20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Harry Potter

9. Daniel Radcliffe Was Originally Offered Just $181,500 To Star In Chamber Of Secrets

Daniel Radcliffe was paid $250,000 for starring in the first Harry Potter movie, which of course went on to make a stupendous $974.8 million at the box office and kick-started a cash cow. It seems reasonable that Radcliffe was paid a modest sum for the first film, and that this would progressively climb for each subsequent movie, right? Well, for the second film, The Chamber Of Secrets, Warner Bros. offered the actor just $181,500 to reprise his role, which resulted in acting union Equity stepping in and ensuring Radcliffe was paid a more reasonable $3 million. Warner Bros. didn't even have the excuse that they'd started filming Chamber before the first film opened at the box office, because shooting didn't start until 3 days after The Philosopher's Stone came out, and tracking figures long before that surely indicated they had a smash hit on their hands. It all worked out for Radcliffe, though, as he ended up making 80-times more for the last film than he did for the first - he got a cool $20 million for The Deathly Hallows Part 2. As for the original figure Warner presented for Chamber? Pure cheapskate low-balling on their part.