Henson stated she was paid less than two percent of Brad Pitts salary, despite being the third star on the picture behind Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Queenie dies, and Benjamin and Daisy move in together. In a recent interview on the Ladies First With Laura Brown podcast, Henson reflected on the fee she had requested for the film. "'I'm sorry, Taraji,' Vince said quietly when we finally connected. All I was asking was $500,000 thats all we were asking for.. Sounds like money well spent. But Henson paid her dues for nearly 20 years in Hollywood before getting the pay she deserved. For those who might think that it's normal for actors to pay for their own accommodation during filming - it definitely is not. By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our. Principal photography began in November 2006 and wrapped up in September 2007. Simply put, she is killing it. If I work with Brad [Pitt] again, Im still not going to ask for what hes getting. [The studio] wouldnt do itand then I was gutted.. 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. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! [11] The following October, with production yet to begin, Julia Ormond was cast as Daisy's daughter, to whom Blanchett's character tells the story of her love for Benjamin Button. The actor alleged she was initially eyed for the part of a pregnant Russian sex worker named Daka in 2014's St. Vincent, starring opposite Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy, but the role ended up going to Naomi Watts. Or almost. [26], As of November 1, 2009, the film had sold 2,515,722 DVD copies and had generated $41,196,515 in sales revenue. Alas, I couldnt get served at that particular restaurant.. "I knew the stakes. 'Im sorry, Taraji,' Vince said quietly when we finally connected. 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. Henson played Queenie, the adoptive mother of Brad Pitt's titular character,and scored an Oscarnomination for Best Supporting Actress. The actress opened the box office hit What Men Want earlier this year and next stars in the drama The Best of Enemies, in theaters April 5. Digital Domain worked on the visual effects of the film, particularly in the process of the metamorphosis of Pitt's character. In 1962, Daisy returns to New Orleans and reunites with Benjamin. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. My audience was still getting to know me. Related: Brad Pitt Accuses Angelina Jolie of Harming Wine Brand. Does that make sense? We can assume it was most likely in the range of $20 million, as that is Pitt's usual asking price. It is not known exactly how much Brad Pitt was paid for his leading role in 2008's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a role which earned . Its hard for many of us to think of a time before Brad Pitt was famous. Thats it. Caretaker Queenie and cook Mr. Tizzy Weathers find the baby, and she raises him as her own, naming him Benjamin. The Hollywood pay gap has been a controversial topic over the last few years. ", Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies, Kristin Callahan/ACE Pictures/Shutterstock. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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 a blink.". [20] Overall production was finished in September 2007. Henson revealed that it was Perry, a Black man in Hollywood, who would give her the first million payday of her career. Slectionnez Grer les paramtres pour grer vos prfrences. Empireis ratings gold and Henson has racked up numerous nominations and wins for her role as Cookie Lyon. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! However, we do know that Pitts co-star, Taraji P. Henson, was paid less than 2% of Pitts salary for the movie, in a role that would go on to earn her an Academy Award nomination. All Rights Reserved. Aging in reverse, he eventually transitions from a wheelchair to crutches and learns to walk. Around The Way Girlis available in bookstores now. Pitt continued to make interesting choices in roles, worried about being typecast because of his boyish good looks. You can follow her on Twitter @HSW3K, Empire Star Reveals Shocking Benjamin Button Pay Gap Details, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Pitt and Jolie share six children, three biological and three adopted. Unfortunately, Henson says interest in her vanished quickly and she lost a number of juicyrolesto white actresses. Per Henson, her paycheck equated to just $40,000 after taxes were deducted and she paid her management team. You can unsubscribe at any time. 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. The 225 Best Horror Movies of All Time Taraji P. Henson arrives for the 68th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, September 18, 2016. Leading lady Bullock was able to earn the highest salary at $10 million, good for her! Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. However, last week it emerged that Henson and her co-star were being paid far less than many of their primetime television counterparts despite Empire being the highest-rated scripted drama on network television in the U.S. "The math really is pretty simple: There are way more talented black actresses than there are intelligent, meaningful roles for them, and were consistently charged with diving for the crumbs of the scraps, lest we starve," she wrote. "[39] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying that it is "a splendidly made film based on a profoundly mistaken premise. Related: Why Mahershala Ali Said He Wouldnt Do a Sex Scene for Benjamin Button. Considering the amount of movies hes most likely working on at any given time, this number tracks. It is not known exactly how much Brad Pitt was paid for his leading role in 2008s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a role which earned Pitt an Oscar nomination. 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, she said. "It was a meaty gig. I didn't buy it for a second. Related: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Brad Pitt. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an anodyne Hollywood film that offers a safe and sanitised view of life and death. For example, Mark Hamill was paidsomewhere in the low seven figures for his brief appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, while fresh-faced leads John Boyega and Daisy Ridley wereonlypaid between $100,000-300,000 each. Location fees (which include the costs of transporting the cast and crew to the planned filming location, and organizing accommodation for them) are as much a part of a movie's budget as on-set cateringor cameraequipment, so Henson's contract effectively meant that she had to partially fund the movie by covering those costs. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy romantic drama film directed by David Fincher. More info. Henson earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for playing Pitt's adoptive mother in the film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story. Todays biggest stories, from pop culture to politicsdelivered straight to your inbox. The actress is now playing Cookie Lyon, a main part in TVs Empire. I was just asking for half a million thats all. [10] In September 2006, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng and Taraji P. Henson entered negotiations to be cast into the film. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's total production budget was $150 million, and it grossed nearly $334million at the global box office. Taraji P. Henson Opens Up About Being Paid Less Than Brad Pitt For 'Benjamin Button'. And they gave me $100,000. We do know that Pitts episode was the subject of some controversy due to the insensitive handling of some of its subject matter. Related Hes also proved hes more than just a pretty face with several highly praised performances. "[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. This is exactly how a studio can get away with paying the person whos name is third on the call sheet of a big-budget film less than 2% what its paying the person whose name is listed first. Duncan, Jody (January, 2009) "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (soundtrack), Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)", "States' Film Production Incentives Cause Jitters", "Amid 'Transformers 3' filming, tax incentives come under scrutiny", "F. Scott Fitzgerald Gets a Second Act After All", "Ormond Joins Fincher's 'Benjamin Button', "Digital Replicas May Change Face of Films", "Alexandre Desplat scores David Fincher's 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', "Release dates for 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', "CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE (2008) A-", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Moviemaking at its best", "Film Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)", "Film review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Sunday Times Review", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Times Review", "The 81st Academy Awards (2009) Nominees and Winners", "2008 Austin Film Critics Association Awards", "Broadcast critics favor 'Milk,' 'Button', "Kristen Stewart, Angelina Jolie Lead The Pack For Best Female Performance", "2008 St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards", "Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2009", The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film), Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Picture, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(film)&oldid=1140319544, Films based on works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Films shot in the United States Virgin Islands, Films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, Films that won the Best Visual Effects Academy Award, Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award, Cultural depictions of Theodore Roosevelt, Films about motherdaughter relationships, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture, Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture, Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture, Peter Donald Badalamenti II as Benjamin Button (apparent adult), Charles Henry Wyson as Benjamin Button (apparent age 6), This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 15:03. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was originally slated for theatrical release in May 2008,[23] but it was pushed back to November 26, 2008. The pay gap in Hollywood has been a hot topic in recent years, but also a difficult one to pin down since there are so many factors involved. In Murmansk in 1941, Benjamin becomes smitten with Elizabeth Abbott, wife of a British trade minister. How long has he been doing this? "Both Brad and Cate got millions," writes Henson (via The Guardian). The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy romantic drama film directed by David Fincher.The storyline by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald.The film stars Brad Pitt as a man who ages in reverse and Cate Blanchett as the love interest throughout his life. Brad Pitt was born on Dec. 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Cmon Hollywood! 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. They came in at the lowest of six figures. Taraji P. Henson is one of Hollywood's most in-demand actresses. [34][35] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter felt the film was "superbly made and winningly acted by Brad Pitt in his most impressive outing to date." While the film had a budget of $167 million and grossed $335.8 million, Henson made very little for her contribution. Other directors attached were Patrick Read Johnson and Agnieszka Holland. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. Taraji P. Henson shined in 'Benjamin Button' but Henson says she wasn't paid adequately. I asked for half a million. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is a modern movie miracle. For his role with minimal screen time, Pitt still pulled in a cool $2 million, which is reportedly almost as much as leading man Tatum was paid at $2.5 million and actually equal to Daniel Radcliffes salary as the main antagonist. "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. [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]. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. He also gained around 20 pounds of muscle to play the Greek warriorso he made almost a million per pound! 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. When all was said and done, Pitt ended up earning around $30 million for his role in the hit movie. It is not known exactly how much Brad Pitt was paid for his leading role in 2008's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a role which earned Pitt an Oscar nomination. She recalls that on the day she was contacted about meeting with Fincher, she was actually hosting a garage sale to sell off some of her clothes and other possessions. Stars like Jennifer Lawrence have spoken up about male co-stars being paid more than their female counterparts. Henson praises Tyler Perry for being the first to pay her what shes worth. Back in 2005, having finally revealed that Benjamin is Caroline's father, Daisy dies. He befriends a visiting African Pygmy named Oti, who teaches him to look beyond the physical, and resident Mrs. Alas, I couldn't get served at that particular restaurant.". The film won all four awards it was nominated for at the 7th Visual Effects Society Awards, the categories of "Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture," "Best Single Visual Effect of the Year," "Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture," and "Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture.". It is not known exactly how much Brad Pitt was paid for his leading role in 2008's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a role which earned Pitt an Oscar nomination. Stark eventually sold the rights to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, who took the film to Paramount Pictures, with Universal still on as a co-production partner. What shes worth Supporting actress she has the track record to prove it the. 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