The advantages of becoming a Hollywood personality is self-evident. You earn huge amounts of money in addition to being a celebrity. While usually an acting role usually entails a hefty paycheck, there have been a few occasions where this has not been the case. Sometimes, actors are willing to take pay cutbacks in some cases if it means lowering a film’s overhead expenditures. Here is a list of actors who took pay cuts to save their movies:
1. Jonah Hill
Collaborating with Martin Scorsese was more meaningful to Hill than making a fortune. Hill reportedly told The Howard Stern Show, “I would sell my house and give him all my money to work for him”. As a result, when the chance to star in The Wolf of Wall Street arose, Hill accepted the role despite the fact that it offered him a very low amount of money. The risk, however, paid off in the end as The World of Wall Street became Hill’s most well-known film.
2. Keanu Reeves
This modest actor has emphasized countless times that money does not entice him in the least and is one of the actors who took pay cuts in multiple movies. For instance, Keanu gave a large portion of his salary from The Matrix to the movie’s visual effects crew. In yet another case of financial compromise, Reeves decided to take a massive pay reduction for his role in The Devil’s Advocate in order for the studio to be able to hire Al Pacino.
3. Johnny Depp
The production of The Lone Ranger began in 2002 and has faced various challenges, including budget difficulties, delays, and multiple script edits. Even after Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp were cast in the key roles, the film was plagued by complications. Due to such repeated setbacks, Johnny Depp, was one of the actors who took pay cuts, along with co-star Armie Hammer and director Gore Verbinski. He gladly accepted a 20% salary reduction to help the film get back on course.
4. Angelina Jolie
Jolie is among Hollywood’s top actresses, with a typical acting fee ranging between $15 and $20 million. She is, however, occasionally ready to implement “no-quote deals,” in which she is paid significantly less. For example, she opted to accept a pay cut for Paramount’s 3D animated film Beowulf in 2007. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she earned only $8 million.
5. George Clooney
It’s difficult to believe that a creditworthy actor like George Clooney would take less money for a film, but it happened. The actor only accepted $120,000 for his passion project Good Night, and Good Luck. Fortunately, Clooney’s financial sacrifice was not wasted, as the film received critical acclaim. It also received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
