Hollywood’s most famous stars often earn Hollywood’s highest salaries. The salaries of the A-list’s top actors and actresses are at an all-time high in recent years. If Universal or Disney wants Leonardo DiCaprio to star in their movie, they have already budgeted for tens of million dollars.
You may be surprised to know that this was not always true for Hollywood’s most famous actors. You’ll be shocked to learn how little these actors were paid, often for their most famous roles. Continue reading to find out the lowest salaries for the most famous names in the business.
10 Harrison Ford in Star Wars: A New Hope
Hollywood legends are made of the notoriously difficult creation of the first Star Wars film in the mid-1970s. Science fiction was considered a joke at the time. George Lucas, a young director, and writer had only made one film that was successful at the time (the teen comedy American Graffiti). The budget ballooned beyond what Fox executives had planned, as special effects didn’t come together.
Harrison Ford, a young struggling actor at the time didn’t seem to care. Ford, who was working as a carpenter to pay the bills, was looking for a job and had no intention of getting in on the Lucas casting process. For $10,000, he signed up with a few unknown actors like Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. They made a lot more in subsequent films, it is obvious.
Role: Han Solo
Salary: $10,000
9 Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise
It’s difficult to recall a time when Brad Pitt was not the most well-known star in the world. Pitt was almost unknown before 1990. His first big on-screen role, as the scene-stealing drifter in 1991’s Thelma and Louise was his lowest ever paycheck. The part that would launch his Hollywood dynasty was only $9,000 for Pitt.
Hollywood was attracted to the small, but memorable role in Thelma and Louise. Pitt would go on to star in films such as Kalifornia and True Romance. He wouldn’t be an A-lister until 1995’s SE7en, which was a huge success in the box office and critical circles. He was Oscar-nominated for Twelve Monkeys and Fight Club, which were big follow-ups.
Role: J.D.
Salary: $9,000