| Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms. In 1954, Daisy's dancing career ends when her leg is crushed in an automobile accident in Paris. 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. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. My audience was still getting to know me. TarajiP. Henson is speaking out about the salary she received for her role in the 2008 filmThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which she calls the equivalent of sofa change compared to co-stars Brad Pitt and CateBlanchett. Its hard for many of us to think of a time before Brad Pitt was famous. Principal photography began in November 2006 and wrapped up in September 2007. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button suggests an addendum: a life lived backwards can be far more enriching" and describes the film as "a magical and moving account of a man living his life resoundingly in reverse" and "moviemaking at its best. 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. [30] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A on scale of A to F.[31] .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}, Todd McCarthy of Variety magazine gave the film a positive review, calling it a "richly satisfying serving of deep-dish Hollywood storytelling. Principal photography was targeted to last a total of 150 days. 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. Alas, I couldn't get served at that particular restaurant.". 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.". In Henson's case, trying to drive a hard bargain wasn't really an option. Benjamin, physically a young man, returns to Daisy in 1980. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Aging in reverse, he eventually transitions from a wheelchair to crutches and learns to walk. How long has he been doing this? She told Laura Brown of Ladies First that she used the money toward her sons tuition. Brad Pitts exact salary for acting in the movie Moneyball is not known, however, we do know it was over $10 million. At the Academy Awards the film won in three categories: Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Makeup, and Best Achievement in Visual Effects. "Alas, that request was dead on arrival," the actor continues. Taraji P. Henson is currently starring in music industry drama Empire, which airs Wednesday nights on FOX. Taraji P. Henson arrives for the 68th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, September 18, 2016. "[40], Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian called it "166 minutes of twee tedium", giving it one star out of five. 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.". That makes her net worth just shy of half of her ex-husbands, as we have already established Pitts net worth as $300 million. In fact, there was a time when she couldn't even get her on-location living expenses covered by a film studio. The Criterion release includes over three hours of special features, and a documentary about the making of the film. As one of the biggest and most sought-after actors in the business, Brad Pitt earns top dollar for his movie roles. All rights reserved. Her explosive lead role on Fox's Empire has earned her two Emmy . [2] However, during its opening weekend, the film dropped to the third position behind Marley & Me and Bedtime Stories with $26,853,816 in 2,988 theaters with an $8,987 average. It is not known how much Pitt earned for this cameoor if he was even paid at all. Related Henson went on to claim that she was told she would have to pay her for her own accommodation in New Orleans where the filmproduced on a reported $150 million budgetwas shot. It was he who gave me a fair wage to star in his movie, which ultimately raised my quote the baseline pay I could negotiate going into subsequent movie dealsIt was because of him not an Oscar nomination that I never had to take another movie project at the rock bottom 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. Unfortunately, Henson says interest in her vanished quickly and she lost a number of juicyrolesto white actresses. Caretaker Queenie and cook Mr. Tizzy Weathers find the baby, and she raises him as her own, naming him Benjamin. Hollywood's gender wage gap has been a hot-button topic ever since the Sony hacks revealed Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams earned less than their male costars in 2013's American Hustle. 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. "[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. Taraji P Henson has said she was gutted to take home $40,000 (28,247) for her role inThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I didn't buy it for a second. (The film, also starring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, earned Henson an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. . She played the role of Benjamins adoptive mother Queenie. Pitt also was a producer on the film, which went on to earn six Oscar nominations, including two for Pitt, one for acting and one for producing the Best Picture nominee. ), "three months of hotel expenses would be coming directly out of my pocket," Henson wrote. Pitt received $10 million for his role in the history reimagining movie. But Henson and other black actresses openly discussing these issues is a great way to move the dial along. However, Pitt also negotiated a deal to receive points on the backend that would entitle him to a percentage of the movies profits. While $10 million is nothing to sneeze at, do we really think Jolie deserved half of her male costars pay? "[28] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 37 reviews. "'I'm sorry, Taraji,' Vince said quietly when we finally connected. 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. Meanwhile Pitt is starring in Robert Zemeckis WW2 romantic thriller, Allied. Henson's story is despicable, but, unfortunately, not that surprising. Her explosive lead role on Fox's Empire has earned her two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe; plus, she is the star in one of Oscar season's buzziest pictures (Hidden Figures). 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. [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. Back in 2005, having finally revealed that Benjamin is Caroline's father, Daisy dies. He was paid that amount for the part of Achilles in Troy. 'They came in at the lowest of six figures. The Night of 12 won ! "It was a meaty gig. 