14. Taraji P. Henson
Project: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Proposed Salary: $500,000*
Outcome: Denied, paid just $150,000 instead*
In the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Queenie earned Taraji P. Henson a salary of $500,000, according to estimates. After all, she was just the third-billed actress in the film, nominated for an Academy Award and directed by renowned filmmaker David Fincher, who was also nominated for an Academy Award. On the other hand, the actress claimed that the package she received was a long cry from what she had anticipated.
She received only $150,000 from the picture, which was significantly less than the sums received by its significant stars, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Ms. Henson expressed disappointment in receiving the full, claiming she should have been paid more in line with her original proposal of a half-million-dollar salary.
14. Taraji P. Henson
15. Sharon Stone
Project: Basic Instinct
Proposed Salary: $14 million*
Outcome: Denied, paid just $500,000
Basic Instinct would have been nothing if it hadn’t been for Sharon Stone’s compelling and striking performance as the title character. Although she was paid only half a million dollars for her performance in the film, her moments were the most well-known, and it was shocking that she received such a small sum for her work.
Michael Douglas, her co-star, earned a total of $14 million. Stone had requested wage parity between herself and Douglas, but she was not provided with anything even close to that. She stated that she was given “minimal money” for her role. She recalled being constantly irritated that she wasn’t paid as much as her male co-stars. However, Basic Instinct was her breakout film and career-defining performance. Stone has become an outspoken champion for eliminating the wage gap that exists between male and female celebrities.
15. Sharon Stone
