Top 10 actors who were underpaid for big roles

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Top 10 Actors Who Were Underpaid for Big Roles
Top 10 Actors Who Were Underpaid for Big Roles


The life of an actor might be an odd one, but high-profile stars tend to be well rewarded for it. What's less well-known is that some stars of major films actually received far less than you would expect. Here we're counting down the top ten picks for actors who were underpaid for their film roles.

10. Chris Evans - $300,000 for Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The actor made a name for himself by appearing in several acclaimed films and by playing a role in another Marvel comic book adaptation, Fantastic Four, early in his career. His paycheck was based on a contract which agreed that he would receive an increasing salary with each Marvel film.

9. Jamie Dornan - $125,000 - $250,000 for Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

Bringing this international sensation to life was quite an endeavour, and who better to play the notoriously handsome Mr Grey than a former model. The E L James film adaptation drew in $85 million in its opening weekend. But will he return to complete the rest of the trilogy and if he does, will he be getting a pay rise?

8. Barkhad Abdi - $65,000 for Captain Philips (2013)

When it was announced that Tom Hanks would help bring the true story of Richard Philips hostage crisis to the screen ,many believed he'd be in line for an Oscar nod for his work. Instead it was his co-star Barkhad Abdi who portrayed the Somali pirate leader that ended up with the Academy Award nomination.

7. Sean Astin - $250,000 for The Lord of the Rings franchise (2001- 2003)

Astin enthusiastically and faithfully brought the heartwarming Hobbit friend of Frodo, Samwise, to life in all three of The Lord of the Rings films, he's known as one of the great heros of the series.

6. Jonah Hill - $60,000 for The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Despite being well known in the film industry for his work in a number of films, Hill still had to take a considerable pay cut for his role in this smash hit film. They settled on the Screen Actors Guild minimum of $60,000 but it did wonders for Hill and earned him his second Oscar nomination. His co-star Leonardo DiCaprio is said to have earned in the region of $10 million for his part playing Jordan Belfort.

5. Matthew McConaughey - $200,000 for Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

McConaughey followed in the footsteps of many actors looking to revive their careers by taking on more indie projects. After years of being cast in romantic comedies and a few action duds, he earned himself an Oscar for his critically acclaimed performance in Dallas Buyers Club.

4. Arnold Schwarzenegger - $0 for Maggie (2015)

After he became a living icon for playing the action hero in the Terminator franchise, no one expected Arnie to take on a role as endearing as he did in Maggie. Here he plays a widowed father coming to terms with his daughter's growing infection with an incurable zombie disease.

3. Ryan Gosling - £1,000 per week for Half Nelson (2006)

After the smashing success of The Notebook, Ryan Gosling was clearly on his way up. For Half Nelson, he took on the role of a drug-addicted school teacher. His performance ultimately earned him an Academy Award nomination.

2. Jeff Daniels - $50,000 for Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Unlike many of the other actors in this list, Jeff Daniels role was not in an underground indie flick and Daniels was no stranger to the acting scene. For appearing in the eventual cult classic, Dumb and Dumber, Daniels took a relatively small salary of $50,000. The film went on to gross nearly $250 million worldwide.

1. Bill Murray - $9,000 for Rushmore (1998)

To this day Bill Murray has retained his status as a bit of a Hollywood mystery. In spite of his obvious star power, box office draw and status as a comedy legend, he continues to be unpredictable in his movie roles. Rushmore marked the beginning of a long-standing working relationship between Murray and Wes Anderson.



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