The Final Million-Dollar Contracts of Hollywood Stars

Final Film: Always
Year of Release: 1989
Estimated Contract Deal: $1 million*

When it comes to famous actresses, it doesn’t get much more iconic than Audrey Hepburn. Through the 1950s and ‘60s, Hepburn reigned supreme as one of the most recognizable talents in the world. At the peak of her career in 1964, Hepburn was paid $1 million for her role in My Fair Lady. That’s the equivalent of around $9 million today. 

Audrey Hepburn - Always @HappierSo / Twitter.com

In 1989 at the age of 59, Hepburn starred in her final movie, Comcast’s Universal Pictures outing, Always, directed by the ever-bankable Steven Spielberg Audrey’s turn as a spirit guide helped the movie take $74.1 million, but her own payday was much less lucrative at $1 million. 

Sadly, just a few years after her last role, Hepburn would pass away at just 63 years old after battling with cancer. It was a sad time for Hollywood, with many other icons such as Gregory Peck lamenting the loss of one of the greatest actresses the world has ever seen.

Final Film: The Misfits
Year of Release: 1961
Estimated Contract Deal: $2 million (with inflation)*

When Marilyn Monroe passed away at the young age of 36, it was a tragedy that profoundly affected Hollywood – and modern pop culture along with it. It was no secret that Marilyn had gone through a particularly tough time, not least because she was struggling to find the same success she once had. 

Marilyn Monroe - The Misfits @Beyazperde / Twitter.com

Her last movie was filmed in 1961, but although Marilyn was paid $300,000 (around $2 million today) for starring in John Huston’s The Misfits, she was allegedly $900 overdrawn in her checking account at the time of her passing. The Misfits was no more successful than some of her previous endeavors, including AT&T’s Warner Bros. movie, The Prince and the ShowGirl.

Marilyn arguably passed away at a time in her life where she was hoping for somewhat of a career renaissance. Like many other starlets cut down in their prime, better days were likely ahead, but it just wasn’t to be. At the time of her death, Marilyn was just 36.

Final Film: Big Bug Man
Year of Release: Unreleased
Estimated Contract Deal: $1 million*

When a famed actor passes on, it’s only natural that many fans want to see every little bit of their work. Marlon Brando was a true Hollywood great, but his last work has never been released. Big Bug Man is an animated venture starring both Brando and Brendan Fraser in what would’ve been Brando’s final big screen appearance.

Marlon Brando - Big Bug Man @RealEmirHan / @ArtofLostandCan / Twitter.com

Although a substantial amount of money was poured into making the studio-free movie, Brando was likely only paid around $1 million. No major studio like Sony picked it up for release. To this day, the 2004 movie has never been unleashed, despite being recorded in Brando’s home the month before he passed.

Considering just how many serious projects Brando starred in throughout his incredible career, the animated feature seems like an odd choice for the actor. After all, loyal fans were used to seeing him in movies like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, not cartoons about bugs.

Final Film: Game of Thrones (TV)
Year of Release: 2011
Estimated Contract Deal: $500,000 per episode*

As an actor, nailing the part of a villain can be tough. When you’re a child, it’s even worse. Jack Gleeson rose to prominence as Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones. Gleeson made the character completely irredeemable, proving that he had the kind of talent that comes around once in a blue moon. 

Jack Gleeson - Game of Thrones (TV) @ScottishSun / Twitter.com

Despite raking in over $500,000 per episode to star in the AT&T Warner HBO show, Gleeson has retired from acting. According to him, he only ever acted as a hobby and wasn’t really interested in making a career out of it. 

It’s a crying shame as many critics were excited to see what Gleeson would go on to do. It’s not very often a young actor with that much talent crosses our screens, so it’s easy to lament the loss. However, there could come a day when Gleeson changes his mind. Door would most certainly open for him if he did.

Final Film: The Shining
Year of Release: 1980
Estimated Contract Deal: $3 million (with inflation)*

By 1980 Jack Nicholson had established himself as an unstoppable star, so it’s only natural that actress Shelley Duvall would say yes to starring in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining alongside him. Jack got paid a little more, but Shelley didn’t do too badly herself. 

