5 Actors Who Were Paid Relatively Small Amounts For Their Iconic Roles

 Payment for Hollywood actors and writers is currently a serious concern. While major actors might charge exorbitant fees once they've achieved legendary status, the remuneration for some of their earlier performances reveals how challenging the profession can be for everyone.

       Here are 5 notable performers who earned modest remuneration for their early performances.


1. Christian Bale – American Psycho

Christian revealed an eye-opening tale about his legendary performance as Patrick Bateman: "I remember one time sitting in the make-up trailer and the make-up artists were laughing at me because I was getting paid less than any of them." 

Christian was living in a house with his sister and father that was about to be repossessed at the moment, so he was in desperate need of some cash. The job in American Psycho would have helped, but he claimed that they only gave him the very minimum they were legally permitted to pay him: "They had paid me the absolute minimum they were legally allowed to pay me."


Of course, the film was a huge success, and Christian's role became one of the most quotable, memeable, and memorable.  

2. Harrison Ford - Star Wars: A New Hope

Harrison's portrayal of Han Solo is simply one of the most famous cinematic characters of all time. Harrison, who had notoriously worked as a carpenter while trying to break into the profession, was still a carpenter when he was ready to become an international sensation. Of course, subsequent film roles would make Harrison extremely wealthy, but he was reputedly only paid $10,000 for Star Wars: A New Hope. 

Obviously, that's still a substantial sum, and the part catapulted Harrison to the status of one of the most renowned performers of all time - but for such an iconic role and in comparison to other payments, it appears fairly meagre.

3. Sean William Scott – American Pie

Sean exemplifies how difficult the industry can be. Prior to landing his legendary part in American Pie, he worked at a zoo churro stand and was robbed for all $1.35 he had on his way to a failed Baywatch audition. 

However, getting the main role in what would become an era-defining comedy was only enough to supplement his churro-takings, since he was only paid $8,000 for his performance. Obviously, that is a lot of money for someone with little to their name - but the fact that companies can generate vast sums of money from their movies, and an actor's employment is so infrequent, puts that figure into context. 

4. Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips launched Barkhad's acting career. He used to be a limousine driver, and even when the filming was finished, he returned to Minneapolis to work in his brother's mobile phone business. With an Oscar nomination, it's easy to conclude that his position as the main pirate alongside Tom Hanks was life-changing, although the remuneration wasn't as significant as you might imagine. 

The first-time actor was paid $65,000 for his role, barely making the SAG minimum for a feature picture. Given the $55 million budget and $218 million box office, that appears to be a minimal price.

5. Hilary Swank – Boys Don't Cry

Hilary's portrayal in Boy's Don't Cry earned her critical praise and an Academy Award for Best Actress. Despite the fact that the post increased her industry standing, it did not result in a substantial pay rise. She was paid a total of $3,000 for the role, which amounted to around $75 per day.

Speaking of the payday, she recalled attempting to have a prescription filled on her health insurance after getting paid for the film: 
"I made $3,000. You must earn $5,000 to be eligible for health insurance. So I didn't even realise I didn't have health insurance until I went to fill a prescription. 'That's $160,' they said. 'Um, did you try my insurance?' I inquired. They said, 'Mmm-hmm.' I had an Oscar, but no health insurance."

It's worth noting that Hilary has responded to the criticism of a cis actor playing a trans person, saying, "We now have a bunch of trans actors who would obviously be a lot more right for the role and have the opportunity to actually audition for the role."

















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