Despite his role in the popular movie 10 Things I Hate About You, Andrew Keegan didn’t make millions. In fact, his earnings from the film were quite modest.
Keegan, best known for playing Joey Donner in the popular movie alongside Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, recently shared that the money he continues to receive from his acting work – including shows like 7th Heaven and Thunder Alley – isn’t as substantial as you might think.
Keegan-Michael Key recently shared on The McBride Rewind podcast that he sometimes receives royalty checks for as little as one cent. He joked that it actually costs more – around 40 cents – to have the check mailed to him.
The former child star of Camp Nowhere confessed that the royalty checks he receives are often so small, he doesn’t bother checking how much he’s earning, saying it’s simply not worth the effort.
Despite everything, the 47-year-old actor said that 10 Things I Hate About You – featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, and Gabrielle Union – has earned him the most money of any film he’s been in.
As a longtime fan, it’s amazing to hear that even now, 10 Things I Hate About You is still bringing in some money for Ethan Embry! He mentioned that he still gets residual checks from that movie, as well as from his roles in Party of Five and Full House. They aren’t huge amounts – like, ten, twenty, fifty, or eighty dollars at a time – but it’s cool to know those shows are still earning something, even after all these years.
Although actor Keegan isn’t making a lot of money playing the villainous Joey, he finds satisfaction in the film’s lasting popularity. He shares a daughter with his former partner, Arista Ilona.
People often reach out after many years, sometimes asking if I’ll say hello to their daughters and their friends while they’re watching 10 Things. It’s amazing that this movie still resonates with new generations just as much as it did with their parents – it feels like we’ve created something that genuinely connects families.
Stiles has spoken about how meaningful it was for her to play the main character, Kat Stratford, in the updated version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
“I was a 17-year-old actress auditioning and getting a lot of annoying comments like, ‘You’re too serious’ or ‘you need to be sexier’ or ‘smile more’ and I was vulnerable to it because I was still trying to figure out who I was,” Stiles explained to People last year. “And then I read 10 Things I Hate About You and Kat Stratford was like this feisty outspoken girl who did not care what people thought about her.”
She said being in the movie was very meaningful to her, and she’s thrilled that it continues to connect with audiences.
For more stars who have shared insight into their paychecks, keep reading…
Although the winner of Dancing With the Stars doesn’t receive a cash prize, everyone who reaches the finale gets paid throughout the season, according to season 33 champion Jenna Johnson. She also mentioned that finalists receive a bonus on top of their regular pay. She won with partner Joey Graziadei.
Johnson explained that winning doesn’t mean a huge payout – it’s mostly about the trophy. And while dancers are guaranteed a certain number of weeks on the show, professional contracts depend on how long they’ve been with the program. Reports suggest dancers earn between $1,200 and $1,600 per episode, potentially reaching $100,000 for the entire season, though ABC hasn’t confirmed these figures. Celebrities, on the other hand, start with a $125,000 salary, and can earn up to an additional $50,000 as they advance to the semifinals and finals.
I was really surprised to learn how much the cast of Don’t Look Up was paid! As a huge fan, I always follow these things, and it turns out Jennifer Lawrence, who’s amazing, earned $25 million for the film. But Leonardo DiCaprio actually made $30 million – a full $5 million more than her. It’s interesting to see those differences, even between such big stars.
Jennifer Lawrence acknowledged that Leonardo DiCaprio earns more at the box office than she does. While she’s happy with her own salary, she told Vanity Fair in December 2020/January 2021 that she’s noticed a pattern – and many other women likely have too – where it’s awkward to ask for equal pay. And when you do question a pay difference, you’re often told it’s not about gender, but without any clear explanation of why the disparity exists.
Jennifer Lawrence’s optimistic outlook didn’t come easily. When the 2014 Sony email leak showed she was paid less than her male co-stars in the 2013 film American Hustle, it sparked a widespread discussion about unequal pay for women in Hollywood.
In a 2017 interview with Channel 4 News, Lawrence explained she wasn’t worried about her earnings. ‘I’m lucky to have the job I do,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t about the money—getting ‘only’ millions for a film is hardly a hardship. What bothered me was the injustice and the gap between how different people are treated.’
