Lord of the Rings Star Sean Astin Admits Low Pay Forced Him to Sell House Sean Astin, best known for his role as Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, has revealed that his salary for the films was so low he had to sell his house. The actor, who starred in the three films between 2001 and 2003, admitted during a recent interview with The Guardian that the financial compensation he received was far below the level of visibility and fame he gained from the franchise. Astin, who rose to fame as a child star in The Goonies at age 13, described the disconnect between the massive success of the films and the cast’s earnings. “There was a disconnect between the attention that I was getting and how much money we had,” he said. “It was not a lot of money! In fact, I had to sell my house because I negotiated such a small amount on the trilogy.” The actor’s comments were echoed by other members of the cast, including Cate Blanchett and Elijah Wood. In 2017, Astin disclosed that he was paid $250,000 (£190,000) for his role in the trilogy, with no residuals. During an interview on Watch What Happens Live, Blanchett joked that “no one got paid anything to do that movie,” adding that she “basically got free sandwiches, and I got to keep my ears as pay.” Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins, explained that the production company, New Line Cinema, had taken a “real gamble” on the massive ensemble cast. This gamble, he said, led to “not massive salaries” for the actors. Wood also noted that the films were shot back-to-back, without renegotiating contracts for subsequent films, which made the financial arrangement less lucrative. Wood dismissed rumors that he was paid $250,000 for The Fellowship of the Ring, stating that the exact figure “doesn’t matter” and that the experience was worth the cost.#peter_jackson #new_line_cinema #sean_ustin #the_goonies #lord_of_the_rings
