Celebrities have been opening up about how much money they make for their roles. While some pocket some impressive figures for their skillset, others have taken some questionable amounts to star in projects they believed in. Let’s look at some celebrities who have been open about their paydays for films.
Tiffany Haddish Reveals She Used Her ‘Girls Trip’ Check to Pay Off Her Home in Fear of Being Homeless Again https://t.co/zphTwbCrTS
— The Source Magazine (@TheSource) August 18, 2022
Tiffany Haddish was still a bubbling comedian when she took the role of Dina in Girls Trip. The movie had the star power of Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, and Jada Pinkett Smith to bring in audiences, meaning that Haddish would get the smallest payday being the lesser-known of the four. Tiffany says she got paid $80k for the film but reveals the payday was just enough to finish paying off her home. Not only that, but the movie helped launch her career and scored her a major endorsement with Groupon, so it was a win across the board for her.
Taraji P. Henson scored a major milestone for her work in Benjamin Button. The movie scored her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress and helped push her further into the mainstream. While she is a high earning now, at the time, she did not take much money home from the movie. Out of the $150k she was paid, Henson only pocketed $50k after paying taxes and her team. She was off the market for five months and said she literally only had enough to cover her son’s tuition when it was all said and done.
Jennifer Lopez is a mega-earning. She’s got platinum records, hit movies and a string of successful products and endorsements. As a result, the star can take risks on projects for her own personal joy, like Hustlers. Lopez was eager to prove herself as a serious actress and get an Oscar, so she took no money for the role and instead executive-produced the film herself. While the Oscars overlooked her, the movie did go on to score critical acclaim.
Your annual reminder that @JLo‘s Hustlers is a Christmas movie. 🎄 https://t.co/2RbYZ7jwah
— Jennifer Lopez Fans (@BBjlo) December 24, 2022
Oprah Winfrey was paid only $35k for her work in The Color Purple. Despite being the most famous woman in the world now, at the time, she was still a bubbling television personality and an unknown actress. Obviously, Oprah commands a much larger salary these days for anyone looking to put her in a film.
Viola Davis is another powerhouse actress, but she spent years having to prove herself to Hollywood. Despite her immense talent, Davis was relegated to small roles until people began to understand her star power. Early on in her career, she was in the Denzel Washington and Derek Luke starring Antwone Fisher. She played Eva May Fisher and was on set for one day.
In a recent IG post, she reshared a clip from the movie with the caption, “THIS was one day of work. I was paid $671 and…..it was the JOY of my career!!! 🙏🏿❤️ @derekluke #AntwoneFisher #20YearsAgoToday.” People in the comments marvel at her performance while being shocked at home little she made.
In the scene, Davis sat completely silent, and fans commended her for how much emotion she conveyed on her face. “I loved this scene! You always say so much without saying a word! Your Eyes and your expressions are so moving. I love your gift.”
Taye Diggs joins this list of actors, and recently discussed how much he made in the Best Man franchise. Despite most of the cast being massive stars around the time film studios green lit Best Man Holiday, there was simply not enough to accommodate a film starring him, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Terrance Howard and more. As a result, the cast all got paid half their worth and opted to still make the film because they believed in the franchise. Despite not getting paid their worth, the pay off was the film making double what the original made and the cast getting to reunite again for the television series.
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