10 Actors Who Made Ridiculous Movie Demands So They Wouldn't Be Hired... But Were

These actors played hardball for roles they didn't want. And it paid off.

By Jack Pooley /

Before an actor is officially cast in a movie and has signed on the dotted line, there are generally a wealth of negotiations which take place behind the scenes, especially where blockbuster fare is concerned.

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Actors know their worth, and want to know that worth is being respected by those putting up the big bucks, so will often hold out for a bigger number on the studio's paycheck.

And then there are times when an actor doesn't actually have much interest in the role at all, and so in order to test the studio's own desire for them, will make a frankly silly demand which should ensure they're basically priced out of the field.

But these 10 actors were lucky enough to have their ridiculous requests accepted - whether a truckload of cash or something a little more unexpected - resulting in them signing on for the part in earnest.

Most of these actors were at least professional enough not to phone the role in given the exorbitant concessions the studio had made to accommodate them, though each was effectively trying to sabotage their own involvement in the film from the early stages...

10. Robin Williams Demanded $1 Million & An Apology From Disney - Aladdin & The King Of Thieves

Robin Williams created one of the most iconic Disney characters of all time with his performance as Aladdin's Genie, and he did it for a veritable bargain.

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Williams agreed to perform the voiceover role for SAG scale of just $75,000 - a mere fraction of his $8 million live-action asking fee - on the condition that neither his performance nor the Genie character were featured extensively in the movie's marketing.

Unsurprisingly, Disney knew they had solid gold on their hands and betrayed Williams' request, infuriating the actor and ensuring he decided not to return for 1994's sequel The Return of Jafar, where he was replaced by Homer Simpson voice actor Dan Castellaneta.

But during production of 1996's direct-to-video third film Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Disney attempted to lure Williams back, despite Castellaneta having already recorded the Genie part in full.

Williams decided to hedge his bets and make two huge demands - a salary of $1 million (more than 13x his original payday), and perhaps more importantly, a public apology from a Disney executive for his likeness being misappropriated in the first place.

Despite these over-the-odds requests, Disney appreciated the value in bringing the actor back, and so in addition to his hefty salary, Williams also received a public apology from then-studio chief Joe Roth.

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