster, Saldana's salary at the time didn't reflect the success of her role in the movie. Over time, her profile over two huge franchises, Avatar and Guardians, has helped strengthen her earning power, though early paychecks from Marvel underscore the issues actors of color, especially women, face in Tinseltown.
2) Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City
Kim Cattrall's defining role as Samantha Jones brought both spunk and glamour to Sex and the City, but her paycheck was no match for Sarah Jessica Parker's. Parker reportedly picked up both lead actor and producer salary cards, while Cattrall reportedly earned less than half for much of the series. Since then, Cattrall has distanced herself from the franchise, stating that fair pay and creative respect, even if it meant leaving Samantha's fabulous wardrobe, were worth the cost.
3) Jessica Chastain in The Martian
Two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain is a producer on Ridley Scott's The Martian, but she didn't receive pay to match co-star Matt Damon's $25 million paycheck. While the main man reportedly earned the bulk of it, sources claimed she took home low six figures. Chastain, who later became an outspoken proponent for equal pay, negotiated higher salaries since her role in The Martian underlines the arduous struggle that women experience to win equal pay.
4) Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man
When Robert Downey Jr. put on the Iron Man suit for the first time in 2008, he was paid a shockingly modest $500,000. Terrence Howard, playing Rhodey, took home a cool $3.5 million. Downey's relatively low salary reflected Marvel's gamble on casting him. The gamble came out spectacularly in payment. By the time Avengers: Endgame came along, Downey was making $75 million per film, sealing the deal as one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors.
5) Claire Foy in The Crown
None other than Claire Foy did justice to the role of Queen Elizabeth II as part of Netflix's The Crown. However, months later, news came about that Matt Smith, who had portrayed Prince Philip in the series, had received more money than Foy. Producers promised to tackle the issue in future seasons, although Foy had already left the series. The incident sparked renewed debates on gender pay disparity in entertainment.
6) Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Returning to her princess throne in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Carrie Fisher received far less pay than fellow leads Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill. According to insider reports, Ford was paid a whopping $25 million. Insiders believe Fisher earned only seven figures but in the low seven figures. Brilliant humor often led Fisher to poke fun at that type of treatment but also the much larger pay gap issues in Hollywood. Still, Fisher's cultural influence as Leia is unmatched, showing that sometimes influence does not depend on the figures on a paycheck.
7) Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
With Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts became a household name. The movie earned her an Academy Award nomination, but Richard Gere was paid much more money for the role than she was. At that time in her career, Julia was still relatively unknown in Hollywood, even though the project could not succeed without her work. She has built up star power over time. However, in Runaway Bride, she was paid a much higher salary and became one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.
8) Michelle Williams in All the Money in the World
Michelle Williams was asked to play the mom of the kidnapped heir in the film All the Money in the World. She was paid nowhere near what her male co-stars received, especially Mark Wahlberg, who received $1.5 million in reshoots. Williams herself received less than $1,000 for reshoots. Despite this pay gap, Williams showed unwavering commitment to the project, and her work received great acclamation. The pay gap initiated a conversation about pay equity in Hollywood and brought greater transparency into how actors are compensated for work.
9) Bruce Willis in Four Rooms
Bruce Willis surfaced in Four Rooms with a very unusual check—zero. He was doing it for free because of restrictive rules put on him by the Directors Guild of America, as the film was considered a low-budget indie. Willis appeared as the kooky character Leo with his friend and director Quentin Tarantino and his love for the project. While his co-stars took home modest fees, Willis's compromise on salary shows just how important personal connections can sometimes trump financial considerations in the movie industry.
10) Robin Wright in House of Cards
Robin Wright brought gravitas and sass to Netflix's House of Cards as Claire Underwood, but apparently, she wasn't worth as much as co-star Kevin Spacey when she signed on. Though she appeared with equal billing in the credits, Wright had to fight for equal pay, threatening a public announcement of the salary discrepancy. Her advocacy paid off: her compensation was raised. Later, after the series shifted focus to her character because of Spacey's departure, Wright's leadership on and off-screen underscored resilience and dedication to challenging industry norms around pay inequality.
