Hairstylist Chris Appleton Defends Charging $200,000 for a Haircut

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Chris Appleton‘s pay is a cut above the rest. 

The celebrity hairstylist, famous for working with stars like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, responded to criticism about his high prices, which can range from $100,000 to $200,000. He defended the costs, explaining why his services are so expensive.

Ugh, I can’t believe he even said it! Chris was on Jamie Laing’s show, Great Company, a few weeks ago – May 5th, to be exact – and he immediately regretted it. Honestly, the internet destroyed him for that one comment. It was all anyone talked about for days, and he totally got what he deserved… but still, I feel bad for him! It was brutal.

He said he felt uncomfortable responding to the question on a past podcast, and felt pressured to continue talking about it. This led him to accidentally state a price lower than his actual rate.

Chris admitted it actually cost $200,000, but he told people it was only $100 because he worried about their reaction. He regretted saying it right away and became anxious.

Oh my gosh, when I finally spoke to his stylist, she explained that his work isn’t just one price! She told me he often works for free, like, he doesn’t always even get paid, and definitely not always that huge amount everyone talks about. It just proves he’s so passionate, he does it for the art, you know? I’m obsessed!

But when it came to his $200,000 fee, there was a reason he charged so much for the service.

Chris explained that the work involved a lot of travel and a significant time commitment. However, when you look at the actual earnings, it wasn’t as much as it seemed. A large portion went to taxes – 50 percent in the US – plus another 20 percent to his agent and 5 percent to his business manager.

This explanation is much like what he shared on the U Up? podcast back in January when he initially talked about his pricing.

At the time, he noted that the final take home pay “gets dwindled down.”

Even though Chris earns a lot of money and works with famous clients, he still sometimes doubts his own abilities and feels like a fraud.

Oh my gosh, he gets it! He actually admitted it! He told People magazine that he struggles with self-doubt just like the rest of us. Can you believe it? He said every single time he takes on a new role, he’s nervous! And even posting videos on Instagram or TikTok? He’s anxious! It’s so refreshing to hear him be so real, because honestly, even he gets those pre-posting jitters. It makes me love him even more!

He admitted he appreciated that perspective, as it’s good to stay humble. He doesn’t believe anyone has all the answers – and thinks the idea that they do is ridiculous.

For a deep dive into more surprising celebrity pay checks, keep reading.

Although the winner of Dancing With the Stars doesn’t receive a cash prize, all finalists are paid through the end of the show, according to season 33 winner Jenna Johnson. She also mentioned that they receive a bonus on top of that.

Johnson explained that winning doesn’t mean a huge payout—it’s more about the trophy. She also clarified that contestants are guaranteed a spot on the show for a certain number of weeks.

Dancer salaries reportedly start 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, begin with a $125,000 salary. As they progress, they earn bonuses, with semifinalists and finalists potentially receiving an additional $50,000.

Jennifer Lawrence, an Academy Award winner, earned $25 million for her role in Adam McKay’s film Don’t Look Up. However, her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, also an Oscar winner, received $30 million for the same movie.

Jennifer Lawrence acknowledged that Leonardo DiCaprio earns more at the box office than she does. While she’s happy with her own earnings, 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 and difficult to ask for equal pay. And when someone does question a potential pay gap, they’re often told it’s not about gender, but without any clear explanation of why the disparity exists.

Jennifer Lawrence’s optimistic outlook came after a difficult battle: The revelation in the 2014 Sony email hack that she was paid less than her male co-stars in the 2013 film American Hustle sparked a widespread discussion about unequal pay for women in Hollywood.

Lawrence explained in a 2017 interview with Channel 4 News that she wasn’t worried about her income. She clarified that her frustration wasn’t about the amount of money she earned from films – she found that idea absurd. Instead, she was upset by the broader issues of unfairness and inequality.

Compared to Leonardo DiCaprio’s earnings, Jonah Hill received a much smaller payment of $60,000 before taxes and commissions for his work in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio, as the lead actor, earned $10 million for the same movie.

Hill said they offered him very little money during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show in 2014. However, he was eager to work on a film directed by Martin Scorsese, so he quickly agreed to the deal, not wanting anyone to back out.