Compared to Leonardo DiCaprio’s earnings, Jonah Hill received a relatively small $60,000 for his work in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street – before taxes and commissions. Meanwhile, DiCaprio earned $10 million for the same movie.
Hill said they offered him very little money during a 2014 appearance on The Howard Stern Show. However, he was eager to accept because it was an opportunity to be in a film directed by Martin Scorsese, and he wanted to finalize the agreement quickly before anyone reconsidered.
According to actor Jonah Hill, he’d be willing to make huge sacrifices – even sell his house and give away all his money – just for the chance to work with director Martin Scorsese. He explained that while films like 22 Jump Street help pay the bills, it’s passion, not profit, that truly motivates him. He’d happily work with Scorsese again in a heartbeat, emphasizing that pursuing meaningful work is more important than financial gain.
The actress hinted that the main cast of Friends – including Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc – each earn around $20 million annually from the show’s continued broadcast. She jokingly suggested to The Times in April 2026 that this is likely “Because Phoebe Buffay was so great!”
But in actuality, she praised the talents of her costars for their performances.
I thought my performance was decent, but Jennifer and Courteney were incredible! David and Matt were hilarious, and Matthew Perry… he was in a league of his own.
According to Joe Giudice, he and his ex-wife, Teresa Giudice, barely earned anything for the first season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. He revealed on his daughter Gia Giudice’s Casual Chaos podcast in August 2025 that their pay was around $25,000, which he considered quite low, but they accepted it.
Creating the first season of the show wasn’t inexpensive. The father of four remembered hosting a large party in his living room and estimated the show initially cost him around $150,000.
Oprah Winfrey happily accepted only a little bit of green to star in 1985’s The Color Purple.
In a 2023 interview with Essence, the media billionaire said that while they were only paid $35,000 for the film, it was the most valuable $35,000 they ever made. They explained that the experience was transformative and taught them a great deal.
Jennifer Lopez made history when she played the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 movie Selena. She was the first Latina actress to be paid $1 million for a film role.
Looking back at my first big movie, I realize how naive I was! I was so young, I honestly had no idea what was happening around me. But honestly, getting offered a million dollars was incredible. It felt like everyone involved was trying to prove something, and I was just along for the ride.
This success allowed her to earn hundreds of millions of dollars more, and sometimes she doesn’t even have to invest any money of her own.
Jennifer Lopez told GQ in 2019 that she pursues projects out of passion, not just for the money. She didn’t make a lot of profit from Hustlers, even producing it for free, because she believes in investing in herself. She explained it’s similar to her approach with Jenny From the Block – she simply does what she loves.
Adrien Brody wasn’t motivated by financial gain when he accepted the role in The Brutalist. He chose to play a Hungarian architect struggling with his craft in post-World War II America, a performance that ultimately earned him his second Best Actor Oscar, despite a salary of just $250,000.
Okay, so I was reading this interview with Brody, and he basically said he needs a big studio movie, like, now. He’s totally poured everything – and I mean everything – into this insane renovation project he’s doing. He called his barn a ‘castle,’ which, honestly, is so him, and it sounds amazing. He’s clearly hinting that he deserves a huge project after all this work! I’m obsessed, and I totally agree – give this man a blockbuster!
When asked about his early spending habits after joining Saturday Night Live in 2014 at age 20, Pete Davidson joked to New York magazine, “Do you know how much we make?” He explained that he earned around $3,000 per episode, quipping, “So I probably just bought dinner.”
It’s notable that pay for new cast members on Saturday Night Live has stayed consistent over the years. In 1975, the original stars – John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase – each earned $750 per episode. When adjusted for inflation, that’s about $3,300 in 2014, and roughly $4,428 in 2025.
Kenan Thompson earns significantly more than $3,000 per episode of SNL these days, especially since he’s in his 22nd season on the show. However, he didn’t always make that much and started with much lower pay when he first began his career after his time on Nickelodeon.