11) Evan Rachel Wood in Westworld
As the lead of HBO sci-fi hit Westworld, Evan Rachel Wood delivered a hauntingly powerful performance as Dolores Abernathy. Her central role aside, Wood's salary remains lower than those of her male co-stars, including Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris, who reportedly earned much more. She didn't achieve pay parity until season three when she finally earned $250,000 per episode.
12) Natalie Portman in No Strings Attached
In No Strings Attached, Natalie Portman co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in a romantic comedy, but she was paid significantly less than him, although Portman was already an established Oscar winner at the time. Due to being among the biggest stars on TV thanks to both That '70s Show and Two and a Half Men, Kutcher was said to have been paid three times as much as Portman for the film. Portman later spoke out about it, which ironically opened discussions on equality in Hollywood.
13) Ellen Pompeo in Grey's Anatomy
Ellen Pompeo was the first face of the medical series Grey's Anatomy, which saw the character go through hundreds of twists and turns. For years, though, she took home much less than her on-screen love interest, Patrick Dempsey. She later renegotiated her contract to secure the ground-breaking $20 million per year deal, making her one of TV's highest-paid actresses. Pompeo has been candid with her experience, as she explains how her fight for equal pay was as much about setting a precedent for others as it was to bring recognition for her efforts.
14) Bill Murray in Rushmore
Bill Murray received only $9,000 for his part in Wes Anderson's Rushmore. Murray readily accepted the paltry paycheck for supporting Anderson's film because it was within a low budget and therefore had limited money. Nevertheless, Murray's performance in the role of Herman Blume gave the film the impact to take it to heights that made Murray sustain with great reputation as an actor risk-taker. With many of these smaller, creative projects, he has since made a career that shows passion sometimes trumps profit.
15) Rooney Mara in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Rooney Mara's breakthrough as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo earned her an Oscar nomination but not much of a paycheque. She took less than Daniel Craig-a global icon before this endeavour-through James Bond. Yet Mara was universally lauded for her performance, and her career thrust forward by this film. The pay gap was just another reflection of how lesser-known actors, even those playing lead roles, receive significantly lower pay than their better-established co-stars.
16) Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers
Jennifer Lopez dazzled as Ramona in Hustlers, delivering one of her career's best performances. What is all the more surprising is that Lopez was not paid a dime for the role. Instead, she decided to go with a co-producing route and took the risk of telling the story on her terms. While her co-stars took home standard salaries, the financial sacrifice paid off for Lopez because the movie was indeed a hit in both critical and commercial acclaim, ensuring that she became a powerhouse in acting and producing.
17) Gillian Anderson in The X-Files
Best known for her role in the popular series The X-Files as Dana Scully, actress Gillian Anderson was paid something vastly less than her costar, David Duchovny. So low that at one point she was being paid a salary much lower than what Duchovny was earning as she was relatively green when it came to television experience. However, as a cultural phenomenon, The X-Files emerges when one looks at Anderson's more undeniable contribution to its success.
18) Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle
Jennifer Lawrence lit up the screen as Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle, but she earned pennies on the dollar compared to her male costars. Even after The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook skyrocketed Lawrence to stardom, leaked Sony emails show her, along with Amy Adams, earning less than Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, and Jeremy Renner. Lawrence took it as an opportunity to speak to pay equity, writing an essay on Hollywood's gender pay gap.
19) Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give
Diane Keaton was charming and heartfelt in Something's Gotta Give, and, financially at least, she didn't bring home her star power. Her co-star, Jack Nicholson, apparently raked in much more money than she did, although Keaton did much of the heavy lifting, emotionally speaking, in this film. Keaton won a Golden Globe for her work while Nicholson's part largely flew under the critical radar.
20) Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street
Jonah Hill was so dedicated to working with Martin Scorsese that he agreed to take a shockingly low paycheck amounting to $60,000 just to be a part of The Wolf of Wall Street, in which Leonardo DiCaprio was to reportedly earn millions. Hill took the SAG minimum because he loved the project and wanted to work with Scorsese. He "luckily" took it, and this gamble paid off when he was nominated for an Oscar for Donnie Azoff. Hill describes the experience as priceless, showing that sometimes artistic opportunity outweighs monetary considerations.
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