21 times A-listers were paid a surprisingly low amount for iconic movie roles

Matthew WilsonAug 28, 2020, 00:55 IST

Julia Roberts made $50,000 to star in "Mystic Pizza."Getty

Despite what you may think, not every starring role includes a million dollar paycheck.
Jennifer Lopez said she starred in "Hustlers" for free.
To write, direct, and star in his award-winning movie, "Good Night, and Good Luck," George Clooney received an upfront salary of just $3.
Then newcomers, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley were only paid between $100,000 to $300,000 to star in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

You may think your favorite Hollywood actors are paid big for every movie they star in, but not every starring role brings home a million-dollar paycheck. Jennifer Lopez recently said she wasn't paid for her critically acclaimed role in "Hustlers."

Sometimes an actor will forgo a big pay day for a role they are passionate about or, if they're early in their career, for more recognition.

These are some of the lowest paid roles taken by A-list actors.

For her Oscar-winning role in "Boys Don't Cry," actress Hilary Swank was paid just $3,000.

Hilary Swank. Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez was not paid a dollar for her critically acclaimed role in "Hustlers."

Jennifer Lopez. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Her Oscar-nominated role in "A Color Purple" earned Oprah Winfrey $35,000.

Oprah Winfrey. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Jonah Hill accepted $60,000 to work with Martin Scorsese in "The Wolf of Wall Street."

Jonah Hill. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

To write, direct, and star in "Good Night, and Good Luck," George Clooney received an upfront salary of $3.

George Clooney. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Jennifer Lawrence earned $3,000 a week for her Oscar-nominated role in "Winter's Bone."

Jennifer Lawrence. Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Matthew McConaughey received only $200,000 to star in "Dallas Buyers Club," according to The Hollywood Reporter. He won the Oscar for Best Actor for the role.

Matthew McConaughey. Jason LaVeris/Getty Images

For his first Oscar-nominated role in "Half Nelson," Ryan Gosling earned only $1,000 a week, according to the Telegraph.

Ryan Gosling. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

For her role in "Halloween," Jamie Lee Curtis made $8,000.

Jamie Lee Curtis. Jason Merritt/Getty Images

For "All the Money in the World," Michelle Williams was paid much less than her co-star Mark Wahlberg, making $625,000 to his $5 million.

Michelle Williams. Noam Galai/Getty Images

For her solo "Wonder Woman" film, actress Gal Gadot reportedly earned $300,000. The movie made $821 million worldwide.

Gal Gadot. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

For his initial appearance in "Captain America: The First Avenger," Chris Evans reportedly earned $300,000.

Chris Evans. Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Bill Murray earned just $9,000 for his work on "Rushmore."

Bill Murray. Ian Walton/Getty Images

For "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," then-newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega earned between $100,000 to $300,000.

John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. Yoriko Nakao/Getty Images

For "Thelma and Louise," a young Brad Pitt was paid $6,000.

Brad Pitt. Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Patricia Arquette said her babysitter was paid more than she was for working on the film "Boyhood."

Patricia Arquette. Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Dustin Hoffman reportedly made $17,000 for his breakout role in "The Graduate."

Dustin Hoffman. Lars Niki/Getty Images

Julia Roberts made $50,000 to star in "Mystic Pizza" and only $300,000 for her iconic role in "Pretty Woman," according to the Los Angeles Times.

Julia Roberts. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

To star in "Magnolia," Tom Cruise took a massive pay cut and made only $100,000.

Tom Cruise. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

For his iconic role in "Pulp Fiction," John Travolta was paid $150,000.

John Travolta. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

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