How Much Does a Actor Make Per Movie?

Actors’ paychecks span a huge range – from almost nothing on tiny indie films to tens of millions for the biggest stars. In Hollywood, A-list movie stars often earn tens of millions of dollars per film. For example, The Hollywood Reporter estimated that top leads on big-budget films routinely command $15–$20 million each. Studios will even bid against one another: e.g. Netflix paid Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson $50 million up front for the movie Red Notice, and Margot Robbie reportedly made a similar amount (around $50M) as both star and co‐producer on Barbie. Forbes’ 2024 list of highest-paid actors (all income sources) put Johnson at $88M and Ryan Reynolds at $85M for the year, reflecting huge studio salaries plus backend deals.

Even beyond flat fees, A-list actors often get bonuses or profit shares. For instance, Leonardo DiCaprio earned about $25 million on The Wolf of Wall Street (mostly salary plus profit points). At the same time, co-stars on the same film make far less – CNN reported that Jonah Hill, a supporting actor in Wolf, was paid only $60,000 under the minimum-union contract, illustrating the steep drop-off. In other words, true A-list leads (Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Lawrence, Dwayne Johnson, etc.) can see nine-figure grosses on a movie, whereas secondary leads or newcomers on the same set often make six to seven figures or less.

Mid-Level and Character Actors

Actors with some name recognition – but not top-tier celebrities – typically earn far less than A-list stars. A “secondary lead” or experienced character actor might make in the low millions or high hundreds of thousands. For example, reports suggest a mid-level supporting actor in a blockbuster can get on the order of $1–4 million. (A study from Business Insider/THR noted “secondary” roles in The Force Awakens earned about $1.5–$4.5 million each.) In many cases these actors work under union (SAG-AFTRA) contracts, which set minimum rates by budget. Under SAG-AFTRA 2024 rates, a film budgeting $300K–$700K must pay performers at least $421 per day (about $1,463 per week), and for $700K–$2M budget it jumps to $783/day ($2,717/week). If budgets exceed $2M, the standard SAG “Basic” rates are even higher. These floors mean many mid-tier actors earn only in the tens of thousands on a given film unless negotiated higher. Indeed, the median annual income for all U.S. actors is under $50,000 – reflective of many actors working sporadically at union scale rates. Even so, a reliable character actor on multiple TV shows or indie films can approach a modest living (say $40–80K per year, depending on gigs), but they rarely hit movie-star money.

While top primetime TV stars can break the bank (see below), “mid-tier” often means genre/character actors in features – who might only get middle-of-the-bill payouts. As one example, David Lynch’s actor Henry Cavill (after Man of Steel) was paid just $300K upfront for that first big Superman movie – even though he later became famous. (Chris Hemsworth famously earned only $150K for the first Thor.) Such cases show that even future A-listers started with modest fees.

Indie and Low-Budget Films

In truly low-budget or indie films, actor pay can be very small. Many indies pay only union-minimum wages (or nothing) because of tiny budgets. Under the SAG-AFTRA Ultra-Low Budget agreement (films ≤$300K), the minimum is just $241 per day, with no required weekly guarantee. (For budgets $300K–$700K the SAG minimum is $421/day.) In practice, many new actors on indies accept even less or a share of future profits. For example, one analysis notes that in Nollywood (Nigeria’s film industry), entry-level actors might earn as little as 5,000 Naira (about $12 USD) per movie – essentially a token. In Hollywood indies, likewise, actors often “work for scale” or defer. Low-budget indie leads might end up with cumulative pay in the $10–30K range total, depending on schedule and deferrals. In short, indie actors rarely get rich: they usually earn union minimums (often a few hundred dollars a day) plus “points” if the film succeeds.

Streaming Shows and TV Series

Actors on streaming series and TV shows are typically paid by the episode or weekly under SAG-AFTRA TV contracts. For one-off guest appearances, SAG’s 2024 rates start at $1,204 per day or $4,180 per week. Regular series leads (depending on contract) earn much more. On major network shows, top sitcom stars earned up to $1 million per episode (e.g. The Big Bang Theory stars recently signed on at $1M/episode). Streaming platforms similarly pay big for hits: Stranger Things’ Winona Ryder and David Harbour each make about $350,000 per episode, and the younger leads around $150–250K/ep. And as streaming budgets balloon, pay can rise quickly: for instance, The Witcher’s Henry Cavill was paid about $400,000 per episode in Season 1 of the Netflix series, and his salary jumped to $1,000,000 per episode in Season 2 after the show’s success. Even so, actors on average still earn far less; many supporting players on TV survive on the SAG minimums noted above.

Actors on TV also often earn residuals or syndication fees (especially in broadcast TV), but streaming residuals are smaller. Overall, series regulars on top dramas or comedies can earn mid-six-figures per episode (adding up to millions a year), but off-screen and day-player roles are closer to the $2–5K/week SAG scale.

