Movies

8 Supporting Actors Who Pocketed More Than Main Stars For Their Roles

8 Supporting Actors Who Pocketed More Than Main Stars For Their Roles
Image credit: Legion-Media

You will be blown away by how much money these supporting stars earned in comparison to lead actors.

Sometimes, to draw attention to a movie, creators invite big names to participate. In many cases, such supporting stars receive significantly more than the less popular lead actors. Let's take a look at the most mind-blowing examples.

8. Donald Pleasence (Halloween)

For his role of Samuel Loomis in Carpenter's 1978 Halloween, Pleasence was paid with the highest salary of $20,000, while Jamie Lee Curtis received only $8,000.

7. Marlon Brando (Superman: The Movie)

For his role of Jor-El, Marlon Brando earned significantly more than the lead actor Christopher Reeve.

While Reeve made only $250,000, the iconic actor earned an impressive $3.7 million as a base salary for his supporting portrayal of Jor-El, along with an extra 11.75% in backend profits.

6. Sigourney Weaver (Avatar )

Sigourney Weaver earned $11 million for her role, which is reported to be more than Zoe Saldana's and Sam Worthington's salary. However, the exact amounts are unknown.

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5. Terrence Howard (Iron Man)

When the 2008 Iron Man came out, Robert Downey Jr. was not as expensive as he is now, so for his role he received $500,000, while Terrence Howard reportedly was paid around $4 million

4. Harrison Ford ( Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

Daisy Ridley earned around $100,000 — $300,000 for her breakout role, but Harrison Ford took home a salary of around $20 million.

3. Robert Downey Jr. (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

For his short appearance in the film, Downey Jr. earned $10 million overall, while Tom Holland made only 5% of Iron Man's salary — $500,000.

2. Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting)

Williams received an upfront salary of approximately $3 million, plus a percentage of the movie's profits if it exceeded $60 million.

Ultimately, the film achieved a worldwide gross of $225,933,435, resulting in Williams earning substantially more than Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who made $350,000 and $300,000, in addition to $600,000 that the duo reportedly received for selling the screenplay.

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1. Jack Nicholson (Batman )

Nicholson was paid $6 million for his role of The Joker.

However, he cleverly negotiated a contract that entitled him to a percentage of the film's box office revenue and merchandise sales, so his earnings soared to an impressive range of $60 to $90 million.

In contrast, Michael Keaton received a comparatively modest payment of $6 million.