Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Robert Downey Jr Gets $50M For The Avengers


Apparently Robert Downey Jr has a very good agent. Not only did he make more money than all his Avengers co-stars, it wasn't even close. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Robert is set to make about $50M from all his bonuses and back end deals and side deals and just his salary from the movie. The rest of the cast? About $2M each with Scarlett Johansson and Samuel Jackson getting about $4M. This is worse than the beat down Tara Reid took in the American Reunion salary war. It is not like the rest of the cast is not in the movie. $2M is nothing to sneeze at but you know before there is a sequel, some people are going to want to get paid.

96 comments:

Bally said...

Good for him. He has always been one of my favorite actors.

I can't remember anytime he wasn't good in a movie. I still think his Chaplin was better than Charlie's himself. LOL.

EmEyeKay said...

I was hoping the actors made deals based on the box office. Good for him!

Cake said...

EmEyeKay- I agree- he hedged his bets and won

seaward said...

Jesus christ. I like RDJ and all, but I just can't wrap my head around getting paid that much money for a movie. I read stories like this about all the fucking money Hollywood is rolling in, then read about the deficit America has gotten itself into, and...I just can't. It makes me sick to think about.

joymama said...

RDJ is a talented and smart guy. It's his time. Get while you can.

MontanaMarriott said...

I am glad for him, it is reminiscent of the deal Jack Nicholson did with Batman, getting part of the gross, but with this leaking out, the producers are going to have to come strong with salary bumps for the rest of the cast or we will be seeing a whole new bunch of Avengers come next film

Tempestuous Grape said...

My mom always told me to not discuss how much someone makes for a living.

Show Don"t Tell said...
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Now! said...

Well, that will be about $40 million after his agent takes his share, $35 million after his laywer/manager takes a cut, and then $17 million or so after local, state, and federal taxes. But $17 million is still a very nice take-home. Plus the State of California really needs the money right now.

AuntJess said...

None of these other movies-Avengers, Thor, Captain America-would even happen if not for the success of Iron Man. Well played RDJ.

Robin the Mad Photographer said...

Good for him! He's certainly one of the big reasons people are going to the movie in the first place--not to insult any of his co-stars, because they're all good actors as well, but having a strong franchise behind you never hurts. (Not to mention that he's been busting his ass all these years; being one of the best--if not the best--actor of your generation ought to pay off in more than good reviews, not to mention the new kidlet he's supporting who just might want to go to college someday.) I love this fellow, and I like doing him do well. :-)

Here's hoping that everyone else's agents get on the stick and do better by their clients, although I hope this doesn't turn into a big pissing match and/or end up w/some faces missing in the sequel...

Show Don"t Tell said...

Very good business sense. I say, good for you, RDJ. Obviously, he has smart people working for him.

goheels83 said...

Go RDJ.

KellyLynn said...

While this does seem to be a big difference in pay, RDJ's agents could have argued that he makes this movie. After all, the Iron Man movies could be considered high-dollar advance marketing for The Avengers. While Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson appeared in the second Iron Man, RDJ does provide the must-see star power.

Still, I would guess that a sequel would have much less disparity between incomes (even if it isn't as successful).

Agent**It said...
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Robin the Mad Photographer said...

I agree that it's a ridiculous amount of money, but hey--if they want to give it to him, and think he's worth it, he'd be a fool not to take it. (Not to mention that Susan would probably kick his ass six ways to Sunday if he didn't...) Every career has its ups and downs, and as long as you're not making your pile by stomping on other people, I say get what you can while you can, because you never know when life can do a 180 in ways you never anticipated...

(Besides, assuming he's serious about wanting to direct at some point, the extra money might help out in terms of working on projects he cares about, as opposed to being just a studio's hired hand.)

nolachickee said...

I'm so very happy for him. He fought his way back from hell/death's door and now he can enjoy fame and fortune. You never fail to entertain me, RDJ. And it doesn't hurt that you're fine as hell.

MontanaMarriott said...

That is so true @nutty_flavor. I love to read these publicist with these astronomical numbers when after all the lawyers, agents, managers get their cut, the final number is a 1/3rd that the artist gets, still a nice chunk of change but not the number quoted.

Merlin D. Bear said...