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. For Benjamin Button, New Orleans, Louisiana and the surrounding area was chosen as the filming location for the story to take advantage of the state's production incentives, and shooting was slated to begin in October 2006. However, when Pitt assumes the role of producer on a film, he has the ability to earn even more from his projects, whether he is also starring in them or not. Insult, meet injury., Henson compared the amount paid to sofa change.. If I work with Brad [Pitt] again, Im still not going to ask for what hes getting. "I didn't get mad at Sony," Lawrence wrote. Simply put, she is killing it. Informations sur votre appareil et sur votre connexion Internet, y compris votre adresseIP, Navigation et recherche lors de lutilisation des sites Web et applications Yahoo. All they could muster upon a $167 million budgetwas a salary in the "lowest of six figures." At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student government and school musicals. 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. 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. Im not allowed to be angry? Henson says she did not ask for more money for fear of losing the role, which eventually led to an Oscar nomination. 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. Benjamin displays early signs of dementia, so Daisy eventually moves into the nursing home in 1997 and cares for Benjamin for the rest of his life as he regresses into infancy. 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. Pitts salary would most likely not have been anywhere comparable to the one he receives for his movie roles at any rate. In a recent interview on the Ladies First With Laura Brown podcast, Henson reflected on the fee she had requested for the film. She said that a salary in the "mid six figures" would've sufficed, but film producers couldn't even give her that. Looks like she's the beck-and-call girl he's been looking for this whole time. We thought we were asking for what was fair for me, at the time., Related "[42] James Christopher in The Times called it "a tedious marathon of smoke and mirrors. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. But Henson's ordeal illustrates more than just unequal pay: It illustrates unequal treatment. On Thanksgiving 1930, Benjamin meets seven-year-old Daisy, whose grandmother lives in the nursing home and they connect instantly. They came in at the lowest of six figures. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy romantic drama film directed by David Fincher. She spoke about the purported pay gap in her new memoir, Around the Way, released Tuesday. However, back in 2001, Pitt made a fun guest appearance on the sitcom that made Aniston a star, Friends, in the season 8 Thanksgiving episode The One With the Rumor.. Alas, that request was dead on arrival. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories. Until the number of available roles for black actresses isproportional to those for white actors,black womenin the industry may be forced to face the choice between a bad deal, or no deal at all. Additional time was needed at visual effects house Digital Domain to make the visual effects for the metamorphosis of Brad Pitt's character to the infant stage. Im just supposed to be strong? "I got mad at myself. The latest reveal comes from Henson who played Queenie in 2008s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She reveals that Mr. Gateau made it as a memorial for those who lost their sons in World War I, including his own son. He also stated: "At the same time, like any other lovelike any movieit is shadowed by disappointment and fated to end. The culprit, a German U-boat, surfaces and fires on the tugboat. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The data also found a disturbing trend that other black actors on television, including the recently Emmy-nominated stars of sitcom black-ish, Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson, were earning less than their white contemporaries. In August 2005, Daisy Fuller is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital as Hurricane Katrina approaches. There's no denying that Brad Pitt is one of the most famous movie stars ever, and Brad Pitt's net worth reflects decades of work in and out of Hollywood. 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. Ad Choices, Taraji P. Henson's Benjamin Button Salary Was Less Than 2 Percent of Brad Pitt's. Later, he accepts work on the tugboat Chelsea captained by Mike Clark. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! "[37], On the other hand, Anne Hornaday of The Washington Post states: "There's no denying the sheer ambition and technical prowess of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He appeared in the movie for $10 million So yeah, we dont feel too sorry for him. Honeycutt states the bottom line about Benjamin Button is that it is "an intimate epic about love and loss that is pure cinema. This Article is related to: Film and tagged Pay Gap, Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. [5] In May 2000, Paramount hired screenwriter Jim Taylor to adapt a screenplay from the short story. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. She requested $500,000 but was offered $150,000. 'Im sorry, Taraji,' Vince said quietly when we finally connected. Sounds like money well spent. They find a near sunken U.S. transport and thousands of dead American troops. 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. Henson starred alongside Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in the 2008 film. Around The Way Girlis available in bookstores now. In October 1998, screenwriter Robin Swicord wrote for director Ron Howard an adapted screenplay of the short story, a project which would potentially star actor John Travolta. Black actresses are "consistently charged with diving for the crumbs of the scraps, lest we starve," she says. By the late 90s, Brad Pitt was reportedly earning around $17.5 million per movie for his acting roles. "I knew the stakes. You can follow her on Twitter @HSW3K, Empire Star Reveals Shocking Benjamin Button Pay Gap Details, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). 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. Because women, forgotten in the "best director" category, took brilliant revenge by winning eleven trophies in many categories, as if the voters had wanted to make up for the dumpling of having shunned them as filmmakers of feature films. Cmon Hollywood! Pitt apparently flew into Paris last Thursday, while Ines flew in on Friday. That December, the United States enters World War II. Im not allowed to be pissed off?. According to the actor that meant "three months of hotel expenses would be coming directly out of my pocket. The star, who won . Thomas gives his button manufacturing company and estate to Benjamin before dying. Digital Domain worked on the visual effects of the film, particularly in the process of the metamorphosis of Pitt's character. He also gained around 20 pounds of muscle to play the Greek warriorso he made almost a million per pound! Their marriage notoriously ended due to his alleged affair with future ex-wife Angelina Jolie during the making of 2005s Mr. and Mrs. Smith. 