Actor shares full amount he was paid by Netflix to star as an extra in Stranger Things
Stranger Things is one of Netflix's biggest ever success stories, and fans will be eagerly anticipating the final season ahead of its release this winter.
Although many of us have probably forgotten exactly what happened in season four of the show, given it's been over three years now since it first came out, there is still plenty of excitement as we prepare to return to Hawkins for the final time in November of this year.
Acting is, of course, a business where there is lots of money to be made, with the highest paid ones from last year receiving as much as $50 million for one role, so getting cast in any sort of Netflix show is sure to boost your bank account.
And now, Tristan Spohn, who appeared in five episodes of Stranger Things alongside Millie Bobby Brown as 'Number Two', has shared exactly how much he made from his first ever acting role, breaking it down into four stages.
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Extra costs for Netflix
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Tristan explains how he submitted his audition from his home in Texas, and Netflix then paid to have him flown out to Atalanta, where the fourth series was filmed.
They also shelled out for a personal driver to take him to and from the airport, which he expects would have cost around $700 each way. However, surprisingly, they didn't pay for his hotel at first, which meant that he couldn't afford food on his first night.
He stayed for six weeks at a very luxurious-looking hotel, something which Netflix refunded to him after the stay, and he reckons that would have set them back around $7,561, taking the total of extra costs well above $8,000.
Surprise bonus payments for being in Stranger Things
Being paid for sitting in a car sounds ideal, especially when you're not the one driving, and Tristan says he earned $150 an hour for travel time, which all added up to $2,485.
Fortunately, his 'per diem' payments soon arrived, which totalled $60 per day for food, which resulted in over $2,500 over the six weeks he was there, despite the fact there was free food available on set.
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
Finally, he also managed to get paid for filming some scenes twice, as they were used as flashbacks in later episodes, which remarkably landed him close to $4,000.
He's previously explained how he's able to continue making money even now due to the show's success, through residuals, but these extra cheques are welcome bonuses given he's made over $12k in the last three years just from people tuning in.
Main base pay
Taking into account reshoots and overtime, as well as his eye-catching $30,000 fee for six weeks of work, he earned around $36,000 for his base pay, without adding on the extra fees and bonuses.
If shaving my head can land me a role as one of the experiments in the next series, then Netflix, you know where to find me.
Total pay
Sadly, the existence of taxes makes this total pay a little less glamorous. Adding up all these fees took Tristan's pay to $58,662, which is crazy when you consider the huge amount of actors who appear in the show.
However, he paid around $15,000 in taxes while $4,400 went on an agency fee, meaning the final total was $38,593, something he feels would have been even more had he filmed the series two years later, after the 2023 strikes.
Still, nearly $40k for six weeks work, with free food, travel and a luxury hotel, doesn't sound half bad to me.
LADbible group has contacted Netflix for comment.
Topics: Stranger Things, Netflix, Millie Bobby Brown, TV, Entertainment
James Moorhouse