David Spade spoke out critically about his Disney salary for the animated film The Emperor’s New Groove, revealing he was paid far less than other stars of major animated movies. The actor, known for voicing Kuzco in the 2000 film, shared his frustration on his podcast with Dana Carvey, emphasizing the significant pay gap compared to later Disney and DreamWorks productions.
David Spade Details His Low Salary Experience on Podcast
During an episode of Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade, Spade described how Disney framed his role as an “honor” rather than a well-compensated job. He explained that he was the last actor for whom this philosophy was applied before big-budget animated films dramatically increased voice actors’ paychecks.
I was the last guy to do a Disney movie where they said it was an honor and that’s why I didn’t get a lot of money,
Spade said.
And then they came out with ‘Shrek’ and everyone got 5 million bucks. I go, ‘Wait, what the f— is going on?’
Co-host Dana Carvey added that Spade was initially reported to have been paid $18,000, to which Spade corrected himself stating,
No, I got $75,000, which sounds like a lot. It was a lot.
Guest Denis Leary supported Spade’s claim by calling out Disney for underpaying him.
They ripped you off,
Leary said, and Spade agreed bluntly,
They rat f—ed me,
illustrating his sense of being shortchanged relative to other voice actors in animated hits.
Challenging Production of The Emperor’s New Groove
Spade previously discussed the challenging and prolonged recording process for The Emperor’s New Groove. Initially, he worked on a different project, a discarded version called The Princess and the Pauper, which featured Owen Wilson and Carla Gugino. After executives rejected that version, only the concept of a talking llama survived into what became the final film.
I did that for a year and a half,
Spade recounted on his podcast in 2023.
Then some executive saw it, hated it and scrapped it. They kept only the idea of a talking llama.
He continued to describe the extended timeline, noting,
It was another year and a half [of recording]… I got really crabby by the end. We were just making up stuff as we went.
Spade highlighted that the compensation did not match the lengthy work or the movie’s success.
They told me it was ‘an honor’ to be in a Disney movie. I was the last of the ‘honors’ – this was right before ‘Shrek,’ where everyone started getting $20 million deals. The movie did not pay for the house we are recording in.
Comparison to Other Animated Film Salaries and Industry Context
The shock over Spade’s relatively modest pay is underscored by the huge revenues generated by animated films following The Emperor’s New Groove. While he received $75,000, the releases after his had voice actors earning multimillion-dollar deals. For example, the stars of Shrek received payments reportedly around $5 million and sometimes even $20 million.
Denis Leary, who voices Diego in the Ice Age franchise, mentioned on the podcast that negotiations for Ice Age 6 involved demands for higher salaries. He pointed out that streaming data revealed massive adult and child audiences for such movies, which increased their market value significantly.
They didn’t know this, but I guess they were discovering. The problem is these movies – and it’s a plus, not a problem – they’re getting streamed like crazy. So now they can see the numbers of what’s really streaming. The ‘Ice Age’ movies, apparently by adults and kids, were getting streamed like crazy.
Leary explained.
The three main actors, including Ray Romano and John Leguizamo, agreed to return for the next installment after insisting on reviewing the script and a higher paycheck.
So we did the right thing, which was basically all three of us said, ‘Hey, we need to see the script and make sure it’s going to be good,’
Leary said.
We play hard to get, plus we need a lot of money,
he added.
So it worked out.
Significance of the Salary Gap and Industry Changes
David Spade’s account highlights a transitional period in the animation industry when voice actors began commanding significant salaries as studios realized the profitability and audience demand for animated films. His experience reflects a mix of frustration and the shifting valuation of voice work in major studios like Disney and DreamWorks.
As streaming platforms continue to offer detailed data on viewership, actors and creators have more leverage in contract negotiations. This evolving landscape may ensure that actors in franchises like Ice Age receive compensation more aligned with a project’s success and popularity, contrasting sharply with the earlier Disney “honor” model that Spade experienced.