Shelley Duvall - The Shining @IconicCool / Facebook.com

However, Duvall had a notoriously hard time filming the movie and it impacted her career afterward. Although she has starred in several features since, including Viacom’s Paramount venture Popeye alongside the late, great Robin Williams, she never quite reached the same financial heights. 

Shelley would later say that Kubrick’s treatment of her on set was less than fair, explaining that she would often be pushed into repeating scenes over and over. DuVall experienced some issues with her mental health, with fans blaming Kubrick for traumatizing the actress.

Final Film: Trog
Year of Release:1970
Estimated Contract Deal: $1 million (with inflation)*

There was a time when doors that stayed firmly closed for other actresses in Hollywood swung wide open for Joan Crawford. Crawford was well-known for hits like Mildred Pierce, but Joan knew better than anyone that getting older wasn’t exactly beneficial to her career. 

Joan Crawford - Trog @Trog1970 / Facebook.com

By 1970, Joan was in her early 60s and not as in demand as she once was. She agreed to star in Trog, an off-beat British sci-fi caper. Roger Ebert famously derided the film, along with what would end up being Crawford’s final big screen role.

The infamous actress passed away seven years later in 1977, leaving a lasting legacy in her wake. Although her later years were difficult both career and health-wise, Crawford left her mark on a business that was notoriously hard to crack at the time.

Final Film: I Could Go on Singing
Year of Release: 1963
Estimated Contract Deal: $1 million (with inflation)*

Judy Garland was a force to be reckoned with in Golden Age cinema, beginning from the moment she captivated hearts as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, Judy’s downfall from Hollywood was just as well-documented as her rise to the top. 

Judy Garland - I Could Go on Singing @tcm / Twitter.com

After some ups and downs, Judy was offered a part in I Could Go on Singing in 1963. While she didn’t make as much money from the movie as she would have done in her heyday, Garland hit all the right notes in the United Artists picture. You can still purchase the best-selling soundtrack on Amazon today. 

Garland went through a lot in her time as a Hollywood icon, some of which only came to light after her passing in 1969 at the age of 47. The trials and tribulations Judy had to endure may have broken most actresses, and while Garland was plagued with problems, she still managed to churn out many memorable performances.

Final Film: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Year of Release:1971
Estimated Contract Deal: $300,000 (with inflation)*

Peter Ostrum could’ve had it all as a child actor with a huge hit under his belt. The bright-eyed youngster gained a lot of fans after starring as Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. While his salary wasn’t big by today’s standards, it was a fortune back in 1971. 

Peter Ostrum - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory @classicsman70 / Twitter.com

Rather than pursue acting full-time, Ostrum left the business after starring in just one feature. He opted to become a vet after seeing horses being cared for on set. Despite how iconic the ViacomCBS Paramount film went on to become, it wasn’t enough to sway Ostrum to stay in the industry. 

Ostrum could have potentially been offered numerous other roles in big-screen capers, but he decided the life of a child star just wasn’t for him. Luckily for fans, we will always have this one tremendously memorable performance to commend him for.

Final Film: Neighbors
Year of Release: 1981
Estimated Contract Deal: $1.5 million*

Saturday Night Live helped to launch the career of John Belushi, taking him from the small screen to hit movies like the Blues Brothers. Sadly, Belushi’s life would be cut short in 1982, but he managed to squeeze in one last movie prior to his passing.

John Belushi - Neighbors @PeterAPeel / Twitter.com

Sony’s Columbia Pictures caper Neighbors saw Belushi paid $1.5 million, while his co-star Dan Aykroyd was paid $1 million. Although John was plagued by personal troubles and at the time of his death, he was still hot property in Hollywood.

It’s still a crying shame that we didn’t get to see Belushi conquer the screen in the years to come, but it just wasn’t to be. At the time of his passing the actor was just 33 years old, so it’s likely that he would have been in many, many more hits, just like his partner in crime, Aykroyd.

Final Film: Giant
Year of Release: 1956
Estimated Contract Deal: $202,000 (with inflation)*

James Dean had the kind of star power that doesn’t come around often, but the world never got to see enough of him. The young actor was involved in a fatal high-speed car accident in 1955 at the tender age of 24. 

James Dean - Giant @Joe Crosswicks / Facebook.com

AT&T’s Warner Bros. picture Giant was the last James Dean movie to hit theaters. Not only did the Western drama star other heavy hitters like Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, but it earned James a posthumous Academy Award nomination. Dean was still an actor on the rise, so his $21,000 paycheck paled in comparison to Taylor’s whopping $175,000 contract. 

