48. Valerie Harper
Project: Valerie
Proposed Salary: $100,000 per episode*
Outcome: Agreed, but then fired
Valerie was the title of the first episode of the sitcom The Hogan Family. Valerie Harper played the title character, and her presence on the show helped it become the smash hit that it was supposed to be from the start. Harper requested a raise from $56,750 per episode to $100,000 per episode by the second season.
Harper wasn’t going to take it, and neither were the studio execs who weren’t going to take it. She refused to act until a better deal was reached, but it still meant the end of the road for her even when a better agreement was born. Valerie’s character was killed off after only one episode was filmed under the new contract, and Harper was dismissed due to this.
48. Valerie Harper
49. Marcus Chong
Project: The Matrix Reloaded
Proposed Salary: $1 million*
Outcome: His character was cut
When characters abruptly disappear from a franchise, fans are naturally curious as to why. Marcus Chong starred as The Tank in The Matrix, although he was never seen again in the series after that. He was informed he would appear in the next two films, according to the complaint Chong eventually filed, but the company only offered him $400,000 for his participation.
Chong demanded $1 million, but executives were adamant in their refusal to give it to him. The entire situation was extremely tense on both sides, with The Tank being completely deleted from the films and Chong subsequently accusing the filmmakers of blackballing him and preventing him from working.
49. Marcus Chong