Not that he needs the defense, however - he came into this movie with a character previously established in two blockbuster movies as box office platinum.
The others? Hate to say it, not so much.
Those actors have their individual careers, but they were cast in this movie as characters that don't have the history and box office that RDJ brought.
Hulk? With every reboot, a different actor.
Thor? Seriously? Have you seen that movie?
Black Widow? Who? Intro'd in Ironman 2.
Nick Fury? Really? Aside from the cameos in Ironman who knew the character besides fanboys like me?
All that aside, I personally believe this was a one off - next time, I'm sure you can expect no such paycheck disparity.

Pink_Palace said...

On a side note, I was looking at Kneepads yesterday and there was a split page. Half the page was RDJ/Susan/Exton - and the other half was Amanda Bynes. I don't know if any of you find it amusing, but I sure did. :)

goheels83 said...

@Snowstorms LOLLLLLL. That's hilarious.

Merlin D. Bear said...

PS And lets not forget Captain America.
Chris Evans came into it not as an established character, but as an actor familiar with the superhero genre. So totally not the same.

RenoBlondee said...

@Snowstorms I love it!

hotchacha said...

Go get yours, RDJ, you hot piece!

cheesegrater15 said...

I love Robert Downey, Jr. (ahem, Himmmm) and I've always rooted for him. His past problems always broke my heart and I was so happy when he came back with Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes.

MnGddess said...

He's the star - he got what he's worth. Good for him.

hunter said...

Worth every penny!

discoflux said...

Hooray for RDJ!! I agree that he came in as the most established part of the franchise and already had deals in place from the Iron man movies that would give him a significant pay day. The rest of the actors were less established not only as characters, but as big draw actor as well. I love me some Sam Jackson but, let's face it, he has some apologizing to do since making Snakes on a Plane.

And I also agree, that with bonuses, the other actors will be getting more than $2M... more than likely.

Saffron said...

Another overrated actor that sold out to the "hollywood summer blocbuster" movies.

Wonder if he will ever be part of an intelligent project purely as an actor acting and not for the dough?

Pink_Palace said...

Glad I'm not the only one @goheels & @Renoblondee

cheesegrater15 said...

Saffron, go watch Chaplin.

Karrots said...

I have to wonder if all of the love in these comments for RDJ have anything to do with a certain himmmmmm? Usually there is a lot more snark about overpaid actors in H-wood.

goheels83 said...

@Saffron, I'm pretty sure he's just trying to feed his family and provide for their future. If "selling out" by doing The Avengers means that, then so be it. Do whatcha gotta do.

Brooke Wheeler said...

Love Himmmm! Might actually see that movie now.

cheesegrater15 said...

Karrots, a lot of people have love for Robert Downey, Jr. Whether he's Himmmm or not.

Saffron said...

@vicki cupper....well yeah, so that's exactly my point. Why do I have to dust off the excellent 1992 film Chaplin to see the brilliant RDJ? What about right now? He's not acting in anything that reflects his phenomenal talent as our generation's best actor. No risks...nada zilch nothing. If I want to see brilliant acting today, I have to look towards Sean Penn, who has won numerous awards.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't worry about Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner too much. They'll get theirs. Hemsworth is about to do Thor 2 and if Snow White & The Huntsman hits off, he can negotiate his way to a big payday in the future. Plus, Hemsworth is early on in his career. In theory, he has time to rake in the dough.

Renner is set to break in top-level stardom, similar to what Christian Bale did when he landed the Batman role. With the Avenger, Mission Impossible, and the Bourne Legacy, Renner can start asking for side deals, too.

Bale got paid $10M for The Dark Knight and had some licensing/back end deals that took him way over that. Not $50M, but I doubt he was complaining. And Bale has to be making more for The Dark Knight Rises. Renner is in a similar spot.

Jackson always works and has decent salaries. He's fine. Johansson will have to work a bit more to get bigger money.

Ruffalo and Evans are the two that may have to hustle more to get bigger paydays, but Evans has Captain America 2 in his favor.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't worry about the quality of RDJ's work, Saffron. He'll likely do some smaller, thinking-man projects in the future. He's setting himself up to be like George Clooney, who can get small vanity projects green-lighted because of his high status. RDJ is moving in that direction, it seems.

ms snarky said...

@Saffron -
sometimes, you have to take your opportunity to make bank before you can go back to making indie films. Give RDJ his due - he'll be back in some less-than-commercial projects that show his talents.

Sean Penn has sold out plenty. Plus he's majorly creepy and way too full of himself. Yuck.

ms snarky said...
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Maja With a J said...

I announced my willingness to bone RDJ on here long before the whole Himmmm shitstorm went down. Also, if you don't think enty is who he says he is, but believe that Himmmm is RDJ, I'm going to go ahead and say that (in the words of John Mayer) life may continue to be hard for you.

