Arnold Schwarzenegger has disclosed that his largest career earnings came not from his famous role in the Terminator franchise, but from the 1988 comedy Twins. On a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Schwarzenegger shared that his payday for Twins exceeded $40 million, marking it as his most profitable film project—a revelation that highlights the unexpected financial power of comedy partnerships in Hollywood and spotlights the Arnold Schwarzenegger Twins movie biggest payday as a fact that may surprise many of his fans.
Speaking with Cohen in late June, Schwarzenegger, who played Julius Benedict alongside Danny DeVito‘s Vincent, revealed the creative deal behind his massive earnings. He noted,
“Because we got no money, no salary but with ownership with got a piece of the backend.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor. The arrangement enabled both leads to claim a share of the film’s profits rather than a traditional up-front salary, resulting in an unforeseen windfall.
Reflecting on the lucrative back-end deal, Schwarzenegger added,
“We went all the way to the bank with that one.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor. Although he did not share the exact number, he acknowledged,
“It was more than any movie I’ve ever made, let’s just put it that way.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor.
Plans for a Sequel and the Loss of Ivan Reitman
Years later, Schwarzenegger and DeVito hoped to recreate their winning chemistry with a sequel, tentatively titled Triplets. However, plans were derailed by director Ivan Reitman’s passing.
“The sequel would have been called Triplets,”
said Schwarzenegger.
“And it was not done because the director Ivan Reitman passed away just before we wanted to started shooting the movie.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor. Schwarzenegger revealed that Eddie Murphy had been slated to join the cast as the third sibling, stating,
“Eddie Murphy would have been the triplet.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor.
Despite the setback, the bond between Schwarzenegger, DeVito, and their late director has endured. Danny DeVito reflected on their collaboration:
“When we lost Ivan, rest his soul, we were about to work with him again on a sequel for Twins,”
he told Entertainment Tonight in February 2024.
“I think where my head is—and I think Arnold’s in the same spot—we want to work together. We want to do another movie together, whether it’s a sequel or a new element that’s another story. Just has to be good, funny, entertaining for us that fits with our characters, and what people want to see. And that’s what we’re aiming for.”
—Danny DeVito, Actor.
Schwarzenegger also emphasized the unique dynamic with DeVito:
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a chemistry and you cannot make that up with acting or anything like that,”
he shared.
“It is the number one most important thing you’ve got to like each other, respect each other and you just click. When we did Twins we recognized when we did the first few scenes how much fun we were together and how Danny plays off me and I play off Danny. It’s just a match made in heaven, really.”
—Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor.
Other Stars Recall Surprise Paydays—or the Lack Thereof
Schwarzenegger’s tale is just one of many examples where unexpected financial outcomes defied assumptions about Hollywood paydays. Stars from across film and television have spoken out about their compensation, rewarding deals, and persistent inequities.
Dancing With the Stars Contestants and Pros on Compensation
Jenna Johnson, a pro dancer on Dancing With the Stars, elaborated on the program’s payment structure, noting,
“whoever makes it to the finale, you all get paid up until then,”
and
“And you do get a nice bonus.”
—Jenna Johnson, Dancer. She clarified,
“it’s not like you get a million dollars. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.”
—Jenna Johnson, Dancer. Johnson added,
“You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks.”
—Jenna Johnson, Dancer. Reports suggest pros begin around $1,200 to $1,600 per episode, rising to potentially $100,000 per season, while celebrities can earn upwards of $125,000 plus bonuses for continued success.
Jennifer Lawrence Spotlights the Gender Pay Gap
Jennifer Lawrence, an Oscar winner, received $25 million for Don’t Look Up, while Leonardo DiCaprio earned $30 million for the same film. Lawrence addressed this in Vanity Fair:
“Look, Leo brings in more box office than I do,”
and went on to explain,
“I’m extremely fortunate and happy with my deal. But in other situations, what I have seen—and I’m sure other women in the workforce have seen as well—is that it’s extremely uncomfortable to inquire about equal pay. And if you do question something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s not gender disparity but they can’t tell you what exactly it is.”
—Jennifer Lawrence, Actor.
Her advocacy continued, especially after the Sony email hack revealed significant gender pay discrepancies. To Channel 4 News, Lawrence said,
“I’m so fortunate to have my job. My problem is not money,”
and clarified,
“I wasn’t upset that I only got this many millions for a movie. That’s ridiculous. I was angry about the unfairness and inequality.”
—Jennifer Lawrence, Actor.
