The reason why Jonah Hill was only paid $60,000 for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street has been revealed.
.jpg_lAXCMq?tr=w-216%2Cq-70%2Cf-webp)
In 2013, the 41-year-old actor starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie in The Wolf of Wall Street.
The film became the highest-grossing film within Martin Scorsese's entire filmography, grossing nearly $400 million at the global box office, per Collider.
Despite the film’s success and critical acclaim, Hill only earned $60,000 for playing Donnie Azoff - an amount that’s considered Hollywood’s minimum for major productions.
In a 2014 interview with The Howard Stern Show, the 21 Jump Street actor explained that he took the lowest amount allowed under the Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) rules because he was so eager to collaborate with Scorsese.
“They gave me the lowest amount of money possible,” he said, cited by The Hollywood Reporter. “That was their offer, and I said, ‘I will sign the paper tonight. Fax them the papers tonight. I want to sign them tonight before they change their mind. I want to sign them before I go to sleep tonight so they legally can’t change their mind.’
“I would sell my house and give him all my money to work for him,” Hill added.
That gamble paid off as the Wolf of Wall Street became one of the biggest films of 2013, earning five Academy Award nominations at the 86th Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Hill.
While he lost to Jared Leto, the role marked another major milestone in the star's transition from comedy star to serious actor.
DiCaprio, who portrayed Jordan Belfort, reportedly earned $10 million for his role, but he too had taken a pay cut from his typical $20 million fee, Variety reported.
Like he did for Inception, DiCaprio agreed to a reduced rate in exchange for first-dollar gross points, allowing him to earn from ticket sales after recouping his upfront. That strategy paid off handsomely on Inception, where he made a staggering $50 million.
It’s likely that Hill had a similar backend deal for The Wolf of Wall Street, though details haven’t been publicly disclosed.
Hill and Scorsese are set to reunite for another project: a biopic about Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia, Variety reported.
Former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann will serve as executive producers on the film, along with Garcia’s daughter, Trixie Garcia.
With the band’s direct involvement, Apple has secured the rights to use the Grateful Dead’s music in the project.
While plot details are still under wraps, the film is expected to explore the band’s early years, from their formation in 1965 through the release of their debut album in 1967, when they rose to prominence as icons of the 1960s counterculture movement, per NME.