Taraji P. Henson received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in 2008’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Yet years later, she remained frustrated by the $150,000 she ultimately earned for the film—far below the $500,000 fee she initially requested.
The movie’s stars, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, were working in a much different pay bracket at the time. “You don’t hear a lot of $20 million quotes anymore, but at this time that was happening,” Henson said during a 2021 appearance on the Ladies First With Laura Brown podcast. She added that she believed Pitt and Blanchett deserved their compensation.
ALSO READ: What Happened To Stella Magz? Tragedy Explained In Tiktok – NewsFinale
Still, Henson argued that her own contribution also carried value. “I’m bringing a certain amount to the seat too,” she said, explaining that the $500,000 figure reflected both her career at the time and the ticket sales she believed she could help generate. When producers initially offered just $100,000, Henson said she was “gutted.” After negotiations, the deal settled at $150,000—but only after she had to “swallow my pride, baby.”
Henson also explained why the headline figure was not the same as her take-home pay. “I know people go, ‘$150,000, that’s a lot of money!’” she said, stressing that she was not ungrateful. However, she estimated that taxes would cut the amount in half, leaving roughly $75,000. She then had to pay her representatives before taxes were fully accounted for, with another 30 percent deducted from the remainder. By her calculation, she may have ended up with about $40,000.