Daisy Ridley played the main character of the new Star Wars sequel trilogy, but even she only earned a hundred thousand for her role in the first of the three films. How could that be? The simple fact of the matter is that Ridley was a total amateur – she had never been in a movie before.
Star Wars has a history of plucking people out of obscurity (for better or worse), which helps them mold the actors the way they want and keeps costs down. Thanks to her performances – or at least the weight her name has – she’s bringing in a lot more now.
Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood”
“Boyhood” was an incredible film that took 12 years to complete since the entire idea was watching a child grow – using the same actors and actresses the entire time. When Patricia Arquette signed on, she knew it wouldn't make her a millionaire, but she still decided it was something special.
Due mostly to the movie's extensive filming time, she has said that she paid more money to her dog walker and babysitter than she earned from the movie. Arquette wasn't upset, however. It was a labor of love for everybody, and the film also earned plenty of awards – including a Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Golden Globe for Arquette.
Daisy Ridley in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
Daisy Ridley played the main character of the new Star Wars sequel trilogy, but even she only earned a hundred thousand for her role in the first of the three films. How could that be? The simple fact of the matter is that Ridley was a total amateur – she had never been in a movie before.
Star Wars has a history of plucking people out of obscurity (for better or worse), which helps them mold the actors the way they want and keeps costs down. Thanks to her performances – or at least the weight her name has – she's bringing in a lot more now.
Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston in “Thor”
While it should come as no surprise that these two actors were paid less than the legendary Anthony Hopkins, it's still a little surprising that together they only earned around three hundred thousand dollars.
Out of the two of them, Chris Hemsworth earned less, $150,000 to Hiddleston's $160,000. Hopkins made ten million, but again, this comes down to veterans versus newer names. Don't feel bad for either of them – Hemsworth was the highest-paid actor in “Avengers: Endgame,” and Hiddleston got his own MCU show on Disney Plus's “Loki.”
Barkhad Abdi in “Captain Phillips”
This is the guy who gives Tom Hanks a menacing stare and declares, “I'm captain now.” He thrilled audiences, and his entire performance as the head of a group of Somali pirates was nothing short of captivating.
Thanks to Abdi's help, the film won Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and even a BAFTA award, but Abdi himself only earned sixty-five thousand. We say 'only' as if that isn't a full year's salary for most middle-class workers, but in the world of filming, for a lead, it's still pretty low. Of course, we did have to tell you who this man played – that never helps negotiation.
Adam Levine in “Begin Again”
Starring alongside established actors Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine knew he wouldn't have paychecks that matched either. The musical comedy “Being Again” was his acting debut, and despite the fact that he's famous in the pop music biz, no one knew how his acting was going to turn out. So...he did the movie for nothing.
He told “USA Today” that because of his success in music, he wanted to treat acting differently. He wanted to have fun doing it and take roles that appealed to him, not just because he was getting paid. He's already quite rich and famous, so being paid nothing didn't even bother him.
Spencer Lacey Ganus in “Frozen”
While Idina Menzel famously provided both the adult voice and the singing voice of Queen Elsa in “Frozen,” child actress Spencer Lacey Ganus provided the character's voice as a teen.
She worked for one day and earned a hair under a thousand dollars. That's not bad for a day of work, but it's still paltry compared to how much the film earned and what the other voice actors received. She earned a little more thanks to residuals, totaling a little more than ten thousand dollars. “Frozen” made an estimated $1.5 billion, so you think even a small role would have brought in more.
Bruce Campbell in “The Evil Dead”
“The Evil Dead” was a low-budget, indie horror flick that Bruce Campbell produced and starred in, and as such, there was little money to go around. He, along with the rest of the principal cast, earned just a hundred dollars a week for their work.
Bruce's stellar acting skills, his unforgettable chin, and the fun of the movie helped make it a hit, despite the $375,000 budget. While the film hadn't yet incorporated the black comedy that would become its trademark, it still led to a huge franchise that is still active today, including multiple additional movies, a TV show, comic books, and video games.
Joshua Leonard in “The Blair Witch Project”
There are lots of reasons why this indie film is famous. The original storyline had people so freaked out they thought it was real, and it earned a gobsmacking $250 million dollars against a budget of anywhere from two hundred thousand to seven hundred fifty thousand – sources are inconclusive.