Jonah Hill Accepts Minimal Pay for a Dream Role
Jonah Hill accepted only $60,000 before fees and taxes for his work on The Wolf of Wall Street, in stark contrast to his co-star’s $10 million. Hill reflected to Howard Stern,
“They gave me the lowest amount of money possible,”
and explained his motivation:
“I would sell my house and give him all my money to work for [Scorsese],”
and,
“This isn’t what you make money for. You do 22 Jump Street or you do other things, and you can pay your rent. I would have done anything in the world. I would do it again in a second. This isn’t about money. You should do things that you care about.”
—Jonah Hill, Actor.
Oprah Winfrey Cherishes Her Role in The Color Purple
Oprah Winfrey starred in The Color Purple for a modest sum, recalling,
“They were only offering $35,000 to be in this film, and it is the best $35,000 I ever earned,”
and explaining,
“It changed everything and taught me so much.”
—Oprah Winfrey, Media Mogul.
Jennifer Lopez Breaks Barriers and Takes Risks
Jennifer Lopez became the first Latina actress to make $1 million for a film when she starred in Selena. Lopez told Variety,
“I was too young and didn’t know what the hell was going on,”
and
“It was great they offered me a million dollars. I feel like everyone was making a statement.”
—Jennifer Lopez, Actor. She later said to GQ,
“I do things because I love them,”
and
“I didn’t get paid a whole bunch of money for Hustlers. I did it for free and produced it. I bank on myself, you know? Like Jenny From the Block—I do what I love.”
—Jennifer Lopez, Actor.
Adrien Brody Sacrifices for His Art
Adrien Brody accepted $250,000 for his role as a Hungarian architect in The Brutalist, focusing on artistic achievement over financial gain. Brody said to Variety,
“I need a studio movie now, because I’ve poured it all into this,”
referencing the
“barn that looks like a castle”
in New York he was renovating.
Pete Davidson Comments on SNL Pay
Comedian Pete Davidson recounted his early SNL earnings to New York magazine by joking,
“Do you guys know what they pay us?”
and,
“It’s like three grand an episode, so I think I got dinner.”
—Pete Davidson, Actor.
Kenan Thompson’s Humble Beginnings in Entertainment
Kenan Thompson, now one of Saturday Night Live’s longest-running cast members, remarked in Demi Lovato’s documentary,
“That first commercial when they paid me, it was $800,”
adding,
“I was 12 so that may as well have been a million dollars.”
—Kenan Thompson, Actor.
Lauren Graham on Lacking Streaming Residuals
Lauren Graham, star of Gilmore Girls, observed,
“There really are no residuals on Netflix,”
and continued,
“But I’ve been paid in love and appreciation.”
—Lauren Graham, Actor.
Tommy Dorfman Shares Streaming Series Pay Struggles
During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Tommy Dorfman disclosed her 13 Reasons Why earnings:
“my earnings for the entire first season of 13 reasons why were $29,953.24 prior to agency and manager fees (20%) and taxes,”
and continued,
“i did all of the promo and had KEY ART for this show, flew round trip from NYC to SF to shoot for every episode, was kept for days without pay/working. i barely qualified for insurance.”
Dorfman emphasized the imbalance:
“within the first 28 days of release, the show’s season 1 garnered a total of 476 million view hours. this is why we strike.”
—Tommy Dorfman, Actor.
Dax Shepard on Self-Imposed Salary Blindness
Dax Shepard, known for Parenthood, admitted,
“among the lowest of all the actors”
on the series, and said,
“Every job I had ever had in my life prior to Parenthood, I made a point to find out what everyone was making,”
and,
“I’d always figure it out—either a conversation where I get it out of them or I backchannel through an agent.”
—Dax Shepard, Actor. On Parenthood, he chose not to seek out salary information from his castmates, seeking instead to enjoy the collaborative experience.
George Clooney Worked for a Dollar on a Passion Project
George Clooney revealed to the Los Angeles Times,
“I got a dollar for writing the script,”
and,
“I had to endorse my check for directing and turn in my acting salary. [Actor, cowriter and coproducer Grant Heslov] and I each made a buck for doing it.”
—George Clooney, Actor. Their commitment to the film Good Night, and Good Luck was a labor of conviction rather than profit.
Christian Bale Took Minimum Pay for American Psycho
Christian Bale described his compensation for American Psycho:
“the absolute minimum they were legally allowed to pay me,”
due to lack of interest from the production, except from director Mary Harron. Bale recounted,
“sitting in the makeup trailer and the makeup artists were laughing at me because I was getting paid less than any of them.”
—Christian Bale, Actor.
Jon Heder Receives Bare Minimum for Napoleon Dynamite
Jon Heder confirmed that his initial paycheck for Napoleon Dynamite was a mere $1,000. Success allowed him to renegotiate for profits, later explaining,
“They went a little bit higher.”
