August
12No Recession for Superstar Paydays
Agents tell me they’ve never had a tougher time negotiating paydays for their top stars. Upfront salaries are shrinking along with percentage slices on the back end.
Before working up too much empathy for the superstar fraternity, I thought it would be helpful to take one more look at Forbes’ the Celebrity 100, its annual listings of “the world’s most powerful celebrities” as ranked by power and pay. Forbes estimates annual incomes of stars in various categories and chooses not to disclose research techniques or sources’. Nonetheless its breakdowns yield yearly surprises as well as question marks.
I thought actresses like Keira Knightley and Gwyneth Paltrow devoted too much time to art movies to become big-time earners, but Paltrow pulled in $25 million according to Forbes; Knightley, $32 million.
In the actor category, Bruce Willis got his act together well enough to make $41 million this year, which still paled next to Will Smith’s $80 million. Even Howie Mandel dealt himself in for $14 million.
Just to get the sordid details out of the way, the top five earners across all categories consist of J.K. Rowling at $300 million (and she just writes!), Oprah at $275 million, Curtis Jackson at $150 million (he’s still 50 Cent?) Jerry Bruckheimer at $145 million and Ste-ven Spielberg at $130 million.
At the bottom of each category are the let’s-not-feel-sorry-for-them losers like Amy Adams ($14.5 million), Vanessa Hudgens ($3.2 million), Marg Helgenberger ($6 million, which helps support her husband, SAG ball-breaker Alan Rosenberg), Daria Werbowy ($3.8 million Cavalli model) and Anthony Bourdain ($1.5 million chef on the Travel Channel).
I have no idea if these numbers are reasonably accurate, but I think all of these folks deserve our applause. In a recession year, they had to hustle for their money. Anthony Bourdain even roasted a warthog rectum for his viewers. And then ate it.
That’s earning your pay.
Before working up too much empathy for the superstar fraternity, I thought it would be helpful to take one more look at Forbes’ the Celebrity 100, its annual listings of “the world’s most powerful celebrities” as ranked by power and pay. Forbes estimates annual incomes of stars in various categories and chooses not to disclose research techniques or sources’. Nonetheless its breakdowns yield yearly surprises as well as question marks.
Absent from the top of the money list this year are the likes of Tom Cruise ($13 million) and Brad Pitt ($20 million) – they either had a bad year or were secretive about their take-home pay. Nonetheless, there are all sorts of surprise additions: I knew 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) had a good year at $150 million, but did Pharrell Williams really pull in $20 million? Miley Cyrus scored big this year ($25 million), but did Daniel Radcliffe also haul in $25 million for Pottering around and yanking off his shorts in Equus?
I thought actresses like Keira Knightley and Gwyneth Paltrow devoted too much time to art movies to become big-time earners, but Paltrow pulled in $25 million according to Forbes; Knightley, $32 million.
In the actor category, Bruce Willis got his act together well enough to make $41 million this year, which still paled next to Will Smith’s $80 million. Even Howie Mandel dealt himself in for $14 million.
Just to get the sordid details out of the way, the top five earners across all categories consist of J.K. Rowling at $300 million (and she just writes!), Oprah at $275 million, Curtis Jackson at $150 million (he’s still 50 Cent?) Jerry Bruckheimer at $145 million and Ste-ven Spielberg at $130 million.At the bottom of each category are the let’s-not-feel-sorry-for-them losers like Amy Adams ($14.5 million), Vanessa Hudgens ($3.2 million), Marg Helgenberger ($6 million, which helps support her husband, SAG ball-breaker Alan Rosenberg), Daria Werbowy ($3.8 million Cavalli model) and Anthony Bourdain ($1.5 million chef on the Travel Channel).
I have no idea if these numbers are reasonably accurate, but I think all of these folks deserve our applause. In a recession year, they had to hustle for their money. Anthony Bourdain even roasted a warthog rectum for his viewers. And then ate it.
That’s earning your pay.
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remember the name Christopher Maldonado!!!the Dude is Gunna be earning big numbers in the next three years definatly..he writes and directs.. The kid has vision!
Posted by: bigfan99 | 1/3/2009 10:49:41 AM
Schwarzenegger never said he was "retired" from films, so it would be nice if Peter Bart got some info out of Arnie. Even just for fun, Bart could ask Arnie if he were to return to films, what would he love to make the most...True Lies 2, Crusade, King Conan, Stallone team-up action film etc...COME ON BART, get going and ask Arnie some future film questions!!!
Posted by: Mark | 8/14/2008 8:56:15 PM
Jordi... anyone with an ounce of sense would buy a normal sized house... at least an extra house for the case their enormous overblown spending lands them in the crapper. I can't feel sorry for someone who makes a ton of money, then spends it irresponsibly or is uncharitable and ends up "poor." My mom works 50 hours a week and in 3 months if my mom doesn't get a better job, she'll be homeless. I thought as you get older your living should get better... Sad, she's nearly 60 now and she has to work MORE to survive.
Posted by: Tina | 8/13/2008 4:38:21 PM
It'd be really interesting to write a piece on how they spend or invest such money. Thanks Mr. Bart.
Posted by: Jordi Ortega (ToroBravo.us) | 8/13/2008 2:36:42 PM
...and she just writes! What a dumb, sad comment, Mr. Bart. More like Bart Simpson, minus the charm or the spark.
Posted by: sam | 8/13/2008 1:51:00 PM
Hello Mr. Bart, could you please find out if Arnold Schwarzenegger is planning on coming back to films? Maybe his first film will be with pal James Cameron on TRUE LIES 2 or AVATAR. Maybe a team up with STALLONE. Could you please dig up a news story for VARIETY!?
Posted by: Paul | 8/13/2008 10:42:27 AM
Peter Bart, you are so cool. Now, what did SYLVESTER STALLONE take home on both ROCKY BALBOA and RAMBO? It must have been ALOT?
Posted by: Stallone's payday's for ROCKY BALBOA and | 8/13/2008 10:41:27 AM
Wonder what Schwarzenegger will make when he comes back to action films. Could he command 20 million on a TRUE LIES 2?
Posted by: Paul | 8/13/2008 10:31:31 AM
makes you wonder what their second job is and is it legal?
Posted by: fudrucker | 8/12/2008 11:15:40 PM