Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, said his salary from the films was so low that he had to sell his house.
The movies grossed $2.9 billion worldwide.
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In an interview with The Guardian, Astin described a disconnect between the attention he received and the money he earned.
“It was not a lot of money!” he said, adding that he sold his house after negotiating a small amount for the trilogy.
Astin previously stated in 2017 that he was paid $250,000 for the trilogy and received no residuals.
The films, directed by Peter Jackson, had a production budget of around $281 million.
Other cast members have also spoken about low pay.
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Cate Blanchett joked on Watch What Happens Live that “no one got paid anything” and that she got “free sandwiches” and could “keep my ears as pay.”
Elijah Wood said New Line Cinema took a gamble on the large ensemble cast, resulting in modest salaries.
He noted that shooting the films back to back left little room for renegotiation.
Orlando Bloom revealed in 2017 that he received $175,000 for all three films. He said, “Nothing, nothing, nothing.
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I got nothing. 175 grand for three movies,” but added he would do it again for half the money.
