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While actors are usually paid big paychecks for their starring roles, they are often paid no money upfront for their contribution, but the projects pay off big-time through opportunities.
Amidst the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, audiences are led to see the premieres, red-carpet appearances, and promotional campaigns that make everyone believe that show business has a lot of money. As movies gross millions at the box office, it is only fair that celebrities are paid hefty salaries for drawing audiences into theaters. But, many times, celebrities starting their careers or working in independent films face financial constraints.
A-listers, the highest-paid actors today, have begun their careers with small paychecks, and celebrities who also produce their movies often take no salary to increase the budget in other areas of filmmaking. From Brad Pitt, who barely made $6,000 in his first role, to Beyonce, who donated her paycheck to help people, there are various reasons for not making millions upfront for a role. Let’s look at the actors who got paid next to nothing, but it paid off big-time.
10/10 Brad Pitt- Thelma And Louis
Brad Pitt is one of the highest-paid actors in the world today as he earns millions for his role. Pitt was an unknown actor during his 1991 debut film Thelma & Louise and was paid $6,000 for a seven-minute screen time. The cult classic movie became his big break, leading to famous roles in Se7en and Sleepers.
9/10 Bill Murray- Rushmore
Bill Murray has a close working relationship with director Wes Anderson as the actor has starred in many of his films. The first movie they shot together was Anderson’s second feature film Rushmore. When the production lacked a budget for a helicopter shot, Murray took the basic Screen Actors Guild fee of $9,000 for his role. Additionally, his portrayal earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
8/10 Jonah Hill- The Wolf Of Wall Street
While John Hill’s $60,000 might not be a small salary for starring in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf Of Wall Street, it is comparatively less than Leonardo DiCaprio’s $25 million. Hill starred as the right-hand man of Jordan Belfort in the film, which paid off big-time as he earned an Oscar nomination for his role. Hill confessed that he never had intentions of making big money but wanted to work with the legendary director.
7/10 Jennifer Lopez- Hustlers
Jennifer Lopez has already dominated the music industry during the early 2010s, and the singer has also starred in movies since the beginning of her career. As a producer in her film Hustlers in 2019, Lopez revealed that she was paid next to nothing for her supporting role. Her work received recognition in the critics’ circle, winning her a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress.
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6/10 Beyonce- Cadillac Records
Beyonce has always uplifted her community through her charitable donations. She portrayed the role of Etta James in the 2008 drama Cadillac Records, which is considered one of her best performances. The songstress received $4 million for her starring role and donated the amount to a drug addicts rehabilitation center.
5/10 John Candy- Home Alone
Home Alone has been a Christmas classic film since its release in 1990, which made a whopping $476 million at the box office as the highest-grossing comedy in America. The Chris Columbus-directed film has a John Candy cameo as he appears at the airport to help Catherine O’Hara’s character reach Chicago. For the role, candy only earned $414, and most of his lines were improvised in Home Alone.
4/10 Harrison Ford- Star Wars: A New Hope
Harrison Ford was already an established actor when he took the role of Indiana Jones and made over $80 million from the franchise. He was a relatively unknown person when Star Wars: A New Hope began filming, and as the studio was unsure of the film’s release, he was paid $10,000 to play Han Solo. It made Ford a household name and established one of the highest-grossing series ever.
3/10 Hilary Swank- Boys Don’t Cry
Hilary Swank performed remarkably as a young transgender person in Boys Don’t Cry. The actress was paid $3,000, which was insufficient to even have health insurance on the film set. The infamous role earned the actress an Oscar for Best Lead Actress, which boosted her profile in Hollywood.
2/10 Jamie Lee Curtis- Halloween
At the beginning of her career, Jamie Lee Curtis made a few appearances in television shows, but her lead role in an indie horror Halloween, made her a breakout star. The film helped her start a career as a screen queen, but the actress was only paid $8,000 due to the low production budget. The success led her to reprise the role for the success where she was paid $100,000.
1/10 Ryan Gosling- Half Nelson
One of Hollywood’s most popular leading men, Ryan Gosling, had made several blockbuster films before landing a role in the indie film Half Nelson. The actor shot the movie in 23 days and made a salary of $1,000 per week. The gritty social commentary earned Gosling his first Oscar nomination.
Other notable actors and their performances include Geroge Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck, Adam Levine for Begin Again, Jon Heder in Napoleon Dynamite, and Christopher Lee in The Wicker Man. These celebrities prove that sometimes showing quality movies is more important than taking big paychecks.
Sources: Business Insider, Elle, Parade, Cheat Sheet