International Comparisons

Bollywood (India): India’s Hindi film stars command huge fees in rupees, though still generally below Hollywood megabucks. The richest Bollywood and South Indian actors now charge on the order of ₹100–300 crore per film (roughly $12–36 million USD). For example, Telugu star Allu Arjun was reported to earn about ₹300 crore ($36M) for Pushpa, and South-Indian superstar Rajinikanth reportedly charged ₹125 crore ($15M) for his 2023 film Jailer. Hindi stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan similarly earn in the multi-tens of millions USD range for big projects. Top Bollywood leading ladies (e.g. Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif) typically earn less, on the order of ₹15–30 crore ($1.8–3.6M) per film, though still high by Indian standards. In contrast, mid-tier Indian actors (supporting roles or smaller language-film heroes) might get ₹1–5 crore ($120K–600K), and newcomers often far less, depending on budget.

Nollywood (Nigeria): Nollywood operates at a much lower scale. A recent analysis estimates that top Nollywood stars may earn up to about ₦10 million (ten million Naira) for a major role. (At current rates, ₦10M is only around $24,000 USD.) Established Nollywood actors earn roughly ₦500,000–₦800,000 per film (about $1,200–$2,000). By contrast, unknowns or bit players might get as little as ₦5,000 (just ~$12) for a movie. These low salaries reflect Nollywood’s low budgets: many Nigerian films cost only $20K–$70K to produce. (For context, even a modest Hollywood indie might run hundreds of thousands of dollars.)

Europe and Other Markets: Unionized European film industries (e.g. UK, France) also set fixed minimum rates. In the UK, Equity’s theatrical film contract specifies, for instance, at least £570 per day for work on a film with budget ≥£3 million. Independent UK productions under £1M pay roughly half that. Overall, most European film actors earn far less than U.S. stars; a working British TV or film actor often earns in the low tens of thousands of pounds per year, with only a few leading TV star roles breaching six figures. (For comparison, a UK Equity survey found ~97% of its members earned up to £43,000 per year.) Smaller national film industries in countries like France, Germany or Mexico likewise pay lower fees – often maxing out at six-figure salaries for stars, and union minimums for others – though specific numbers vary by market.

Factors Affecting Pay

Several factors drive how much an actor is paid:

• Star Power & Box-Office Pull: Biggest factor is a star’s ability to attract audiences. Actors whose names guarantee box-office returns command the highest fees. Studios often say they pay top actors huge salaries because their name can turn a mid-budget movie into a billion-dollar hit. In practice, casting directors and agents use each actor’s past grosses and social media following to set their “quote.” A-list stars become vehicles for franchise success, so franchises pay premiums to keep them (e.g. Marvel spent heavily to retain Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, etc.).

• Project Budget and Scope: Higher-budget films pay more. Union contracts themselves tie minimum pay to budget: a big-studio film guarantees far higher rates than an indie. For example, as noted, UK actors on a film ≥£3M must get at least £570/day, whereas a “micro-budget” film might pay a few hundred a day (if union at all). In Hollywood, a movie’s financial stakes (and expected revenue) justify paying stars tens of millions on blockbusters, whereas indie budgets (or genre-TV budgets) can only support SAG-scale wages.

• Role Size and Screen Time: Leads earn more than supporting cast. A film’s billing list usually determines pay: lead actors negotiate top dollar, co-leads slightly less, and bit parts possibly only minimum. For example, Business Insider noted that Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot was paid only $150–300K for her first starring role (reflecting her then-unknown status), whereas a top star would have made $15–20M on the same project.

• Experience and Résumé: An actor’s track record matters. Producers look at an actor’s recent successes and longevity. Newcomers or TV actors crossing over may have to accept lower rates until proven, whereas Oscar winners or action stars have negotiation leverage. Also, an actor’s talent agent often benchmarks pay on similar talent’s deals.

• Franchise and Sequels: Participation in a franchise can bring huge raises (or reductions). Actors sometimes take smaller upfront fees on sequels in exchange for profit participation (“backend points”). For instance, Tom Cruise famously took $12M upfront on Minority Report but later earned over $75M on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (including backend). Conversely, new actors in an ongoing franchise may earn less than original stars. Margot Robbie’s dual role as star/producer on Barbie enabled her $50M payday, a scenario unlikely for a first-time lead.

In summary, star hierarchy is everything in acting pay. A handful of global movie stars command salaries in the tens of millions per picture (plus backend), while the vast majority of working actors earn far less – often union-scale wages or TV weekly rates. Streaming has raised TV and web series salaries dramatically for headline names (with some actors now making $300K–1M an episode), but this again accrues primarily to big leads. Regionally, Hollywood’s highest tiers out-earn other markets, though India’s top talent now rivals Western stars in pay when measured in local terms, and even Nollywood’s biggest names earn only a fraction of those sums.