10 Rare Movie Actor Contract Clauses You Never Knew

10. Johnny Depp Got Paid $16 Million Despite Being Fired (Fantastic Beasts 3)

One of the most coveted contractual clauses in Hollywood is a "pay or play" clause, which stipulates that the signed actor gets paid their negotiated fee no matter what.

Typically this is reserved for in-demand A-list actors to ensure they still get paid even if a blockbuster film project gets continually delayed, though in the case of Johnny Depp and the third Fantastic Beasts film, things are a little different.

Having shot just a single scene for the film as the villainous Grindelwald, Depp was asked to leave the production by Warner Bros. after losing his high-profile libel lawsuit against British newspaper The Sun, after the tabloid rag characterised him as a "wife-beater."

But because Depp's contract for the film had no morality clause nor was he fired for any misconduct on the production itself, Warner Bros. had to pay out his entire fee, said to be a stonking $16 million, while recasting him with Mads Mikkelsen.

Evidently pay or play clauses are extremely high-risk investments for studios, so typically are only afforded to the most valuable and sought-after performers.