Everybody knows the key to being happy in life is to be filthy, disgustingly rich. It appears the easiest way to achieve that dream is to become a beautiful, talented actor and move to L.A., where you can command fees that puny regular folk can only daydream about. Thats the fantasy anyway, but in reality, very few actors will ever reach that level of success, and even fewer will manage to stay there. For those that do, luxury yachts or private jets will be taking them down to the shops. Even in these frugal times, the most successful actors are able to command fees that would make Donald Trump sick, and theyre (usually) worth the money from a box-office standpoint. There seems to be a fascination among the public about the fees star names can demand, and the last decade or so has seen some actors taking home paycheques that defy reason. Here are twelve examples of salaries that prove it pays quite literally to be a big star.
12. Marlon Brando - Superman
Salary: $4 Million The entry that kicked off the era of insane salary demands, Brando's deal for Superman is the stuff of legends. Somewhere around the mid-seventies Brando had grown tired of acting and was only interested in roles that paid well. Jor-El certainly fit the criteria. The role amounts to an extended cameo, but since the producers were determined to hire A-list talent they agreed to pay whatever he wanted. So, for a grand total of two weeks work, he received nearly £4 million and a nice slice of the films gross. He also demanded his lines be displayed off camera since he wasn't bothered to learn the script; in one scene, he's reading his lines off a baby's diaper. Brando also shot footage for Superman Il during this time, but due to a falling out with the producers - over money, of all things - he refused to let it be used. This footage was later shown in Richard Donners belated directors cut in 2006 and would show that even when sleepwalking through a role, hes still damn good.