While the movie blew people's minds, and it eventually became one of the most profitable independent movies of all time. For such humble beginnings, it became a media franchise, but the three main actors, including Joshua Leonard, earned only fifteen hundred dollars each.
Carrie Fisher in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
Both Fisher and Ford came back to reprise their characters for the first movie of the sequel trilogy, but while Ford asked for, and received, twenty-three million dollars, Fisher only got one million. While even Fisher's million overtook that of the younger actors and actresses, it still raised eyebrows.
Fisher hadn't been all that active in Hollywood compared to Ford, but she should have had the advantage when it came to negotiations – if Princess Leia hadn't appeared in the movie, fans all over the world would have cried foul. Maybe she just wasn't interested in the money.
Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson”
While this actor might be one of the more famous in the world now, it was only thanks to an adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks book, “The Notebook,” that got him on his path to true stardom. So you'd think he earned big in his next film, “Half Nelson.”
He played an inner-city teacher with a substance problem who forms a special bond with one of his students. For that, he only earned a thousand bucks a week, even after the runaway hit that was “The Notebook.” Gosling was able to use the movie to continue moving up the Hollywood ladder, even if he didn't make much from it.
John Boyega in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
One of the reasons a film's star might not make as much as you think – even for a huge blockbuster film like a Star Wars movie – is exposure. When a studio pays out big, they want to make sure they're getting their money's worth. This is why, despite Finn appearing far more often than Han Solo, John Boyega earned a hundred thousand dollars compared to Ford's twenty-five million in “The Force Awakens.”
Boyega didn't have as much negotiating power as a more established actor would, and since everybody wanted to be in the next Star Wars, Boyega took what he could. Thanks to Star Wars, he's now worth a lot more.
Jon Heder in “Napoleon Dynamite”
Not only was the titular "Napoleon" Jon Heder's first film, but it was an indie film with a budget of a mere four hundred thousand dollars – almost nothing compared to what movies cost, even back when it was made. As such, Heder commanded a whopping one thousand dollar salary for his star-making role.
He was fully aware that the movie was small-budget, but when MTV picked the movie up, it ended up making more than a hundred times its budget back. Due to all the good press and acclaim over his role, Heder suddenly had some clout, and his salary shot up for future products.
Tom Cruise in “Magnolia”
As soon as Cruise just his first starring role, you'd think that he would be earning millions for each and every film. It wasn't always the case, however. Even though he was already a well-known actor in 1999 when his film “Magnolia” came out, he earned only a hundred thousand dollars.
That's a far cry from these days when he does all his own stunts and plenty of great acting and will often net upwards of forty-five million dollars per film. Of course, there are always times when an actor will feel strongly about a project and agree to a lower salary.
Sharon Stone in “Basic Instinct”
For her role as the stunning femme fatale in “Basic Instinct,” Stone has said that she didn't earn anything near the fourteen million dollars that co-star Michael Douglas made.
She's never revealed how much she got in her paycheck, but she has relayed that while she was famous and up for awards, she could barely afford a dress to the Oscars. She called it a weird limbo. Thankfully, however, her stellar performance made it much easier for her to negotiate a better price in future projects.
Bruce Willis in “Four Rooms”
As the biggest star in the anthology film co-directed by Quentin Tarantino, you'd think that Bruce Willis would head home with a big sack of cash when filming was over. However, he got nada. How could that be? He only did the film as a favor for Tarantino, working for free just because he could, since Tarantino's “Pulp Fiction” had been such a boost to Willis's career.
The Screen Actors Guild oddly threatened to sue Willis, but they agreed no charges would be pressed if he wasn't credited for the role.
John Travolta in “Pulp Fiction”
Yes, Travolta was an established actor before he appeared in “Pulp Fiction,” with his roles as Danny Zuko in “Grease,” and Billy Nolan in “Carrie,” but those movies both came out in the eighties, and he hadn't maintained his star power when he was cast in Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster hit.
As such, his pay was only a hundred and fifty grand. Thanks to the film itself, of course, he would once again find himself in Hollywood's good graces, allowing him to cash in on future projects. “Pulp Fiction” is still one of his most celebrated works.