According to actor Jonah Hill, he’d be willing to make huge sacrifices, even selling his house and giving away all his money, just for the chance to work with director Martin Scorsese. He explained that while movies like 22 Jump Street are good for earning a living, true passion projects are worth far more. He’d happily do it all over again, emphasizing that it’s not about the money, but about pursuing work you genuinely care about.

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 broadcasts. She jokingly suggested to The Times in April 2026 that the reason for this is simply “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 former wife, Teresa Giudice, barely earned anything for their first season on 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 a very small amount, but they accepted it.

Creating the initial season of the show wasn’t inexpensive. The father of four recalled, “I remember that first big party we threw in my living room cost 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 shared that they were only paid $35,000 for the film, but 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 film Selena. She was the first Latina actress to be paid $1 million for a movie role.

Looking back at my first big movie, I realize I was so young and honestly, a little clueless about everything happening around me! It was amazing when they offered me a million dollars – a huge moment. It really felt like everyone involved was trying to prove something, and I was just along for the ride.

Seriously, that one deal just launched her career! It led to hundreds of millions of dollars, which is incredible. And the best part? Sometimes she doesn’t even need to be paid – she just wants to be involved, she loves it that much! It’s amazing to watch.

Jennifer Lopez told GQ in 2019 that she pursues projects out of passion, not just for financial gain. She revealed she wasn’t highly paid for Hustlers, and even produced it herself, choosing to invest in her own vision. She explained, like with her song Jenny From the Block, she simply follows her heart and does what she loves.

Adrien Brody wasn’t motivated by money when he made The Brutalist. He accepted the role of a struggling Hungarian architect in post-war America for a salary of $250,000 and went on to win his second Best Actor Oscar.

Brody told Variety he’s ready for a big studio film, explaining he’s invested everything he has into renovating a unique property – a barn resembling a castle – in upstate New York.

When asked how he spent his first earnings from Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson joked to New York magazine, “Do you know how much we make?” He explained that he earned around $3,000 per episode, adding, “So I probably just bought dinner.” This was around 2014, when he was first hired at age 20, and ahead of the show’s 50th anniversary special.

It’s notable that pay has stayed consistent for new cast members on Saturday Night Live. In 1975, original stars like John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase each earned $750 per episode. When adjusted for inflation, that amount was roughly $3,300 in 2014, and is now equivalent to about $4,428 in 2025.

Kenan Thompson earns considerably more than $3,000 per episode of SNL these days, being in his 22nd season, but he didn’t always make that much. He began his career, like many stars, with more modest earnings.

In Demi Lovato’s 2024 documentary, Child Star, a former cast member of All That shared that their first paycheck was $800. They added, “When you’re 12, that feels like 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 for seven seasons and then returning for the 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 she’s instead been ‘paid in love and appreciation.’

During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Tommy Dorfman revealed details about her pay for 13 Reasons Why. The strike, like the WGA strike, was partly caused by streaming services such as Netflix not offering extra payments to actors and crew when shows became popular, leaving many feeling undervalued.

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 before her agency, manager took their 20% cut, and taxes were taken out. She clarified this was for eight episodes filmed over six months. She also explained she did all the promotional work, appeared on key art for the show, and traveled frequently between New York City and San Francisco to film, often working for days without pay or insurance coverage.

Dorfman also noted that the show’s first season reached 476 million viewing hours in its first 28 days, which is the reason for the strike.

Dax Shepard recently shared with Lauren Graham, a former co-star on their show Parenthood, that he was one of the lowest-paid actors during the show’s six-season run on NBC. He didn’t mention specific salaries or co-stars’ names.

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, which allowed him to appreciate the experience, even when he started to realize his position within the organization’s hierarchy.

In 2005, George Clooney told the Los Angeles Times that he and Grant Heslov each only made one dollar from their film, Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney explained they had to use all the money earned from directing and acting salaries to finance the movie, essentially endorsing his own paycheck to get it made.

George Clooney’s passion project, a play about CBS News journalist Edward R. Murrow and his courageous reporting in the 1950s, proved to be a success. Clooney made his Broadway debut playing Murrow, performing for months before the run ended in June 2025. The play earned a record-breaking $3.3 million during previews—even before its official opening on April 3—demonstrating its popularity and financial success, far exceeding a mere $1 in earnings.

