We thought we were asking for what was fair for me, at the time., Related By summer 1994, Maryland Film Office chief Jack Gerbes was approached with the possibility of making the film in Baltimore. I have a problem, and I will speak up. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy romantic drama film directed by David Fincher. In May 1945, Benjamin returns to New Orleans, reuniting with Queenie and learns that Mr. Weathers died. Ultimately, Henson took the role because she felt there were so few parts with weight for black actors at the time. The train station was built as a 3D model and lighting and aging effects were added, using Next Limit's Maxwell rendering softwarean architectural visualization tool. She was proven wrong. Believing he cannot be a proper father due to his reverse aging, Benjamin sells his assets, leaves the money for Daisy and Caroline, and leaves to travel alone during the 1970s. Brad Pitt initially took a salary cut in order to appear in the star-studded 2001 movie Oceans 11, receiving $10 million for his role. the movie's premise devalues any relationship, makes futile any friendship or romance, and spits, not into the face of destiny, but backward into the maw of time. [8] In May 2004, director David Fincher entered negotiations to replace Ross in directing the film.[9]. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's total production budget was $150 million, and it grossed nearly $334million at the global box office. When she arrives, they explain that he was living in a condemned building, was taken to the hospital in poor physical condition, and that his diary had her name on it. Sounds like money well spent. Pitt played J.D., a cowboy-hat-wearing small-time crook who ends up seducing Geena Davis Thelma and then robbing the duo. "This is exactly how a studio can get away with paying the person whose name is third on the call sheet of a big-budget film less than 2 percent what it's paying the person whose name is listed first," the actor explained. Pitt continued to make interesting choices in roles, worried about being typecast because of his boyish good looks. Pitts salary would most likely not have been anywhere comparable to the one he receives for his movie roles at any rate. Scott praised Fincher and writes "Building on the advances of pioneers like Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Robert Zemeckis, Mr. Fincher has added a dimension of delicacy and grace to digital filmmaking" and further states: "While it stands on the shoulders of breakthroughs like Minority Report, The Lord of the Rings and Forrest Gump, Benjamin Button may be the most dazzling such hybrid yet, precisely because it is the subtlest." 2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, Taraji P. Henson Says TV, More than Film, Paved the Way for Black Women Leads (and Wants to Play a Man), Sophie Turner Understands 'Game of Thrones' Pay Gap, Says Kit Harington Deserves Higher Salary, Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 45 Films the Director Wants You to See. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. [26], As of November 1, 2009, the film had sold 2,515,722 DVD copies and had generated $41,196,515 in sales revenue. Im not saying they shouldnt get what theyre getting. I would have loved it. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. More info. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Brad Pitt currently has a net worth of a whopping $300 million. I convinced them to add in a little more, but that's as high as they'd go.'". The Criterion release includes over three hours of special features, and a documentary about the making of the film. The actress revealed there was a recent studio movie she walked away from because executives offered her half the salary they originally agreed to when she first boarded the project. The 225 Best Horror Movies of All Time The star, who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series in January for her role as Cookie Lyon on Empire , said she was paid "sofa change" in comparison to Pitt and co-star Cate Blanchett for the David Fincher-directed drama. I felt like what I was asking, at that time of my career, was fair to the ticket sales that I would contribute to this big film, Henson recalled of trying to negotiate her salary. The fact that Henson had to pay her way through filming Benjamin Buttonwhile I'm assuming Pitt and Blanchett did notis beyond screwed up. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Black actresses are "consistently charged with diving for the crumbs of the scraps, lest we starve," she says. Henson starred alongside Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in the 2008 film. 'They came in at the lowest of six figures. He co-starred with Ormond in Legends of the Fall, with Flemyng in Snatch, with Jared Harris in Ocean's Twelve, with Blanchett in Babel and with Swinton in Burn After Reading. The consensus reads: "Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an epic fantasy tale with rich storytelling backed by fantastic performances. However, not only was Henson paid less than 2% of Pitt's salary, she also hadto pay for her own accommodation while the film shoton location. Benjamin visits terminally-ill Thomas and learns the details of his birth and family. Shewill also star in the upcominghighly anticipatedfilmHidden Figures, a movie many believe has tons of Oscar potential. How much did Brad Pitt get paid for Benjamin Button? However, she said that has led to her being labelled with the strong Black woman stereotype. The movie has generated rave reviews . "Me? Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, TV Star Salaries Emblematic of Diversity Problem, Emmys 2016: All the News on 'Game of Thrones' Season 7, Why Daniel Radcliffe Really Wants to Appear on 'GoT', Steven Avery Speaks to Dr. Phil About Getting Engaged. We can assume it was most likely in the range of $20 million, as that is Pitt's usual asking price. Around The Way Girlis available in bookstores now. The actress writes: Both Brad and Cate got millionsWith bated breath, I sat by the phone for hours, waiting for [my manager] to call and tell me the number that I thought would make me feel good: somewhere in the mid six figures no doubt a mere percentage of what Brad was bringing home to Angelina and their beautiful babies, but something worthy of a solid up-and-coming actress with a decent amount of critical acclaim for her work. In terms of the basic requirements of three-reel drama the film lacks substance, credibility, a decent script and characters you might actually care for. [17], In March 2007, production moved to Los Angeles for two more months of filming. Because she's a woman? You can unsubscribe at any time. By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our. Henson said she refuses to sell herself short and knows what shes worth because she has the track record to prove it. The actress also said she approaches salaries from a fair perspective. In fact, there was a time when she couldn't even get her on-location living expenses covered by a film studio. The Best Picture Race Got a Lot More Confusing This Week, Tom Cruise Made the Rounds This Week, but Other Oscar Nominees Got More Applause Than Top Gun: Maverick, These Oscar Categories Are the Hardest to Predict, Translating the Unconscious Into Images: The Cinematography of Bardo, Poker Face Takes Viewers on a Cross-Country Road Trip Without Leaving New York, Why TR Looks Different from Every Other Movie of 2022, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. Just like he did for his role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt agreed to take a pay cut in order to appear in Quentin Tarantinos Inglourious Basterds. [The studio] wouldnt do itand then I was gutted.. The latest reveal comes from Henson who played Queenie in 2008s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. Im number three on the call sheet. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Does that make sense to you? What's less clear is whether it entirely earns its own inflated sense of self-importance" and further says, "It plays too safe when it should be letting its freak flag fly. According to the actor that meant "three months of hotel expenses would be coming directly out of my pocket. And there was a catch: She also had to pay for her "own location fees while filming in New Orleans." [10] In September 2006, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng and Taraji P. Henson entered negotiations to be cast into the film. She says her salary was dwarfed in comparison to the millions Pitt and leading lady Cate Blanchett were paid for their roles. Im not allowed to be angry? She later visits him at his hotel, where they have sex and part once more. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. ), "three months of hotel expenses would be coming directly out of my pocket," Henson wrote. Henson chose to take the role in Benjamin Button in spite of the minimal pay because of the potential expansion it could provide for her career. Pour en savoir plus sur notre utilisation de vos informations, veuillez consulter notre Politique relative la vie prive et notre Politique en matire de cookies. She was also forced to pay for her own accommodation while filming, meaning she had to fork out enough for three months of hotels expenses. Simply put, she is killing it. The star, who won . An actor's wages often depend less on how much screen time they have or how prominent a role they play, and more on their "star value" and negotiating skills. Related: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Brad Pitt. ), According to Henson, Blanchett and Pitt received "millions" for their roles in the filmbut she didn't expect that much. Honeycutt states the bottom line about Benjamin Button is that it is "an intimate epic about love and loss that is pure cinema. Mini Bio (1) William Bradley "Brad" Pitt was born on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri to Jane Etta Pitt (ne Hillhouse), a school counselor & William Alvin "Bill" Pitt, a truck company manager. Producer Ray Stark bought the film rights to do the short story in the mid-1980s with Universal Pictures backing the film, but struggled to get the project off the ground until he sold the rights to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in the 1990s. The Night of 12 won ! Although it's been eight years since the release of Benjamin Button, key roles for black actresses in Hollywood movies are still few and far between, and there's little doubtthat the situation described above still persists. Allied is released in UK cinemas on November 25, 2016. Thomas gives his button manufacturing company and estate to Benjamin before dying. In an open letter published last year, actress Jennifer Lawrence reflected on the reveal that she and Amy Adams had been paid less than their male co-stars for American Hustle. I knew the stakes: No matter how talented, no matter how many accolades my prior work had received, if I pushed for more money, Id be replaced and no one would so much as blink.". One particular excerpt details Henson's stomach-churning salary negotiations for her work in 2008's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The film was optioned in 1991 by Steven Spielberg, with Tom Cruise attached for the lead role, but Spielberg left the project to direct Jurassic Park and Schindler's List. And, lets be honest, hes earned a good deal of money through his endorsement deals too. I convinced them to add in a little more, but thats as high as theyd go. In January 2007, Blanchett joined the shoot. In 1962, Daisy returns to New Orleans and reunites with Benjamin. Meanwhile Pitt is starring in Robert Zemeckis WW2 romantic thriller, Allied. The star said the experience helped her to realise her worth and start standing up for herself. Wednesday, 1st March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Taraji P. Henson is currently starring in music industry drama Empire, which airs Wednesday nights on FOX. I understand why we took that on, Black women being the bottom of the totem pole, never being seen," she said. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. With five Caesars, Dominik Moll's unsolved feminicide won everything at the ceremony on Friday evening. In autumn 1936, Benjamin leaves for a long-term work engagement with the tugboat crew and travels around the world. All Rights Reserved. We do know that Pitts episode was the subject of some controversy due to the insensitive handling of some of its subject matter. "I knew the stakes. The film has come to gross $127.5 million domestically and $208.3 million in foreign markets, with a total gross of $335.8 million. [21], The score to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was written by French composer Alexandre Desplat, who recorded his score with an 87-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage.[22]. Aglow in the wonderment of time, the film captures the poetry and pain of life with such originality that audiences may not want to awake from the dream the film casts upon them. She was also listed as the third principal actor in the movie, after Pitt and Cate Blanchett. But while Lawrence wasalready a big star thanks to the success of the Hunger Games movies, and potentially could have negotiated harder,other actors are not so fortunate. The film was a box office success, grossing $335.8 million worldwide against its $167 million budget. Working from a screenplay by Eric Roth, David Fincher clocks in again as one of the most exciting voices . I didn't buy it for a second. She explained that, after paying her team, she took home $40,000 for her role in the box office hit that grossed over $335.8m (237m) worldwide. Angelina Jolie currently has a net worth of $120 million in 2022. Since then, she has made a name for herself in the French drag scene and is also the host of The Brunch and Queen, the most famous drag bunch in Paris.. More recently, Lolita Banana was on Season 1 of RuPaul's Drag Race, France. Her explosive lead role on Fox's Empire has earned her two Emmy . Principal photography began in November 2006 and wrapped up in September 2007. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Are Divorcing 'For the Health of the Family', it appears Willis actually just donated his salary to charity, the insensitive handling of some of its subject matter, Brad Pitt Accuses Angelina Jolie of Harming Wine Brand, Brad Pitt agreed to take a cut to his usual salary request, Brad Pitts asking price for movie roles was $17.5 million. "Both Brad and Cate got millions With bated breath, I sat by the phone for hours, waiting for [mymanager] to call and tell me the number that I thought would make me feel good: somewhere in the mid six figures no doubt a mere percentage of what Brad was bringing home to Angelina and their beautiful babies, but something worthy of a solid up-and-coming actress with a decent amount of critical acclaim for her work. "Insult, meet injury.". Salary Was Less Than 2 Percent of Brad Pitt's. Taraji P. Henson is one of Hollywood's most in-demand actresses. She told Laura Brown of Ladies First that she used the money toward her sons tuition. Lolita Banana discovered drag in 2018 while salsa dancing at a campsite in France. The film also stars Taraji P. Henson . Empire actor Taraji P. Henson has made claims that she was paid just 2 percent of what her co-star Brad Pitt earned on the Oscar-nominated The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I didnt even ask them [on Benjamin Button] for a million.. I dont open movies like he does, so I cant expect to get what hes getting, Henson said. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button actress Taraji P. Henson was paid less than 2% of Brad Pitt's salary, and also had to pay for her own accommodation. . Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in. Taraji P. Henson is one of Hollywood's most in-demand actresses. En cliquant sur Accepter tout, vous acceptez que Yahoo et nos partenaires traitent vos informations personnelles et utilisent des technologies telles que les cookies pour afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss, et des fins de mesure des publicits et des contenus, dtude des audiences et de dveloppement de produit. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms. Longer than me, and lets give it to him that man opens films. Hurricane Katrina floods a storage room holding Mr. Gateau's clock, which continues to tick backwards. Alas, I couldnt get served at that particular restaurant.. "[38] Kimberley Jones of the Austin Chronicle panned the film and stated, "Fincher's selling us cheekboned movie stars frolicking in bedsheets and calling it a great love. Henson said the salary was a bump up from the original salary offer of $100,000, a far cry from the half a million she was expecting considering she was the third billed actress in a David Fincher studio movie. 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