1) Sean Astin - The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Trending
Sean Astin, who played the favorite Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, was paid only $250,000 in total for all three movies. That may seem kind of good at first glance, but it is no match for the trilogy's income: a staggering $3 billion box office. Astin filmed grueling months in New Zealand, including physically demanding scenes and intense prosthetics. Years later, Astin conceded that the role changed his life but quipped about how the cast didn't exactly get rich off their efforts during production.
2) Chris Evans - Captain America: The First Avenger
Chris Evans, clearly the man to do Captain America now, earned a relatively pittance when he first put on the shield for Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011—at least compared to the financial behemoth that the MCU would later become. For his first outing as Steve Rogers, Evans took home $300,000. With a global box-office gross of $370 million, it was a small fraction of what the role eventually brought home to Marvel. Evans later raked in millions for each film, although at the time, he was hesitant to join the franchise because of its long-term commitment rather than the small amount he was paid.
3) Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Patricia Arquette spent 12 years filming Richard Linklater's ambitious Boyhood (2014), a project that earned her critical acclaim and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Though the recognition has brought Arquette much acclaim, she revealed that the film shot her into one of her largest money-losing independent film shoots. She commanded a meager salary since the film had a low budget. One can't help but think about how expensive life gets for actors when they are working on passion projects, as Boyhood did, which went on to win general critical acclaim.
4) Joshua Leonard - The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project (1999) is considered one of the most profitable indie films ever, grossing nearly $250 million against a budget of $60,000. But actor Joshua Leonard, who shared one of the three leads, claimed he only made less than $1,000 during filming. The film had an extremely small production crew that also filmed scenes with the actors adding to its raw authenticity. Leonard himself admitted that he never thought the movie was going to become a cultural icon and saw hardly any financial gain from its massive success.
5) Jamie Lee Curtis - Halloween
Jamie Lee Curtis made her cinematic debut in John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) earning merely $8,000 for her immortal role as Laurie Strode. The independent horror film was shot on a budget of $300,000 and became an international phenomenon, grossing $70 million and launching Curtis as the "Scream Queen." Curtis finally admitted she didn't care about receiving low pay since this was her first role; however, as the franchise mushroomed, her compensation mounted rather high—it was across the board, after all, for a horror icon.
6) Mel Gibson - Mad Max
Mel Gibson was an unknown actor when he appeared in George Miller's Mad Max (1979), earning a paltry $10,000 for his role in this dystopian action film. The film would go on to earn more than $100 million at the box office and launch Gibson into stardom. At the time Gibson himself was said to be working menial jobs, and the low-budget production relied on unorthodox methods to create its now-legendary gritty aesthetic. Mad Max paved the way for a successful and lucrative Hollywood career for Gibson.
7) Hilary Swank - Boys Don't Cry
Hilary Swank received $3,000 for her Oscar-winning performance in Boys Don't Cry (1999), less than the minimum wage paid by the Screen Actors Guild for leading roles. The tragic portrayal of Brandon Teena moved audiences, yet her paycheck was small enough that she did not have enough money to purchase health insurance once filming ended. Despite the economic toll, Swank's resolve to the role sealed her fate as one of Hollywood's brightest personalities, proving that great art isn't necessarily reflected in great paychecks. The role paved the way for her subsequent career success.
8) Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Ryan Gosling was paid only $1,000 per week for playing a teacher hooked on drugs in Half Nelson (2006). The indie film won Gosling his first Oscar nomination, but the low budget would not accommodate high prices. This role has helped Gosling move on from romantic comedies and dive into serious dramas, making him known as a versatile actor. For this low paycheck, the project has been appreciated, and he has talked about how the film affected his career.
9) Brad Pitt - Thelma & Louise
Before Brad Pitt became one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, he received only $6,000 for his breakout role in Thelma & Louise (1991). The charming drifter J.D., Pitt's only brief appearance, launched him into the spotlight. At the time, Pitt was an unknown actor, and the amount he drew reflected that. Once word got out about the exciting film, his career soared through the roof, and Pitt started receiving millions per project.
10) Michelle Williams - All the Money in the World
Michelle Williams was paid a minimum of $1,000 for All the Money in the World (2017) reshoots, while Mark Wahlberg made about $1.5 million for the same film. The resulting media furor kept Hollywood talking about pay equity. Four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams thanked "Gender Pay Gap Awareness" raised by the controversy in subsequent interviews. Wahlberg eventually donated his paycheck to charity in the name of Williams, but this issue remains an extreme example of imbalance in the industry.