Christian Bale revealed in a 2022 interview with GQ that he was paid very little for his role as Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film American Psycho. He explained that the production didn’t strongly want him, and it was only due to director Mary Harron that he was cast, so he received the lowest possible legal salary.

Bale recalled earning so little during one job that the makeup artists on set actually laughed at him, saying they were making more money than he was.

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 popular comedy film succeeded, he successfully asked for a share of the earnings. He told the New Zealand Herald that the offer was increased.

Despite a successful career with acclaimed films like Amistad and Blood Diamond, Djimon Hounsou believes he doesn’t earn enough money in Hollywood.

The Beninese actor shared with CNN’s Larry Madowo in January 2025 that despite working in film for over twenty years, and even with two Oscar nominations and appearances in many successful blockbusters, he continues to struggle financially.

In her 2024 memoir, Rebel Rising, Rebel Wilson revealed she earned just $3,500 for her work on Bridesmaids. However, she had to use the entire amount to pay her union dues to join the Screen Actors Guild, meaning she effectively received no 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 the 2012 film Pitch Perfect 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, plus other professional fees, she still made a substantial amount of money – what she considered a fortune.

In late 2017, Ellen Pompeo successfully negotiated a new contract for her role on Grey’s Anatomy. The deal paid her $575,000 per episode, included a substantial signing bonus, and gave her 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, something she feels comes with experience. She acknowledged the industry often doesn’t see her as ‘relevant’ after 14 years playing the same character, but countered that it’s easy to be good in a show’s first couple of seasons. What’s truly impressive, she argued, is maintaining that quality after so many years – and that’s a real skill.

Ellen Pompeo recently thought about the fact that she consistently earned less than her Grey’s Anatomy costar, Patrick Dempsey, despite being the show’s central character. However, she says she doesn’t resent him for it.

In a March 2025 episode of her podcast, Call Her Daddy, she explained that she felt she deserved equal recognition, considering 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 film Halloween. As she explained to Rotten Tomatoes in 2018, very few people involved in the film received substantial payment.

As a lifestyle expert, I always find it fascinating to hear the behind-the-scenes stories of iconic films! Everyone remembers the ‘scream queen’ making good money on the original Halloween, but it’s often surprising to learn what others earned. John Carpenter’s friend, Nick Castle, actually felt like royalty getting $25 a day to share the role of Michael Myers. And here’s a fun fact: it’s actually Anthony Moran whose face you briefly see when the killer’s mask comes off – pretty spooky! Tommy Lee Wallace, the editor, even stepped in front of the camera for a bit as Michael Myers too!

Looking back, it was a really intense experience!” Castle, who went to film school with Carpenter at USC, told Vanity Fair in 2018. “I was mainly interested in getting on set to see how movies were actually made and to understand directing. I figured I’d be there for free, but I ended up making $25 a day just for wearing a rubber mask.”

Taraji P. Henson received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. However, she was still frustrated years later that she only earned $150,000 for the movie, despite initially requesting $500,000, which producers turned down.

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 then, but he believed Pitt and Blanchett were worth it. “They deserved what they were paid,” Henson said.

She 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 from ticket sales. She wouldn’t have accepted less. Taraji P. Henson said she was devastated when they initially offered her only $100,000. In the end, she negotiated a salary of $150,000, but it was difficult to compromise and accept less than she felt she deserved.

Henson understands people might think $150,000 is a large sum of money, and she wants to make it clear she’s not ungrateful. However, after taxes and paying her team, the actual amount she receives is significantly less. She explained that with roughly half going to taxes and 30 percent to her team, she estimates she might only be left with around $40,000.

Although Cate Blanchett has earned a significant income throughout her career, her role as the elf Galadriel in the highly successful The Lord of the Rings films – which made $2.9 billion worldwide – wasn’t her sole source of revenue.

When Andy Cohen speculated on Watch What Happens Live in August 2024 that The Lord of the Rings was her most lucrative role, she jokingly replied, “No!” She explained that the cast didn’t receive substantial paychecks, saying she essentially earned only free sandwiches and got to keep her 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 only $175,000 for all three films.

Hopefully he also got to keep his ears.

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2026-05-08 00:49