Diane Keaton in “Something's Gotta Give”
“Something's Gotta Give,” a 2003 dramatic rom-com, starred Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and a number of other famous names, and all things considered, the pay was pretty good for everybody. However, the two leads, Keaton and Nicholson, weren't paid the same amount.
Keaton was paid a fair amount for the time, and for most people, even a modest acting gig pays pretty well, but Nicholson thought the payment difference was unfair. So, after the movie came out, Nicholson sent Keaton a check for half of his back pay. What a guy.
Hillary Swank in “Boys Don't Cry”
When Hillary Swank acted in the physically demanding film “Boys Don't Cry,” her body took a toll. She's now appeared in a number of famous films such as “Million Dollar Baby” and “P.S. I Love You,” but even when “Boys Don't Cry” came out in 1999, she was already well-known. Despite that, she earned a mere three thousand dollars as Brandon Teena.
She earned only seventy-five dollars a day, and her total earnings were so low she didn't qualify for health insurance. The movie's budget wasn't the biggest (two million dollars), but even so, that seems pretty low. However, her performance opened lots of doors.
Jamie Dornan in “50 Shades of Grey”
He played a millionaire in the “50 Shades of Grey” movies, but Jamie Dornan didn't garner that much of a paycheck, at least for the first movie. This is mostly down to the fact that Dornan didn't have much of a resume – plus, a lot of actors had turned down the role, meaning they had to go with a little-known leading man.
The movies had plenty of viewers, and thanks to that, Dornan was able to re-negotiate. For just the second movie, he was paid twelve million dollars – which made it much easier for him to portray a millionaire.
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”
Lawrence was a young working actress until 2010, when she appeared in the film “Winter's Bone.” Her acting was praised by critics, and the role even earned her an Oscar nomination, but she was only paid three grand a week.
Nowadays, she takes home millions for her work, but back then, she was still just making her way up the ladder, and we bet that Lawrence is fine with the small amount since it led her to portray Katniss Everdeen, Mystique in the X-Men movies, and numerous other roles that were either critically acclaimed or box office hits.
Jennifer Lopez in “Hustlers”
Jennifer Lopez did not get paid very much for acting in “Hustlers.” In fact, it's impossible to get paid less since she was paid nothing at all for her role as a stripper named Ramona. That can't be right, you might be thinking, but it is.
However, Lopez was also the film's producer, and she decided she would help keep costs low by banking on herself. Since she was being paid for her work as a producer, she was much more willing to take home nothing as one of the leads in the film.
Natalie Portman in “No Strings Attached”
Natalie Portman had a bit of an odd way of looking at things when she found out that she was only being paid a third of what “That '70s Show” star Ashton Kutcher was making for “No Strings Attached.” She basically shrugged and said, “What are ya gonna do?”
She wasn't as angry as she admits she should have been and even said something to the effect of “It's still a lot of money; who cares if they aren't equal.” She did say, however, that she thought the disparity was crazy.
Corey Feldman in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”
When the first “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie offered Corey Feldman, a teen star who had appeared on the cover of magazines, to dub Donatello, he agreed right away.
It didn't even matter that his paycheck was only going to be fifteen hundred dollars – Feldman was in a spot of financial trouble at the time, you see. To most of us, that much money for talking into a microphone seems like a sweet deal. He was also told by someone that the movie was most likely going to be a flop. It very much wasn't, earning more than two hundred million dollars domestically.
Brad Pitt in “Thelma and Louise”
Pitt has been a household name since the nineties, but even he had to work his way there. While he can now negotiate any price he wants (in “Ocean's Eleven,” he and the producers agreed he was worth thirty million), there were still a few small roles he took to help keep the lights on.
Even this A-list pretty boy had to work his way up the ranks. When he acted in the 1991 “Thelma and Louise,” he earned only six grand. It was one of his first big film roles, and the part wasn't all that large, but it's still a pretty small amount.
George Clooney in “Good Night, and Good Luck”
You know this legendary silver fox for his roles in “ER,” the “Ocean's” movies, and countless other places. So when he wrote, directed, and starred in the film “Good Night, and Good Luck,” you'd expect him to rake in cash for all that work, right? Dead wrong. In fact, about as wrong as possible since he only received a single dollar for it.
The film was a passion project of his, and he was determined to do everything he could to keep costs reasonable and get the film out to audiences. He even put his house on a mortgage just to help fund it.