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. 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. 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. Henson says she pocked just $40k but was later paid millions by Tyler Perry. "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. But Henson paid her dues for nearly 20 years in Hollywood before getting the pay she deserved. He opens films so give him his money., But now that I can open films, give me my money, Henson continued, Ive proven it. The actress told Variety she expected there to be a pay negotiation (Im a black woman, so I knew it was going to be a fight), but the final offer well below $200,000 was a shock. No matter how talented, no matter how many accolades my prior work had received, if I pushed for more money, I'd be replaced and no one would so much as a blink.". His starring role as Louie in Interview With The Vampire opposite Tom Cruise further established this pattern, followed by roles inSe7en and 12 Monkeys the next year, the latter of which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. 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. According to Paris Match and People Magazine, Pitt made Ins fly to Paris separately (weird) and then they went to dinner at Fouquet's on the Champs-lyses. They put asses in seats, so give them their money. [7] In June 2003, director Gary Ross entered final negotiations to helm the project based on a new draft penned by screenwriter Eric Roth. Henson had to settle for $150,000 for a role that would end up earning her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Henson had an asking price of half a million dollars yet was offered just $150,000in addition to having to pay her own housing fees while on location shooting for the film, which is not the norm for big budget movies. They deserve it. Published Oct 13, 2016. [18] The director used a camera system called Contour, developed by Steve Perlman, to capture facial deformation data from live-action performances. Because she's a woman? Unfortunately, Hollywood hasn't made that much progress since Benjamin Button. Maple, who teaches him to play the piano. When I was doing Benjamin Button, I wasnt worth a million yet. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. I asked for half a million. The actor earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as Queenie in the 2008 movie, the woman who raises Brad Pitts Benjamin, who ages in reverse. Their affair eventually ends, leaving Benjamin heartbroken. Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Source: Around the Way Girl (via The Guardian), Hannah has been with Screen Rant since 2013, covering news, features, movie premieres, Comic-Con and more! "[36], A. O. Scott of The New York Times states: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, more than two and a half hours long, sighs with longing and simmers with intrigue while investigating the philosophical conundrums and emotional paradoxes of its protagonists condition in a spirit that owes more to Jorge Luis Borges than to Fitzgerald." Thats it. Im sorry, Taraji, Vince said quietly when we finally connected. "[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. The movie was filmed in New Orleans where Henson stayed for three months in a hotel suite. In fact, Henson revealed she took home just $40k for her Oscar-nominated performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Although it was moved to Paramount Pictures in the 1990s, the film did not enter production until after Fincher and Pitt signed on along with the rest of the cast in 2005. Insult, meet injury.". Mike volunteers the Chelsea for U.S. Navy service, and they are assigned to salvage duties. Now of comparable physical age, they fall in love. Pitt continued to make interesting choices in roles, worried about being typecast because of his boyish good looks. 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. 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. Shewill also star in the upcominghighly anticipatedfilmHidden Figures, a movie many believe has tons of Oscar potential. Yup. 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. It truly feels like theres nothing this superstar cant do! "Insult, meet injury.". I dont open movies like he does, so I cant expect to get what hes getting, Henson said. The consensus reads: "Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an epic fantasy tale with rich storytelling backed by fantastic performances. She named the 2014 filmSt. Vincentas one example, saying the role of the pregnant stripper was originally written for her by the films screenwriter and director, TheodoreMelfi, but eventually went to Naomi Watts: It was a meaty gig. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. She explained in the book that she assumed shed be paid at least mid to high six figures for her role, but she learned quickly that was not the case. But when it came to her payout, she pocketed significantly less money than her peers. The film also stars Taraji P. Henson . Time and again, Ive lost roles because someone with the ability to green-light a film couldnt see black women beyond a very limited purview he or she thought fit audience expectations, she writes. In her memoir, the actress says she was paid "the equivalent of sofa change" compared to her co-stars and had . Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 45 Films the Director Wants You to See. The film received thirteen Academy Award nominations, the most of the 81st Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Fincher, Best Actor for Pitt, and Best Supporting Actress for Taraji P. Henson, and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects. [] Thats it, Henson said. 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. Captain Mike rams the submarine and the resulting explosion sinks both. She tells her daughter Caroline, about blind clockmaker Mr. Gateau, hired to make a clock for a train station in 1918. Henson starred in the film alongside Hollywood's established stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Photos courtesy of Avalon . Longer than me, and lets give it to him that man opens films.
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