In their starting years, many actors work for less than minimum wages just to get on the map. And once they are on there, then they’re able to strike massive deals even when they’re supposed to literally act for a few minutes in a particular film. RDJ for instance made a fortune out of the MCU. But when these actors get too big at times, their demands also skyrocket. So, they start to quit certain projects if they don’t get the kind of salary they demanded. Here are a few actors who quit movies because of less pay:
1. BENICIO DEL TORO
Star Trek fans were shocked when they heard about J. J. Abrams hiring Benicio Del Toro as the next Khan. And they were even more shocked when Del Toro dropped out of the movie following issues over salary negotiations. Though the director’s second choice, Benedict Cumberbatch, did justice with the role, we will always be wondering what Del Toro would have brought to the role. In an interview following the release of the 2013 film, J. J. Abrams admitted that he wanted a Latino actor, just like Ricardo Montalbán, but he had to settle for Cumberbatch.
2. ANGELINA JOLIE
Gravity is one of the most controversial movies of the last decade. The movie starred Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in the lead, but both of them were not the first choice for the movie. Before Bullock was offered the role, the role went to Angelina Jolie. Jolie was a big name at the time and that name didn’t come in small bucks. Subsequently, Jolie rejected the offer over a less-than-expected salary. As for the male lead, Robert Downey Jr was offered the role but it finally went to Clooney.
3. ROB LOWE
After playing the same role in four seasons of the American drama series, The West Wing, Lowe left the show unexpectedly. While many thought that this was due to the shift of focus of the series, reports reveal that Lowe left the show because of no increment in his salary. Lowe became a household name because of this series and seeing him leave must have been very hard for the show’s fans.
4. WILL SMITH
Fresh off from his TV success, Will Smith made his name in an action movie with 1995’s Bad Boys. Following the success of the movie, many directors wanted to cast him, including Brian De Palma. De Palma was working on a conspiracy thriller titled Snake Eyes when he offered the role of lead’s best friend to Smith. But Smith didn’t go up with that offer because of the less amount of salary offered to him. Subsequently, Gary Sinise took the job and played the part in the movie. However, the movie didn’t stand up to the audiences’ expectations but still did well at the box office.
5. MAGGIE ROSWELL
Roswell rose to fame with her voicing for several characters in the animated American sitcom, The Simpsons. She voiced some of the most popular characters, namely Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, and Luann Van Houten. Viewers loved her and the sense of realism that she brought in the character from her voice. Following this success, she moved to Denver and made a trip to Los Angeles every day for recording. And when she asked for an appraisal, Fox only increased her salary by $150. Seeing this as humiliation, Roswell left the show and her character was killed off. However, Fox restored her agreement and rewrote the terms of her contract. Well, it worked out quite well in the end.
6. BRUCE WILLIS
Willis had made his name in the action genre with the success of his Die Hard franchise. This success led up to roles in several blockbuster movies in the 90s and 00s. Age was always just a number to him. He proved this when he agreed to an active role in The Expendables franchise. He was a big part of the first two Expendables films but when it came to the third one, the disputes began.
Stallone and the crew pitched the idea in front of Willis and offered him $3 million for the role. Willis, who knew he was way more worth than that, wanted a $4 million appraisal. The crew rejected the offer and recast the character. Stallone even went on to call out Willis’ behavior on Twitter by calling him greedy and lazy. This was low, especially for a decorated actor like Sylvester Stallone.
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