Bill Murray in “Rushmore”
Bill Murray is an actor's actor. We can all tell that he's incredibly talented and good at what he does, but he often elects to work for the minimum veteran salary or even pro bono if he feels good enough about the project.
This led to him being grossly underpaid for what he deserves for his role as rich industrialist Herman Blume. Of course, all of Murray's critical acclaim and many awards means he can demand almost any amount he wants, which means if he needs cash, he can get it. Sometimes, however, you have to do the right thing.
Mel Gibson in “Mad Max”
Nowadays, if he can get them, Mel Gibson brings in millions for his roles. His very first role was in the Australian post-apocalyptic action film “Mad Max,” and even though the film eventually brought in over a hundred million dollars, Gibson only earned fifteen thousand.
Of course, not only was it Gibson's first acting job, but it was also an exceptionally low-budget film, costing around four hundred thousand Australian dollars. That's about two million dollars in today's money, which is still a paltry amount for a movie with lots of car crashes and explosions. Gibson's stellar performance made him a star, and now he earns much more.
Amanda Seyfried in an Unknown Movie
The film has never been divulged, but when Amanda Seyfried found out that she was being paid a tenth of what her male co-star was making on a certain film, she was outraged. She told “The Sunday Times” that they were of even status, and she thinks that the producers took advantage of her easy-going nature.
Of course, she's never actually come out and said which movie this was, so it's impossible to verify what she says. Nobody knows the whole story, but if she is right, it's not great.
Sean Astin in “Lord of the Rings”
The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy is one of the most grueling, amazing things ever put to film. With a total budget of almost four hundred million dollars, a cast of literally hundreds, and more than a solid year of shooting (not counting endless reshoots), any actor or actress was going to make it big.
For some reason, however, Sean Astin – Samwise Gamgee – only took home $250,000 total after all was said and done. That's about eighty-three thousand per movie shot in New Zealand for years when he could rarely travel home to see his family.
Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate”
This legacy actor has been gracing our screens for generations, and since his very first role, audiences and critics knew he was something special. While that very first role wasn't “The Graduate,” it did come in the same year.
Sure, back in 1967, money was worth more, so amounts were smaller across the board, but Hoffman still only brought in seventeen thousand dollars for his time in the movie. Compared to the more than a hundred million dollars the film made, this is nothing. Of course, as little more than an amateur actor, Hoffman wasn't expecting much more. Don't worry about him; he's got plenty now.
Jon Voight in “Midnight Cowboy”
Things have changed a lot since the sixties. Jon Voight has openly said that he would sometimes take a job just for exposure. Well, one way or another, it worked. Voight has been a veteran actor for decades and still stuns with his performances.
He's now worth eight digits (recent guesses have it around fifty million dollars), but for the role that gave him his first big dose of fame, “Midnight Cowboy,” he earned minimum wage. “Midnight Cowboy” came out in the sixties, so you can imagine that it wasn't a lot of money.
Zoe Saldana in “Guardians of the Galaxy”
There were plenty of actors to pay in the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie, and Zoe Saldana ended up with the short straw. It's been reported that she was paid only a hundred thousand dollars.
Not a terrible amount, but Saldana was already an established actress. She'd been in movies since 2000, including “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Star Trek,” and a lead character in “Avatar.” Still, she earned less than Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, and Chris Pratt. It's even believed she was one of the lowest-paid on set.
Michelle Williams in “All the Money in the World”
This 2017 film stars Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg, and Kevin Spacey – or, at least, it did. Spacey was removed from the role after principal filming was done, and actor Christopher Plummer took his place. This meant the other actors had to reconvene for reshoots.
While Wahlberg earned 1.5 million, Michelle Williams only took home an extra one thousand dollars. It turns out her contract included the possibility of reshoots (likely for more money up-front) while Wahlberg's didn't, meaning he could negotiate for more money. Gotta read your contracts, kids.
Julia Roberts in “Mystic Pizza”
Before she became the darling of Hollywood and an A-lister that could get any role she wanted, Julia Roberts still had to get her name out there. Her first big film was “Mystic Pizza,” a romantic comedy-drama that was also Matt Damon's film debut.
