10 Actors Who Got Paid To Do Pretty Much Nothing

A million dollars... to stand there?

Star Wars The Force Awakens
Lucasfilm

Because A-Listers are paid enough money to buy a couple of islands in the Caribbean when they sign up for a feature, they can't half-ass it. If Tom Cruise or Chris Hemsworth are being paid $20 million per film, they need to give it their all to prove they are worth every penny.

But there are times where Hollywood stars redefine the phrase "the bare minimum". In some films, actors were paid millions for a day's work to utter one line of dialogue, or to literally do nothing. Stranger still, the studio often uses a big name from the ensemble to promote the movie, even if they have barely any screen-time.

Now, this isn't to suggest the performer in question is lazy. The film industry is so chaotic, deals can fall through, forcing a cast member to be cut in the eleventh hour. In fact, there have been occasions where actors have been paid a small fortune to NOT star in a movie!

In situations like this, you have to wonder why they were paid so much in the first place.

10. Snoop Dogg – The Addams Family

Star Wars The Force Awakens
MGM

2019's Addams Family failed to bowl over viewers, but even the harshest critics praised the excellent cast. Oscar Isaac feels like he was born to portray Gomez. Charlize Theron nails Morticia. Finn Wolfhard performs the impossible by making Pugsley an interesting character for once.

But the one casting choice that perplexed everyone was Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. AKA Snoop Dogg (Yes, his real name is Calvin.) The legendary rapper may not be the first person one would think of when casting for The Addams Family, but Snoop is so effortlessly charming, he could play almost any role effortlessly.

So, who was he cast as? Cousin Itt - the bewhiskered Addams who speaks in high-pitched gibberish. This means a casting director hired a musician with one of the most recognisable voices on the planet, and cast him in a role where his speech is indecipherable. Weirder still, his name was used to promote this pointless reboot despite the fact Snoop never says a line that’s comprehensible to the human ear.

Although it's not clear how much Snoop was paid for the role, any amount is too much considering how redundant his performance is.

Contributor
Contributor

James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85