Sean Astin revealed in a recent interview that his salary for the Lord of the Rings trilogy was so low he had to sell his house. The actor earned about $250,000 total for playing Samwise Gamgee across the three films.
Astin spoke to The Guardian about the early 2000s experience. He said he negotiated a small amount for the entire trilogy and was unprepared for the attention that followed the movies' success.
The films grossed $2.9 billion worldwide. Astin noted a disconnect between the visibility he gained and his financial situation at the time. He added that he is now very comfortable financially.
Co-stars Elijah Wood and Orlando Bloom have shared similar accounts of modest pay. Wood said the cast received not massive salaries because the studio shot all three films at once. Bloom earned $175,000 for the trilogy.
Astin said he will fight for better pay if asked to return for upcoming projects. He confirmed his stance with the words "Goddamn right."