As one of the principal roles in the film, Roberts still only took home fifty grand. That's about one hundred and thirteen thousand dollars in today's money, which is still a bit low, but for a little-known actress, it didn't really raise any eyebrows. She also only brought in three hundred thousand for her role in “Pretty Woman,” and since her star had shot up by then, that was a bit strange.
Oprah Winfrey in “The Color Purple”
The thirty-five thousand dollars that Oprah earned by acting in “The Color Purple” is nowhere near the smallest amount we have on this list, but compared to how much this media mogul is worth now, it's a drop in the bucket.
Of course, back then, in 1986, this wasn't all that small of an amount, and Oprah wasn't the legendary name it is now. She was actually terrified of being fired from the movie. She felt like she didn't know what she was doing, and another movie had recently had a high-profile firing. She made it through, but that was just the start for Oprah.
Jeff Daniels in “Dumb and Dumber”
Daniels has been in a healthy number of films, starting in the early eighties and continuing until now. He's been on TV, both as a voice and an actor, and has even wowed on the stage. So why, then, did he earn only fifty grand for his portrayal of Harry Dunne while Carrey took home seven million as Lloyd Christmas?
Some of the old reasons pop up – Carrey was undoubtedly a bigger star, even though Daniels was just as established. In fact, while Carrey wanted Daniels as the second lead, the directors didn't and offered Daniels the low amount, expecting him to turn it down in disgust. He didn't, and comedic history was soon made.
Jamie Lee Curtis in “Halloween”
As one of the queens of the scream, Jamie Lee Curtis owes all her fame and fortune to the “Halloween” series. The film not only launched a series that is still running today (though the quality varies wildly from film to film) but really an entire genre. Slasher movies took off with “Friday the 13th,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” and other classic franchises.
The “Halloween” movies have always been sort of low-budget, but even still, the mere eight grand that Curtis cashed from the first film seems almost insulting. The movie's budget was pretty low even in that decade's standard, but now she banks a much higher price.
Jonah Hill in “Wolf of Wall Street”
Jonah Hill is no slouch, having been at the top of the comedy lists since his appearance in the teen stoner comedy “Superbad.” He's been in “Moneyball,” “Knocked Up,” “Get Him to the Greek,” and many more big films, and he joined an ensemble cast in Martin Scorsese's film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Still, Hill was only paid sixty thousand for his role in the film – peanuts compared to what other actors made, and the film's box office take. This was the lowest amount possible based on SAG-AFTRA rules. It turns out Hill just really, really wanted to work with Scorsese and took a massive pay cut to do it.
Gal Gadot in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Gal Gadot is the lead character of the only good DC Comics movie, “Wonder Woman,” which came out in 2017. She was also in the “Batman v Superman” movie, but she earned only three hundred thousand dollars, compared to Henry Cavill as Superman, who earned fourteen million, and Ben Affleck as Batman, who earned nearly fifty million.
How could the original superheroine earn so little? Well, Gadot's breakout movie, “Wonder Woman,” came out AFTER “Dawn of Justice.” Before that, she had been in several of the “Fast & Furious” movies, but little else. Affleck and Cavill, on the other hand, are veteran actors.
Nick Castle in “Halloween”
The budget for “Halloween” was famously minuscule, but it went on to make millions. Even Jamie Lee Curtis's tiny paycheck – eight grand – was huge compared to that of Nick Castle, a stuntman who wore the Myers mask and terrorized Curtis.
In the film that earned fifty-five million at the box office, Castle was paid only twenty-five dollars a day for his work. Castle wasn't unhappy with the arrangement since he immediately became a famous name and helped him grow into what he really wanted to do: direct his own films. Curtis summed it up by saying despite the small amounts, “Halloween” gave lots of people careers.
Lindsey Lohan in “The Canyons”
After her time on “The Parent Trap” and “Freaky Friday,” Lohan signed a deal for a role in “The Canyons.” For some reason, Lohan thought that the film would be shooting for months or even years. So, she signed a deal for a hundred dollars per day. Lohan, that's still not a lot of money.
Even worse for her checkbook, the movie wrapped in just twenty-three days, meaning she took in just over two grand. How many movies film for years, we wonder, and what convinced Lohan to sign that kind of payment deal.
Matthew McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club”
Here's another celebrated actor who has been bouncing around Hollywood, appearing in everything from adult fantasy to creepy cop shows to romantic films. McConaughey's most memorable role of recent years was as the lead role in “Dallas Buyers Club,” which had him acting as a terminally ill patient who worked to procure life-saving drugs for other HIV patients.