In Demi Lovato’s 2024 documentary, Child Star, a former cast member of All That shared that their first paycheck was $800. They added that, being 12 years old at the time, it felt like a fortune – almost a million dollars.
It turns out Gilmore Girls’ status as a beloved rewatchable classic is literally priceless.
Lauren Graham, best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore in the original series and its 2016 revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, recently shared that she doesn’t receive any ongoing payments (residuals) from Netflix. She told Jimmy Kimmel in March 2025 that while she doesn’t get paid financially for the show’s continued popularity, she’s been compensated with ‘love and appreciation’ from fans.
During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Tommy Dorfman revealed details about her pay for the show 13 Reasons Why. The strike, along with the WGA strike, was partially caused by streaming services like Netflix not sharing additional profits with actors and crew after a show became successful.
In a recent post on Threads, actress Katherine Dorfman revealed she earned $29,953.24 for her work on the first season of 13 Reasons Why. This amount was before her agency and manager took their 20% cut and before taxes were deducted. She filmed 8 episodes over six months, doing all the promotional work and appearing in key promotional images for the show. She also shared that she traveled frequently between New York City and San Francisco to film, often working for days without pay and barely qualifying for health insurance.
Dorfman also noted that the show’s first season reached 476 million viewing hours within its first 28 days, which is why they decided to go on strike.
Dax Shepard recently shared with Lauren Graham, a former co-star from their show Parenthood, that he was one of the lowest-paid actors on the six-season NBC drama. He didn’t reveal specific salaries or names, but indicated he earned significantly less than many of his colleagues.
But, the Armchair Expert host stressed that he did not mind.
Before becoming a parent, I always made it a priority to find out how much my coworkers were earning. I’d either ask them directly or discreetly check through my agent to get the information.
He deliberately avoided learning details about his family’s history at the company, and this helped him appreciate the experience, even when he started to realize his position within the company’s hierarchy.
In 2005, George Clooney told the Los Angeles Times that he only made a dollar writing the script for his film, Good Night, and Good Luck. He explained that he had to cash his check for directing and forgo his salary as an actor just to get the film made. Clooney and fellow actor, cowriter, and coproducer Grant Heslov each earned just one dollar for their work on the project.
As a lifestyle observer, I’ve been following George Clooney’s passion project – his portrayal of CBS News legend Edward R. Murrow. It really resonated with audiences! He made his Broadway debut playing Murrow in a stage adaptation, wrapping up a months-long run in June 2025. And the buzz was incredible – even before the official opening on April 3rd, the play broke Broadway records for non-musicals, grossing a phenomenal $3.3 million during previews. Let’s just say it was a much bigger success than anyone anticipated!
Christian Bale revealed in a 2022 interview with GQ that he earned very little for his iconic role as Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film American Psycho. He explained that the production wasn’t initially keen on casting him, and he was paid only the legal minimum wage thanks to the support of director Mary Harron.
Bale recalled earning so little during one job that the makeup artists on set actually joked about him being paid less than they were.
Although his uncle was Rico, Jon Heder revealed in 2010 that he originally earned just $1,000 for his role in Napoleon Dynamite.
Once the unexpectedly successful comedy took off, he was able to bargain for a share of the earnings. He told the New Zealand Herald that the offer increased, saying, “They went a little bit higher.”
Despite a successful career with acclaimed films like Amistad and Blood Diamond, Djimon Hounsou feels he isn’t paid enough for his work in Hollywood.
I’ve been working in the film industry for over twenty years now, and it’s honestly shocking to say that I still struggle to make ends meet. I told Larry Madowo from CNN back in January 2025 that even with two Oscar nominations and a bunch of huge blockbuster movies under my belt, financial stability remains a real challenge.
In her 2024 memoir, Rebel Rising, Rebel Wilson revealed she earned just $3,500 for her role in Bridesmaids. However, she had to use the entire amount to pay her Screen Actors Guild initiation fee, meaning she effectively didn’t receive any payment for the film.
Still, she wrote, the experience was “everything!”
