Seann William Scott – $8,000 for American Pie

As Steve Stifler, the mean-spirited teen jock with the infamously attractive mother, Seann William Scott was one of the breakout stars of 2000 comedy American Pie. However, that first movie didn’t exactly set Scott up for life: he was paid a measly $8,000 for it. Fortunately, Scott got considerably better deals on the sequels, with 2012’s American Reunion alone earning him $5 million plus a cut of the profits.

Gunnar Hansen – $800 for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The hulking masked maniac Leatherface of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is one of the most iconic, influential horror movie characters of all time. However, the 1974 film was a very low budget independent production, so none of the actors made much for their efforts. Gunnar Hansen, who portrayed Leatherface in the original (but not in the sequels), was paid a mere $800.

Harrison Ford – $10,000 for Star Wars

1977’s Star Wars (aka Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) is a film that needs no introduction, particularly when it comes to Harrison Ford’s performance as loveable rogue Han Solo. While the role helped Ford on his way to Hollywood superstardom, he didn’t exactly earn superstar money right away. Ford’s first trip to a galaxy far, far away left him just $10,000 better off.

Brad Pitt – $9,000 for Thelma & Louise

Brad Pitt’s small but memorable role in 1991’s Thelma & Louise made him the hottest heartthrob in Hollywood. It’s just as well that Pitt started landing major leading roles not long thereafter, as he made next to nothing for his performance as hunky bad body J.D. Pitt’s salary for the Ridley Scott film was just $9,000.

Corey Feldman – $1,500 for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

You might not have realised that Corey Feldman was in 1990’s original big screen take on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; however, the Stand by Me and Goonies actor provides the voice of Donatello. Though Feldman had been one of the biggest teen icons of the 80s, his career was already on the slide by 1990, hence he accepted the TMNT job for just $1,500.

Hilary Swank – $3,000 for Boys Don’t Cry

Hilary Swank went from a relative unknown to one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation with 1999’s Boys Don’t Cry, which landed her the Best Actress Oscar (the first of two Swank has won to date). Even so, director Kimberly Peirce’s fact-based drama was such a low-budget production that the leading lady earned a measly $3,000 for her performance.

John Candy – $414 for Home Alone

John Candy was a good friend and frequent collaborator of Home Alone writer-producer John Hughes, so when Hughes offered him the small but pivotal role of Gus Polinski, Candy accepted. He was reportedly on the set of the Christmas comedy for a single day, improvising most of his dialogue, for just $414. Director Chris Columbus’ film would go on to make a then-unprecedented $476.7 million.

Christopher Lee – $0 for The Wicker Man

British actor Christopher Lee may be best remembered for his appearances as Dracula, Count Dooku in Star Wars and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings, but the role he always expressed the greatest pride in was Lord Summerisle of The Wicker Man. The 1973 horror was a genuine labour of love for Lee – he gladly made the film for no money at all.

Gal Gadot – $300,000 for Wonder Woman

Compared to a lot of the salaries listed here, $300,000 is a very substantial sum of money. However, we’d generally expect the actor playing the title role in a major blockbuster to earn significantly more than that. Nonetheless, 300k is all Gal Gadot was paid for 2017’s Wonder Woman, a film which cost around $150 million to make and earned $822.8 million at the box office.

Jonah Hill – $60,000 for The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street marked a major career breakthrough for actor Jonah Hill, helping the Superbad and 21 Jump Street star move into more prestigious dramatic roles. Hill was so eager to appear in director Martin Scorsese’s film, he agreed to do it for the Screen Actor’s Guild minimum rate of $60,000 – even though his co-star Leonardo DiCaprio got $10 million.