10 Times Big-Name Stars Were Surprisingly Paid Little to No Money For Huge Roles

It is believed that big-name stars receive buckets of cash for a huge role, even if they were big-name actors and actresses that had already established their popularity. They must be earning if they appear in blockbusters, right? It’s not really.
There are so many factors that determine how much an actor should be paid and when these actors didn’t accept it, they decided to walk away from some great projects with very little financial compensation to show for it. In other cases, some actors sacrificed their earnings for exposure. Despite being big-name stars, they were still happy to receive tiny wages or even no money in order to their dream roles.
We've rounded up 10 times Hollywood actors got paid less money than we think. Click here, here, and here to read more of our articles.

#1 Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers

Source: White Label/East News

For her portrayal of Ramona, Jennifer Lopez received praise from critics and viewers. The singer and actress starred in the movie for free and were totally passionate about the movie. “I didn’t get paid a whole bunch of money for Hustlers,” she said. “I did it for free and produced it. Like Jenny From the Block, I do what I love.”

#2 Jim Carrey in Yes Man

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Jim Carrey was offered to star in “Yes Man” with a sizable salary, but the actor adopted an unusual strategy. He accepted a $0 salary in exchange for 36.2% of the net earnings for the film. Fortunately, the film grossed $223 million and Carrey made a sizable profit.

#3 George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck

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George Clooney played various roles in the movie “Good Night, and Good Luck”. He co-wrote, produced, and directed the black-and-white documentary-style film as well as did a lot of behind-the-scenes work but he did all for free. For the film, he only received $3 but garnered 6 Academy Award nominations. He revealed that he was excited to work on it because his father served as an inspiration.

#4 Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street

Source: East News

Jonah Hill agreed to work on Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street for $60,000. For his performance, he was nominated an Oscar. “That was their offer, and I said, ‘I will sign the paper tonight,’” Hill confessed. “I want to sign them before I go to sleep tonight, so they legally can’t change their mind.”

#5 Brad Pitt in Thelma & Louise

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For his role in “Thelma &Louise”, Brad Pitt began to draw attention. For the movie, he just received a payment of $6,000.

#6 Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle

Source: John Shearer/Invision/AP/East News

The Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence revealed that she was paid less than Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper for her role in “American Hustle “. She received 7% of the profits, compared to the 9% her male co-stars and director received.

#7 Harrison Ford in Star Wars: A New Hope

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Although science fiction was unpopular at the time, “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” became a surprise box office hit. With the movie’s meager $11 million budget, Harrison Ford was compensated with a paltry $10,000 for his role in developing one of the most recognizable characters in cinema history.

#8 Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct

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“Basic Instinct” was a box office success, grossing $352 million worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 1992. While Michael Douglas, earned $14 million, Sharon Stone was only paid $500,000 to play Catherine Tramell. “I was

#9 Christian Bale in American Psycho

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In 2000, the classic suspense film “American Psycho” was a huge hit. Although Bale received a lot of praise for his portrayal of Patrick Bateman, he was paid less than the makeup artist.

#10 Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry

Source: zz/Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx/Associated Press/East News

For her perfect performance as a real-life transgender man, Hilary Swank won an Oscar. Despite the incredible success of her role, the actress only received a salary of $3,000 to $2,000 less than what was required for her to be eligible for health insurance.