Sean Astin, the actor who played Samwise Gamgee in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, has shared his struggles with financial stability despite the films’ massive success. In a recent interview, Astin revealed that he had to sell his home due to the small salary he negotiated for the trilogy.
Financial Challenges
Astin stated that he was not prepared for the level of visibility and access that came with the role, and there was a disconnect between the attention he received and his financial compensation. He made $250,000 for his work on the trilogy, in addition to some profit from merchandise sales, but no residuals.
The ‘Stranger Things’ star had purchased a home in Los Angeles and was told he needed to make $250,000 a year to pay the mortgage when he got the role in the films. However, the offer for the trilogy was $250,000 for a year and a half, which would not have been enough to satisfy his mortgage obligations.
Astin’s co-star, Cate Blanchett, who played Galadriel, also spoke about the low pay for her role, saying that ‘no one got paid anything to do that movie.’ Other cast members, including Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood, have also shared their experiences with low pay for their work in the films.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
