The world of Hollywood actors is exciting in more ways than one. The fame and the fortune they have are just one side of the coin. There are moments when they don’t have it as easy as others assume. This is a list that shows how some actors were willing to accept a severely reduced paycheck, only to keep the project they were involved in going. As you can probably guess, it was worth the effort, at least to them. We salute people who are willing to accept less money to make the project happen.
1. Will Smith
Will Smith is one of the most talented actors of our time, and he is an influential figure that many people across the world admire. His private life has had its ups and downs, but he keeps on doing his thing. His latest movie, King Richard, was released on both streaming services across the world and theaters. Naturally, the theater launch was not successful due to the preference for streaming, and Smith covered these losses out of his own pockets.
2. Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill is a fabulous actor that has both the talent and the charisma he needed to succeed. As a young actor, he made it as a character known to appear in the typical teen comedy movies we all love. He even went through a body transformation. Hill has also the fortune to make a dream come true. In the Wolf of Wall Street, Hill received a small amount of money for being in such a big production, but he got to work with the legendary Martin Scorsese.
3. Chadwick Boseman
The late actor was a living legend, and he will always be remembered for his Black Panther role, but he had other great roles as well. As you can probably recall, he made a great role alongside Sienna Miller in 21 Bridges. The movie was almost canceled after the actress was refused the payment she demanded, but Boseman took matters into his own hands and agreed to donate part of his own paycheck to make it all work. What a great person.
4. Emma Stone
Emma Stone is one of those people that you just cannot help but love, and there are more than a few good reasons for that. It appears that she is not only a talented actress but also a great person who knows what she’s doing when she signs up for something. She has been known to demand equal pay for male and female actors, so she has set the condition for male co-stars to have reduced pay if she was going to start in movies alongside them. She knows her rights for sure.
5. Kristen Stewart
This actress has been known to be the favorite of many people, despite that some individuals do not praise her, to say the least. She is gorgeous and talented, and that is all that matters. She is usually paid very well, and she got around $20 million for starring in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Down. Still, she agreed to accept only $200,000 for the role of Marylou in On The Road because the budget of the movie was reworked, but she wanted to play her part.
6. The group
Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and Will Ferrell are among the most beloved comedy actors in America, and they are both hysterical in their roles, no matter the movie. Anchorman was one of the movies that gathered them together and it was a big success, so they were all excited to be involved in its sequel. However, the 2013 Anchorman 2 had to undergo budget reductions, and they still wanted to make it happen, so they took less money than they agreed for initially.
7. Amitabh Bachchan
I know the popular actor for a plethora of strong roles that really tell a story and are remembered for a long time. The Bollywood superstar actually has the most curious of all cases on the list. When he was decided to join the cast for the Black movie, he agreed to star in it for free. We have never heard another case of a famous actor who agreed to star in production free of charge. This is something he did out of honor and excitement.
8. Jack Black
Jack Black is a beloved actor and comedian who has an unmistakable presence and a lot of talent, so there is no wonder people out there love him. For the iconic Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, Black agreed to receive only a million dollars instead of the agreed $12 million. The million he got was also not his, as he decided to split it with his co-star. This is just how awesome Jack Black is, and there are many other reasons to love this actor, too.
9. Christopher Lee
Now, this is a one-man who became a legend long before his passing. The late Lee was an extremely talented actor with an unmistakable presence. YOu could never mistake him for someone else, and he knew how to make his characters remarkable. In the movie The Wicker Man, Lee was outstanding, but there is something curious about that film. Not only it was the movie he loved the most, but he also starred in it for free. This is amazing.
10. Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet will probably continue to be recognized for her iconic role in Titanic the most, but we also know that her talent has never remained unnoticed and all her other projects are loved by fans out there. There is something in particular that we like about her career. She, alongside the famous Ewan McGregor, decided to give up on their high salaries and work for the bare minimum to be part of East of Harlem. The movie still didn’t happen, unfortunately.
11. George Clooney
George Clooney is probably one of the actors with the most charisma we have ever seen, and there is no wonder about that. He has been able to make every dream come true, including producing the movie Good Night, and Good Luck, and this is a great story. He mortgaged his home after no studio would produce the movie, and wrote and directed it himself. He only got a $1 paycheck for everything, and the movie turned out to be a success.
12. Ryan Reynolds
Here is an actor that needs no introduction. Reynolds is everyone’s favorite cool guy that has always been known for both his personality and talent. We guess that people out there would always find a reason to love him. Needless to say, one of the best roles he has done so far is Deadpool. To make this a successful project, he paid writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to be on set and to make their magic. It seems that it pays off.
13. Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is the actor that has probably been praised by people the most, and there are many reasons for that. His acting talent and impressive career are just one side of his aura that people love. His amazing personality is what really sets him apart. When he was offered to star in The Devil’s Advocate, he wanted to make sure he will star alongside Al Pacino, so he volunteered to receive a smaller paycheck to make the movie happen.
14. The Big Bang Theory
This show will forever remain as one of the greatest TV shows that ever aired, and it was pure genius, no matter how you look at it. Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar all agreed to have their paychecks reduced by $100,000 per episode so they could support the other two stars that later joined the show – Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch. We are so thankful that the show aired for so long and it made our lives a lot better.
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