Amidst the fierce competition of Hollywood auditions, the unlikeliest candidates occasionally emerge as the leading contenders. Consider the casting process for The Wolf of Wall Street, in which Chris Evans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, two of the biggest stars, competed for a single role. Yes, Jonah Hill did eventually land the role. Who could have imagined?
The Wolf of Wall Street, an epic biographical black comedy crime film by Martin Scorsese, chronicles the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Wall Street’s greed with an exceptional cast. Despite their fame, Evans and Gordon-Levitt could not match the intensity and talent of the audition for Jordan’s right-hand man, Donnie Azoff.
Casting directors were blown away by Hill’s unique take on Donnie Azoff, which helped him land the highly sought-after role. Not only that, he accepted a huge pay cut by only receiving the $60,0000 SAG minimum for the film.
Jonah Hill Was Only Paid $60,000 For His Role in The Wolf Of Wall Street
Jonah Hill was eager to work with Martin Scorsese, just like most actors are. The actor told Howard Stern that he was so desperate for a role in The Wolf of Wall Street that he chose to accept a multimillion-dollar cut (via THR). Hill chose to accept SAG’s “minimum wage” for the seven-month shoot, which is approximately $60,000 before commissions and taxes, rather than his customary high-seven-figure pay.
Though he added that he would have done anything to work with Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, the actor claimed he was hired for the lowest possible pay. He said:
“They gave me the lowest amount of money possible. That was their offer. I said I will sign the papers tonight, fax me the papers tonight. I want to sign them tonight before they change their mind.”
In addition, he said that The Wolf of Wall Street is not a movie you make for the money and that he is happy with the money he is making from 22 Jump Street and other projects. In fact, Hill went on to say that he would have paid Scorsese to collaborate.
“I would sell my house and give [Scorsese] all my money to work for him. I would have done anything in the world. I would do it again in a second.”
Terence Winter wrote The Wolf of Wall Street, drawing inspiration from Jordan Belfort’s same-named memoir published in 2007.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt And Chris Evans Came Close To Playing Donnie Azoff?
Beyond just providing us with an exciting cinematic experience, The Wolf of Wall Street exposed the erratic nature of Jordan Belfort’s career as a stockbroker in New York City. It almost seems too good to be true that Jonah Hill stole the show during Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Chris Evans‘s auditions for the same role.
Actually, prior to Hill’s casting, Evans and Gordon-Levitt both tried out for the role of Donnie Azoff, as Screen Rant revealed. But you know who got the part. So let us toast to the 21 Jump Street star, the man who proved that skill alone—not just a big salary—can make all the difference in the movie business.
And it seems like it was a wise choice for him to take the role, even though it would have meant a big pay drop. Hill even went on to receive a nomination for Best Supporting at the 86th Academy Awards. With an average rating of 7.8 out of 10, 289 critics have left positive reviews for the film on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie was widely praised by reviewers (with some moral criticism as well), and it was included in many lists of the ‘best of the year’.
The Wolf of Wall Street is streaming on Netflix.