He had a stellar performance in the movie, earned an Academy Award, and had the pick of Hollywood projects to choose from, but he only earned $200,000 for the movie. A pretty good payday for most of us, but this actor was surely worth more.
Michèle Mercier in “Angélique”
When Mercier was cast as the title role in Angélique, she was just an aspiring actress, the fifty thousand francs was a windfall and a great boon. An even better boon was the fact that she became known as an international beauty.
The movies continued, and Mercier starred in more than twenty movies as the character...but she still only earned fifty thousand francs for each film. Unhappy with this, she tried to negotiate for more and ended up leaving the series. However, she couldn't get many other roles since everyone just saw her as Angélique. She eventually had to sell dresses and jewelry she had bought from the studio to finance herself.
Jim Carrey in “Yes Man”
When Carrey played the lead role in “Yes Man,” he was already a famously iconic comedy actor. So why, then, didn't he earn a single cent? He was worth a big payout, but he and his agent cut a deal with the producers.
Instead of being paid for his work, like most actors, he would take home exactly 36.2% of the box office take. Thankfully for Carrey, the movie was a hit, and he earned more than thirty-five million dollars.
Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle”
Lawrence has been a big name in Hollywood and among the movie-going public ever since she first picked up a bow as Katniss Everdeen. But she earned substantially less than her male co-stars for the filming of “American Hustle.” That being said, five percent (as opposed to nine percent) is still a pretty good amount of money, and there's also the fact that she had a somewhat smaller role.
However, she still appeared on the poster for the movie. Lawrence might need to speak to her agent and make sure he or she knows what Lawrence is worth. Five percent of $250 million is still more than ten million dollars, by the way.
Chris Evans in “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Evans has become iconic for his role as Captain Steve Rogers – better known as Captain America – in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While he's become one of the highest-earning actors in the world thanks to all the different films he has appeared in, he took home only three hundred thousand dollars for the first film he appeared in as the Brooklyn Project.
Of course, his salary has now skyrocketed. Why did he earn so little? It's hard to say. He was an established actor – even appearing as another Marvel character in the first two Fantastic Four movies.
Rooney Mara in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Mara knew just what she was getting herself into when it came to starring with Daniel Craig in this thriller flick. She was a nobody, and that's not just us talking – it's her.
She told “Deadline” that it was obvious Craig was going to earn more than her – he's Daniel Craig! He's Bond! He was the one getting people into the seats, not her. He got paid a ton more than her, and she was fine with it. For the first movie, at least, after which Mara was able to negotiate for extra.
Harrison Ford in “Star Wars”
It seems bizarre now for Harrison Ford to earn anything other than top dollar for any role he's in – he's been Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Jack Ryan, and plenty of other legendary names. However, when he was filming the first Star Wars film, he wasn't a very well-known actor, having been in only a few films and with half of them uncredited.
As such, the payout for Han's first appearance was just a thousand dollars. Ford has said he didn't love filming the first film in this iconic sci-fi franchise, and this is one of the reasons why. However, his payout rose by leaps and bounds as the movies continued.
Seann William Scott in “American Pie”
We aren't sure why Seann William Scott (yes, his first name has two n's) was only able to bring home eight grand after acting in the classic teen comedy “American Pie,” but it happened. Most likely, it comes down to the fact that he only had a supporting role, and it was only his fourth role ever – and two of those had been single-episode appearances in television shows.
Steve Stifler's actor was able to renegotiate when “American Pie” became a bona fide hit, going on to not only earn millions as a base salary but also a portion of the profits from “American Reunion,” which came out in 2012.
John Candy in “Home Alone”
No, Candy wasn't an important part of the classic holiday comedy “Home Alone,” but this departed actor is still remembered in the bit part. He was one of the most sought-after comedic actors in the world when he appeared in the film to give Kevin's mom, Kate, a ride back to Chicago.
Long after Candy's death, the film's director Chris Columbus reported that John wasn't happy with his paycheck – which was four hundred and fourteen dollars. Candy was a little resentful of the small paycheck, and we can't really blame him. How could such a legendary actor be paid such a small amount? Your guess is as good as ours.