10 Most Embarrassing Paycheck Movies For A-List Actors

10. Laurence Olivier - Inchon

Even the best of the best can be enticed with a big fat paycheck.

While he chose his roles carefully in the early years, Laurence Olivier eventually admitted that he did not use such finesse during his final years. When he was asked why he decided to take on a role in the critically panned 1981 war movie Inchon, he was more than open with his answer.

"People ask me why I'm playing in this picture. The answer is simple; money, dear boy. I'm like a vintage wine. You have to drink me quickly before I turn sour. I'm almost used up now, and I can feel the end coming," he said in an interview on set. "That's why I'm taking money now. I've got nothing to leave my family, but the money I can make from films. Nothing is beneath me if it pays well. I've earned the right to damn well grab whatever I can in the time I've got left."

Director Terence Young also admitted that he was worried about his star's health, noting that Laurence had to lay in a cot between takes due to extreme pain and exhaustion. In the end, Olivier was paid one million dollars for his role. While his reasoning for taking the part is rather grim, it does demonstrate what a class act the man was.