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The highest-paid actors in Hollywood — Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., Keanu Reeves, and others — could easily command millions of dollars in upfront salary. ForAvengers: Endgame, Downey Jr. earned a $20 million upfront salary and a $75 million total income. The precedent for these humongous salaries was Elizabeth Taylor’s upfront salary of $1 million forCleopatra.
The British-American actress worked in the industry for nearly seven decades. She was cast inCleopatraafter she completed her contract at MGM Studios. 20th Century Fox, who produced the film, recognized her incredible talent and offered her a massive guaranteed salary along with a percentage of the gross profits.
Elizabeth Taylor Became The First Movie Star To Be Paid $1 Million Salary
20th Century Fox set aside a sum of $2 million for the production of their projectCleopatra. They roped in the rising star at the time,Elizabeth Taylor, to play the titular role in the film. They knew thatTaylor came at a huge priceand were ready to spend half their budget on their lead star. Taylor was offered $1 million to star in the film, becoming the first movie star to be paid an upfront million-dollar salary (via The Picture Show Man).
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While legends like Marlon Brando, William Holden, and Claude Rains earned the million-dollar mark for their films before Taylor, none of their upfront salaries were seven figures. Interestingly, Fox did not stop at the $1 million offer to the actress. She also made a deal to receive 10% of the gross profits and other add-ons if the project ran over.
According to Alexander Walker’s bookElizabeth, she also earned money for shooting the film in Todd-AO format since she had inherited rights for the format from founder Mike Todd. The film’s production began in 1960, but production delays,scandals, and health risks dragged the filming for two years until 1962.
According toVariety, the film’s budget was estimated at $44 million, out of which $31 million was the direct negative cost. However, Sam Kashner’s bookFurious Lovementioned that the final cost reached $62 million due to the abandonment of the shoot in England. But Taylor earned a considerable amount in add-ons.
According to The Picture Show Man, Taylor’s final earnings from the movie were a whopping $7 million. For comparison, the amount equaled nearly $69 million today (via Far Out). The actress once told about her million-dollar salary forCleopatra(via Rotten Tomatoes):
If someone is dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I’m certainly not dumb enough to turn it down.
Robert Downey Jr.’s $75 millionAvengerssalary orTom Cruise’s $100 millionMission: Impossiblesalary was made possible only because of Taylor’sCleopatrasalary. In 2003,Keanu Reeveswas able to command a $30 million upfront salary forThe Matrixfilms. He received a final income of $156 million (via HarperCollins).
Other Significant Paychecks That Paved The Way For Robert Downey Jr. And Others
In 1916, Mary Pickford became the first star in Hollywood to earn a million dollars (via Moneyweek). During those times, the actors had annual salaries instead of a paycheck per movie. According toGuinness World Records, the first star to break the $1 million threshold for a single movie wasMarlon Brando.
His provisions for the 1962 filmMutiny on the Bountywere a $50000 salary, 10% of the film’s grosses, and a $5000/day overtime amount. His total income from the movie was $1.25 million. After Elizabeth Taylor’s $1 million mark, the next big achievement in films was the $5 million mark. According toCelebrity Net Worth, it wasBruce Williswho achieved the feat with a $5 million salary forDie Hard.
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Jim Carreywas the first to be offered $20 million to star as The Riddler inBatman Forever. He was offered the same amount for his movieThe Cable Guy. Following Carrey, many actors joined the $20 million club.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3019
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