—Jon Heder, Actor.
Djimon Hounsou Expresses Ongoing Pay Disparities
Despite acclaimed roles in Amistad and Blood Diamond, Djimon Hounsou shared his ongoing struggle:
“I’ve been in this business and making films now over two decades,”
and,
“And still—with two Oscar nominations and been in many big blockbuster films—and yet I’m still struggling financially to make a living.”
—Djimon Hounsou, Actor.
Rebel Wilson Climbs from SAG Minimum to Massive Payouts
Rebel Wilson wrote in her memoir that her Bridesmaids pay was $3,500, which she had to pay to join the union:
“a fee that I then had to pay directly to the Screen Actors Guild to join the union. So really, I got paid nothing.”
—Rebel Wilson, Actor. Yet, her fortunes changed as she moved from $65,000 for Pitch Perfect to $10 million for Pitch Perfect 3, but she tallied how little of that she took home after taxes and commissions:
“lost almost 50 percent to taxes, 10 percent to agents and 5 percent”
to her lawyer, but ultimately
“netted what to me was an absolute fortune.”
—Rebel Wilson, Actor.
Ellen Pompeo Fights for Equity on Grey’s Anatomy
After years as the face of Grey’s Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo successfully negotiated a major pay increase, telling The Hollywood Reporter,
“I’m 48 now, so I’ve finally gotten to the place where I’m OK asking for what I deserve, which is something that comes only with age,”
and,
“Because I’m not the most ‘relevant’ actress out there. I know that’s the industry perception because I’ve been this character for 14 years. But the truth is, anybody can be good on a show season one and two. Can you be good 14 years later? Now, that’s a f–kin’ skill.”
—Ellen Pompeo, Actor. Despite this, she addressed persistent inequity, saying on Call Her Daddy,
“Just being that I was the namesake of the show, I deserved the same and that was harder to get. I wasn’t salty about him getting what he got. I was salty that they didn’t value me as much as they valued him and they never will.”
—Ellen Pompeo, Actor.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle Recall Early Paydays
Jamie Lee Curtis was paid only $2,000 a week—$8,000 total—for Halloween, her film debut, with Curtis noting that “nobody got paid, anything.” Meanwhile, Nick Castle said,
“That was a lot at the time!”
and added,
“You have to remember: My interest in doing the film was being on set, so I could demystify the experience of filmmaking and directing. I expected to hang around the set for no money. But hey, $25 per day, and all I had to do was wear a rubber mask.”
—Nick Castle, Actor.
Taraji P. Henson Breaks Down the Math on Oscar-Nominated Work
For her Oscar-nominated performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Taraji P. Henson received $150,000 after initially being offered $100,000, a decision she reached after her $500,000 request was declined. Henson reflected on lead actors‘ pay,
“You don’t hear a lot of $20 million quotes anymore, but at this time that was happening,”
and added,
“And rightfully so—I’m not saying they shouldn’t have paid Cate and Brad what they deserved.”
—Taraji P. Henson, Actor. She justified her request:
“I’m bringing a certain amount to the seat too and I felt like what I was asking at that time in my career was fair, was fair to the ticket sales that I would contribute to this big film. Wouldn’t do it.”
—Taraji P. Henson, Actor. Henson explained the impact of deductions:
“I know people go, ‘$150,000, that’s a lot of money!’”
and,
“I don’t ever want people to think that I’m ungrateful because that is not me.”
She explained,
“Uncle Sam is going to take 50 percent of that, so now you’re left with, what? $75,000. Now before Uncle Sam takes the money, I have to pay my team before taxes, 30 percent. So once Uncle Sam takes his 75, then I got another 30 that’s coming off of that 75, so I may have made $40,000?”
—Taraji P. Henson, Actor.
Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom on Lord of the Rings Pay
Cate Blanchett dismissed the notion that her biggest check came from the billion-dollar Lord of the Rings franchise, joking,
“No one got paid anything to do that movie…I mean, I basically got free sandwiches, and I got to keep my ears.”
—Cate Blanchett, Actor. Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas, shared that he made $175,000 for the trilogy.
Shifting Attitudes and the Enduring Debate Over Hollywood Pay
Stories from Schwarzenegger and his peers reveal a complex reality—one where pay does not consistently follow fame, genre, or even box office success. While Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Twins movie biggest payday set a new standard for creative back-end deals, many actors still contend with pay gaps, evolving compensation models, and the fundamental question of value in an evolving entertainment landscape. Whether Hollywood’s biggest names or newcomers, actors continue to speak up, highlighting the industry’s persistent turbulence over compensation, equity, and recognition, making the discussion as active and emotional as ever.