11) Gal Gadot - Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot received a mere $300,000 to play the lead role in Wonder Woman 2017; yet, it raked in over $800 million worldwide. Under terms with Warner Bros., Gadot's compensation was similar to those of first-time superhero leads in the DC Universe. Her salary was questioned, however, especially when it came to male leads like Henry Cavill in Man of Steel. Gadot negotiated a higher salary for her next appearances, locking into her place as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
12) Bill Murray - Rushmore
Bill Murray was paid just $9,000 for his role as the quixotic Herman Blume in Wes Anderson's Rushmore, 1998. He supported indie projects. Murray accepted a fraction of what he would charge normally because he believed in Anderson's vision. The film became a cult classic, and Murray's performance revitalized his career with him receiving wide critical acclaim. Murray's willingness to accept lower wages has led to many successful collaborations with Anderson in films like The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom.
13) Jonah Hill - The Wolf of Wall Street
Jonah Hill famously accepted only $60,000 for his role as Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)-which was the minimum amount that the Screen Actors Guild would allow the actor to accept for playing in a feature film. For Hill, the opportunity to work under director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio was worth more than money. The gamble proved to be the right one as he was nominated for an Oscar for the role and proved himself as a serious actor capable of doing both drama and comedy.
14) Jamie Dornan - Fifty Shades of Grey
Jamie Dornan was said to have taken home a mere $250,000 for his role as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey 2015, despite its worldwide gross of over $570 million. Dornan was not exactly a known actor at that time; hence his pay could reflect such. The actor later renegotiated his salary for the sequels, but the advance paycheck he received at first was shockingly low, considering the cultural impact of the film and the revenue it raked in.
15) Arnold Schwarzenegger - Maggie
In the 2015 indie zombie drama Maggie, Schwarzenegger reportedly accepted a significantly reduced paycheck, less than $100,000 to make this film. Schwarzenegger had built a reputation by commanding millions in blockbuster hits; here, the film became something of a passion project, offering him more dramatic territory. Although commercially a failure, the movie exhibited a certain other side to Schwarzenegger as an actor, his understated and emotional performance receiving deserved applause.
16) Jeff Daniels - Dumb and Dumber
Jeff Daniels did Dumb and Dumber (1994) for a salary of just $50,000 as Harry Dunne. Jim Carrey played Harry Dunne's counterpart and earned $7 million. Back then, Jeff Daniels was known mainly for dramatic roles, and the studio did not believe in his comedic appeal. Still, Jeff Daniels proved his versatility by moving on to create iconic performances. Dumb and Dumber took him into an area of success that placed him in comedy and led to a very strong career in television as well as film.
17) Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips
Barkhad Abdi, who starred as a Somali pirate in Captain Phillips (2013) opposite Tom Hanks, received an Oscar nomination for his role, but only for $65,000. A former limousine driver with no background in acting, Abdi was a smash hit in that movie. Although the movie raked in $218 million, following its release, Abdi was struggling financially. The actor later revealed that he was glad to have been given the chance, as it was a springboard to subsequent better-paying acting projects.
18) Harrison Ford - Star Wars: A New Hope
Harrison Ford was paid a mere $10,000 for Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), not a bad sum considering that that film earned $775 million worldwide. At the time, Ford was a carpenter doing odd acting work just to get by. It wasn't long before Star Wars catapulted him to superstardom status, then onto multimillion-dollar salaries for subsequent roles, including those Star Wars sequels, for which he reportedly commanded $25 million for The Force Awakens.
19) Sean William Scott - American Pie
Seann William Scott earned a meager $8,000 for his role as Steve Stifler in American Pie (1999), a surprise comedy hit that grossed over $235 million worldwide. As a newcomer in Hollywood, Scott’s pay reflected his lack of experience, but his portrayal of the crass yet lovable Stifler became a fan favorite. The film’s success led to sequels where Scott renegotiated significantly higher salaries, eventually becoming one of the franchise’s highest-paid actors.
20) George Clooney - Good Night and Good Luck
George Clooney received a paltry $120,000 for directing, co-writing, and acting in Good Night and Good Luck (2005), an exercise in passion shooting on a $7.5 million budget. Low-feeling was the trade for George, who wanted his film to be historically accurate and had complete control over its creative freedom. It did go on to pick up six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture, proving that far more than dollars and cents could motivate George Clooney.
Reply
