Shockingly low movie salaries revealed: Hilary Swank, Jamie Lee Curtis

Many A-list actors and actresses have been candid about it Various movies Where the salary did not match the role.

Hilary Swank Acted in the film in 1999 Boys don't cryHis first take Academy Award For performance. Although Swank was admired by her peers, she received a salary of only $3,000.

Meanwhile, when Jamie Lee Curtis was thrown at the root Halloween In 1978, at the age of 19, he received only $8,000. In addition to the money she received from acting, she was tasked with staying within a $200 budget for her character's costumes.

Keep scrolling to see other stars get shockingly underpaid in some big name movies:

Sean William Scott

When Sean William Scott had his breakout role American Pie As for Steve Stifler, his early paycheck doesn't match the cult classic's value now. Scott earned $8,000 for the entire movie, which grossed $235 million at the box office.

“I think so, yeah, because I remember after I bought a used Thunderbird for like $5,000 or maybe $6,000, I'm like, 'Oh yeah, baby,'” Scott said during a March 2022 appearance. What did he do with his earnings? The Rich Eisen Show. “I don't know what happened to the other $2,000 because I had to work as a churro guy at the LA Zoo, so maybe it was less than $8,000.”

Ryan Reynolds

Before making Deadpool A household name, Reynolds admits he didn't have a paycheck while filming the first superhero flick.

In a July 2024 interview, the actor said, “No part of me thought that Deadpool was going to be a success when it finally got greenlit.” The New York Times. “I even gave up getting money to make the film to bring it back to the screen. They won't allow writers like me Rhett Reese And Paul Wernick on set, so I took what little salary I had left and paid them to stay on set with me so we could create a de facto writer's room.”

Christopher Lee

Lee starred in the 1973 film, The Wicker ManAnd decided not to get paid so the movie could be made.

“I didn't get paid anything. I keep repeating it to people and they don't believe it's true,” he said in a 2001 documentary The Wicker Man Enigmaper independent. “If they had paid me my normal fee – and everyone else their normal fee – they wouldn't have been able to make the film.”

Hilary Swank

“So when I did Boys don't cryI was 24 years old. I made $3,000. For health insurance, you need to make $5,000. So I didn't know I didn't have health insurance until I went and tried to fill a prescription,” Swank recalled during an October 2016 appearance. Chelsea HandlerIts Netflix self-titled talk show. “They said, 'It's $160.' I went, 'Um, have you tried my insurance?' They said, 'Hmm.' I had an Academy Award, no health insurance.”

Ethan Hawke

shared in a June 2013 interview with Hawke Entertainment Weekly Time to do that The Purge He did not have a big salary and even “slept on the sofa of the producers” throughout the filming. The actor admitted that he believed in the horror premise and wanted to be a part of it no matter the cost.

“I didn't really prioritize making money this way. I decided a few months ago that I was in love The Purge And I felt it was a great film,” he said. “I'll love it (even) if it bombs. Few films have made so much money in my 20-year career. I've learned not to care.”

Jeff Daniels

where Daniels starred Dumb and Dumber as well as Jim Carreythe newsroom The alum allegedly had a significantly smaller salary. Daniels earned $50,000 while Carrey reportedly received $7 million. Writer-director duo bobby And Peter Farrelly has been withdrawn from The Hollywood Reporter In November 2014, it was revealed that the movie studio did not want to cast Daniels in the role due to her lack of comedy background, even though the Farrelly brothers wanted her in the role.

“The studio didn't want him. They said, 'Please, someone other than him. Get a comedian,'' says Bobby. “So they offered him, I think, 50 grand, which, you know, Jim was getting seven million, they offered him 50 that he would say, 'No, I'm not taking it,' but he took it. “

Jamie Lee Curtis

“I made $8,000. I made $2,000 a week, which was a fortune at the time,” Curtis said people Her original magazine in October 2018 Halloween The pay and added crew were small and young. “20 people, maybe 15. The oldest was 30. Everyone else was under 30. It was magic. Someone's friend would cook a meal every day and we'd all eat together on the ground.”

In addition to acting, Curtis also received a $200 budget for her character's outfit, which she wore at JCPenney.

Nick Castle

Much like Curtis, Castle — who played the infamous Michael Meyer — didn't get paid much on Halloween but found the set experience richer.

“I was paid $25 a day Halloween. That was a lot at the time!” He withdrew Vanity Fair In October 2018. “You have to remember: my interest in doing the film was on the set, so I can blur the experience of filmmaking and directing. I hope to hang around the set without any money. But hey, $25 a day, and all I had to do was wear a rubber mask.”

Taraji P. Henson

time to work The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as well as Brad Pitt And Cate BlanchettHenson was paid $100,000 for his role despite initially asking for $500,000. After some negotiation, Henson received $150,000 for the role, which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

“I want to make this very clear — I'm not saying Brad or Kate shouldn't have gotten what they got. They put donkeys on seats, so give them money. They deserve it. I'm not saying they shouldn't get what they're getting,” Henson reflected in an April 2019 interview with diversity. “I just wanted half a million — that's all. That's it. When I was doing Benjamin Button, I wasn't worth a million. My audience still knew me. We thought we were asking what was fair to me at the time.”

Rebel Wilson

Before Pitch Perfect, Wilson appeared Bridesmaids. In his memoirs, Rebel RisingWilson revealed that she earned $3500 for her scenes with Coster Kristen Wiig And Matt Lucas. That was the minimum required for her to be able to join the SAG-AFTRA union, which was enough for Wilson.

Terrence Howard

Howard claimed that in addition to a small salary for his starring role in the 2005 film Rush and flow He received no royalties for his songs.

“I made $12,000 to do Rush and flow” the actor said in an interview with November 2023 WREG News Channel 3. “What Paramount did was, instead of putting my name as Terrence Howard when performing the song, they put 'performed by DJay.' Well, they're owned by DJay, so guess what? Performance royalties went to Paramount,” he claimed.

Jennifer Lopez

Lopez revealed that she chose not to get paid for her performance hustler. However, he produced crime comedies.

“I wouldn't have gotten full money for it hustler“He said in an interview with November 2019 GQ. “I did it for free and made it. Like Jenny from the block – I do what I love.”

Adam Levine

The Maroon 5 frontman made his acting debut in the 2013 rom-com start again And finally decided to make it free.

“I did this movie for some money. I'm very lucky to be in that position,” Levine said in an interview USA Today In June 2014. “I want to have a good experience. I don't want to shoot a bunch—which I hate. I want to approach (acting) in a completely different way because I have the very fortunate luxury of not thinking about it in terms of money.

George Clooney

Clooney was paid $1 each for writing, directing and acting Good night, and good luckEarn a total of $3. The actor later shared that his desire to do the movie was inspired by his father's work ethic as a journalist.

“It's me saying (to my father), 'Thank you for believing so strongly in the responsibility of information, for setting such a high bar,' and taking it to a level where it has cost him a lot over the years,” Clooney reflected. LA Times In September 2005. “Leaved there job because he wasn't willing to compromise.”