However, if the tragic accident hadn’t occurred, Dean was on track to become one of the biggest and highest-earning stars of his generation. He had it all – the charisma, the talent, the rugged good looks. His ability to captivate viewers at the time was like cinematic gold dust.

Final Film: The Two-Faced Woman
Year of Release: 1941
Estimated Contract Deal: $2.7 million (with inflation)*

Greta Garbo was one of the entertainment industry’s biggest stars when she rose to prominence in the 1920s. By the ‘40s, she was pulling in the kind of money that other actors could only dream of. Even when she took a pay cut in 1940 she was still a top earner in the business. 

Greta Garbo - The Two-Faced Woman @Greta Garbo / Facebook.com

Her final movie appearance was in The Two-Faced Woman alongside Melvin Douglas. Critics hated the movie and although Garbo was paid $2.7 million a year for her contract, she opted to retire at the age of 36, famously calling her last feature “my grave.” Greta’s movies can still be enjoyed on streaming services like Amazon. 

Many changes happened within the movie business during that time, with sound only coming to features in the late ‘20s. Garbo was one of few stars that managed to ride out this transition with success. Even though she ultimately decided to throw in the towel, the actress is still one of Hollywood’s most-loved figures.

Final Film: Enter the Dragon
Year of Release: 1973
Estimated Contract Deal: $5.1 million (with inflation)*

Bruce Lee paved the way for future martial artists to take the entertainment industry by storm. Audiences loved to watch him work his magic on-screen, but Lee is yet another important figure that passed away too soon. 

Bruce Lee - Enter the Dragon @shiigeeboo / Twitter.com

In 1973 he completed Enter the Dragon, but it wouldn’t be released until after his death later that year. Lee was still on top of his game right to the last, taking home $5.1 million (with inflation) for the AT&T Warner Bros. movie. Fans flocked to see the picture, helping it become a huge financial hit. 

There’s no doubt that Lee’s star would have continued to rise to new levels as the years ticked by. He has influenced countless others, including Jackie Chan, however, there’s been no one truly like him since. Lee’s son Brandon would sadly pass away early himself thanks to a tragic accident on the set of the movie The Crow in 1993.

Final Film: Brainstorm
Year of Release: 1983
Estimated Contract Deal: $1 million*

We may never know exactly what happened to Natalie Wood, but her enduring acting legacy still captures the heart of movie lovers everywhere. From iconic pop culture hits like Rebel Without A Cause to her final 1983 sci-fi caper Brainstorm, Natalie will forever be remembered as a true cinematic great. 

Natalie Wood - Brainstorm @tcm / Twitter.com

Natalie’s salary piqued in 1964 when she starred in Sex and the Single Girl. Wood took home $6.2 million (adjusted for inflation) for the lead role, but as the years went by her pull waned. When she appeared in Brainstorm alongside Christopher Walken and Louise Fletcher, she was paid just a sixth of what she was once able to command. 

No one knows what the future could have held for the actress if her life wasn’t cut short under mysterious circumstances. Some believe she could have experienced a career renaissance later in life, while others are sure her golden days were behind her. Either way, it’s tragic that Wood never got the chance to find out.

Final Film: These Old Broads
Year of Release: 2001
Estimated Contract Deal: $500,000*

Elizabeth Taylor’s glamorous life and endless love affairs with men and diamonds made her a public figure we just couldn’t get enough of. She starred in huge blockbuster hits like Cleopatra, pulling in a record $1 million for her leading role as Egypt’s most famous queen. 

Elizabeth Taylor - These Old Broads @I_LoveDebbie / Twitter.com

However, Taylor’s career began to wane in the 1970s and ‘80s. Despite her best attempts, she was paid just $100,000 for appearing in North and South in 1985. For her supporting role in the ABC TV movie These Old Broads alongside Shirley MacLaine, Debbie Reynolds, and Joan Collins, Taylor pulled in around $500,000. 

Once a revered beauty that could get whatever job she wanted, Taylor found that she just didn’t get the same offers she used to once upon a time. Nevertheless, the actress remained an interesting icon right until the last, with her every move often hitting the headlines.