10 Blatant Paycheck Movie Roles (That Were AWESOME)

10. Alec Guinness - Star Wars

We begin with perhaps the textbook example of a paycheck role, because despite ultimately receiving a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his iconic performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope, screen legend Alec Guinness was only in it for the moolah.

Guinness was the only true name actor among the film's cast, and so was able to negotiate a handsome salary for himself, receiving $150,000 - double the studio's original offer - and 2% of George Lucas' box office residuals.

Guinness had no love for the material, though, calling it "fairy-tale rubbish" and referring to the dialogue as "pretty ropey."

Though Guinness expressed regret at taking the part during shooting, he later referred to it as a "vivid experience," no doubt aided by the film's box office success and hefty financial rewards Guinness continued to receive from it for the rest of his life.

As a goodwill gesture, Lucas even upped his claim on his own residuals to 2.25%, and to date it's estimated that Guinness' estate has earned roughly $100 million in royalties from the role.

Lifelong riches and an Oscar nomination for a bunch of space wizard nonsense, then? Not bad.