The Australian actress’s career soared, and her salary increased dramatically from $65,000 for Pitch Perfect in 2012 to $10 million for Pitch Perfect 3 in 2017. She earned a total of $20 million from Pitch Perfect 3, Isn’t It Romantic, and The Hustle. However, after paying nearly 50% in taxes, 10% to her agents, and 5% to her lawyer, along with other professional fees, she still considered her earnings a huge success.
In late 2017, Ellen Pompeo successfully negotiated a new contract for her role on Grey’s Anatomy. She secured $575,000 per episode, a significant signing bonus, and a share of the show’s profits estimated to be worth between $6 and $7 million.
In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 48-year-old Pompeo explained that she’s reached a point in her career where she confidently asks for fair compensation. She attributes this to gaining experience with age. Recognizing that she isn’t considered one of the most ‘in-demand’ actresses – a perception fueled by playing the same character for 14 years – she argues that maintaining quality over such a long period is a true talent. ‘Anyone can do well in the first couple seasons,’ she said, ‘but can you still be good after fourteen years? That’s what really matters.’
Looking back on the fact that she consistently earned less than her colleague, Patrick Dempsey, despite being the titular ‘Grey’ in the show, Ellen Pompeo stated she didn’t resent him for his higher salary.
In a March 2025 episode of her podcast, Call Her Daddy, she explained that she felt she deserved equal recognition, as the show was named after her. She wasn’t upset that someone else received success, but rather that her contributions weren’t valued as much, and she believed that would always be the case.
Jamie Lee Curtis remembers earning $2,000 per week, totaling $8,000, for her first movie, the 1978 classic Halloween. As she explained to Rotten Tomatoes in 2018, practically no one involved with the film received significant pay.
Although the actress playing Laurie Strode made a good amount of money – around four figures – director John Carpenter’s friend, Nick Castle, felt like he was living large earning $25 a day to share the role of Michael Myers. (Interestingly, it’s actually Anthony Moran whose face you briefly see when the killer’s mask comes off, and editor Tommy Lee Wallace also appeared on screen as Michael.)
Looking back, it was a whirlwind,” said Castle, who went to film school with Carpenter at USC. He explained to Vanity Fair in 2018 that he was mainly interested in getting on set to learn how movies were made and to understand directing. “I figured I’d be there for free,” he said, “but I ended up getting paid $25 a day just to wear a rubber mask!”
Taraji P. Henson was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. However, she was frustrated that, despite initially asking for $500,000, she ended up accepting only $150,000 for the part.
In a 2021 interview on the Ladies First With Laura Brown podcast, producer Scott Henson discussed the high salaries of the film’s stars, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. He noted that $20 million paychecks for actors were less common at the time, but he believed Pitt and Blanchett were worth it. “They deserved what they were paid,” Henson said.
Taraji P. Henson explained that she was also bringing value to the project and believed her salary request was reasonable, considering how much the film would likely earn. She said she wouldn’t have accepted less. Henson was very disappointed when they initially offered her only $100,000. Ultimately, she negotiated a salary of $150,000, but admitted it was difficult to accept less than she felt she deserved.
Henson understands people might think $150,000 is a lot of money, and she wants to be clear she’s not ungrateful. However, after taxes and paying her team, the actual amount she receives is significantly less. She explained that the government will take about half, leaving $75,000. Then, she has to pay her team 30% of the original amount before taxes are taken out. After all deductions, she estimates she might only have around $40,000 left.
Cate Blanchett has earned a substantial income throughout her career, but her role as the elf Galadriel in the incredibly successful The Lord of the Rings films – which made $2.9 billion worldwide – wasn’t her sole source of wealth.
She was shocked when Andy Cohen suggested The Lord of the Rings was her highest-paying role during an August 2024 appearance on Watch What Happens Live. “Absolutely not,” she replied. “We didn’t make any money on that film—I pretty much just got free sandwiches and was allowed to keep my prosthetic ears.”
Orlando Bloom, known for his role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, revealed on The Howard Stern Show in 2023 that he earned just $175,000 for all three films.
Hopefully he also got to keep his ears.
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2026-05-26 20:49