Actors can rake in millions for starring in Hollywood blockbusters. But, despite earning an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street, Jonah Hill was paid the bare minimum.
The 2013 film follows controversial stockbroker Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, as he cheats his way to the top.
Hill features as stockbroker Donnie Azoff, who helps Belfort run his 'pump and dump' fraud scheme.
Advert
The actor was so excited to work with director and co-producer Martin Scorsese that he happily accepted just $60,000 (£48,000) for the role.
Speaking on The Howard Stern Show back in 2014, he said: "I got to f***ing be in a Martin Scorsese movie and I just got nominated for an Oscar.
"I'm tripping out, Howard ... I'm in shock. I'm totally in shock."
Hill said he would have done anything to be in the flick, even if that meant taking home the minimum wage.
Advert
"They gave me the lowest amount of money possible, that was their offer,” he said.
"I said, 'I will sign the paper tonight. Fax me the papers tonight.'
"I want to sign them tonight before they change their mind. I want to sign them before I go to sleep tonight so they legally can't change their mind."
Advert
Radio host Stern then cut in to clarify if that meant the actor ‘got paid $60,000 for that movie.'
Hill continued: "It was the minimum. I think SAG minimum is something like $60,000 before commissions and taxes.
"Yeah, for an almost seven-month shoot. I would sell my house and give him all my money to work for [Scorsese] ... I would have done anything in the world. I would do it again in a second."
He added: "It's not about money for me. None of this s**t is about money.
Advert
“I want to make money to pay my rent, and hopefully have a family one day and have kids and stuff."
While The Wolf of Wall Street is packed with wild scenes, one of its most memorable wasn't even in the script.
Matthew McConaughey has a small part in the film as eccentric senior stockbroker Mark Hanna, who takes Jordan under his wing as he's starting out on Wall Street.
Advert
Over a lunch meeting, Mark shares some top tips with Jordan - namely that he should masturbate twice a day and use cocaine regularly.
Between shooting, McConaughey had been thumping on his chest and humming.
It was a sort of meditative ritual the Oscar-winning actor had been using for a while, as a means of clearing his head, preparing his voice and finding his rhythm.
DiCaprio suggested that they try to incorporate it into the scene, and the rest is history.
Topics: TV and Film, Jonah Hill, Celebrity
Bec Oakes