Sean Astin says ‘Lord of the Rings’ low paycheck forced him to sell his house
Sean Astin has revealed that his salary was too low despite starring in a blockbuster
Sean Astin has revealed that starring in the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy did not bring the financial rewards many fans might expect admitting he had to sell his house after negotiating a modest salary.
The 55-year-old actor said there was a major gap between the fame he gained from playing Samwise Gamgee and the money he earned from the films.
"There was a disconnect between the attention that I was getting and how much money we had," Astin said. "It was not a lot of money! In fact, I had to sell my house because I negotiated such a small amount on the trilogy."
Astin previously revealed in 2017 that he was paid $250,000 for all three films and received no residuals from the blockbuster franchise.
Directed by Peter Jackson the trilogy was produced on a budget of about $281 million and went on to earn roughly $2.9 billion at the global box office.
Astin is not the only cast member to speak about the films' salaries over the years.
Cate Blanchett who portrayed Galadriel previously joked that she was paid little more than "free sandwiches" and was allowed to keep her elf ears after filming.
Meanwhile Elijah Wood who played Frodo Baggins explained that New Line Cinema took a significant financial risk by filming all three movies at once. Because the cast signed contracts for the entire trilogy upfront they were unable to renegotiate higher salaries between films.
Wood said the arrangement meant the actors were "not on massive salaries" though he added the experience became something that would remain part of their lives forever.
Orlando Bloom who played Legolas also shared in 2017 that he earned $175,000 for all three movies.
"Greatest gift of my life," Bloom said at the time. "Would do it again for half the money."
Although the trilogy made billions worldwide and became one of cinema's most celebrated fantasy franchises several cast members have since acknowledged that its long-term legacy proved far more valuable than their original paychecks.