Anonymous said...

RDJ can do something similar to Bale, who tends alternate between blockbusters and smaller films. RDJ and his wife are smart cookies. I'm sure they have a plan.

Brian Brown said...

Considering the movie is over the 1 billion mark already, his $50 million is not that much when you consider how much this will take in.

Saffron said...

@ms snarky, imo Sean Penn and also Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender are super gifted actors. Agree that they are all crazy creepy, but they totally disappear into their characters. Very gifted people often have severe personality disorders.

Melody the First said...

RDJ got $500,000 for Ironman 1 and had to audition for the part. He has earned this raise.

Coriander Shea said...

Good for him!!

I'm pretty sure RDJ is with CAA. Mr. Lovett & Mr. Lourd are two very good and very influential gentlemen to have on your side in Hollywoodland.

Glitz, glamour, and other assorted shinies aside, it's the ones behind the scenes in that biz that will take you where you want to go.

libby said...

Before i read anyone else's comments, i just want to say that I think he deserves EVERY CENT. This is his reward for YEARS of hard work, fighting his addiction. Remember when he burgled a house to pass out in some kid's bed? RDJ brought himself back from the BRINK of death, and certainly the brink of career death. Remember when he was newly 'proving himself' again on Ally McBeal (sp)? It's been a VERY long, hard road, and this, along with his beautiful family, is his reward.

I've said it before, why can't LL see RDJ as a role model? I KNOW he'd take at least one call from her, if she wanted advice about beating addition.
On second thought, he should call her, with his number BLOCKED, naturally.

I think RDJ's comeback is an inspiration for a lot of people who feel beaten by life.

(btw, I love Himmmm's posts, but I'm not complimenting RDJ b/c I think he's him(mmm). I've watched his whole career & comeback and have been so happy for him.)

Thanks for reading, I do go on.

Frufra said...

@ Merlin - Sorry, have to make a nerd aside: Evans was established in the role of Capt. America. And that was a fun movie, too. Plus, my mom thinks he's "very handsome", so he's got that :-).

Beta said...

@seaward agree
RDJ is a great actor but I dont like that on Hwood more often than not how good an actor(tress) is is measured by how much (s)he earns, and there are amazing actors(tresses) than are not rolling in dough!

libby said...

Saffron---You wonder WHY we have to go back to 1992?...hmmm...I wonder what happened in RDJ's LIFE that kind of 'stopped' his career right then? That made it difficult to get good projects?...I WONDER.

He was just nominated for the Oscar for "Tropic Thunder", in 2009. And he WAS Emmy-nominated for his comeback in "Ally McBeal" too.

DontRainOnMyPrada said...

There was a time when it looked like he was gonna burn out and never return...so it's nice to see him succeeding in such a big way.

BigMama said...

I wonder if he is in the market for a chubby middle-aged nanny down south for a short visit. Maybe a quiet vacation filled with scrumptious BBQ (made by my husband), the local golf course (where it becomes a contact sport) and all the red-neck experiences we can come up with. Good time fun to be had by all. (job hunting in the weeds lends to some strange pitches)

ghost said...

Having finally just seen The Avengers last night... I'd say he deserves it.

timebob said...

The real hero is Jon Favreau he is the one that wanted to cast RDJ for Iron Man and the studio refused until Jon convinced them to take a chance on him.

RDJ has paid his dues he deserves the check. The movie made a billion dollars already. 50 mill is a drop in the bucket.

Laura said...

What perfect timing - I had a dream about RDJ last night...one of "those" dreams...YOWZA! ;)

Turkish Taffy said...

I have no problem with RDJ getting this paycheck. He's worth it. But I can't wrap my head around Scarlett Johansen getting $4 million for anything.

Robin the Mad Photographer said...

@Saffron--An awful lot of actors (*cough*Clooney*cough*) do the big payday movies so that they can afford to do the smaller jobs that don't pay as well, so it'll all balance out in the end; my not-so-humble guess is that the same thinking is at work here. (Let's not forget that Laurence Olivier made a LOT of shitty movies during the last 30 years or so of his life, and was very upfront that he did them strictly for the paycheck--he had 3 young children in his third marriage, and needed the money. That doesn't make him any less of a genius than he was; it just means he knew how the game worked. Or, as the Harvard union organizers' buttons used to say "We can't eat prestige"...)

As for the other actors you mentioned, they're all fine actors as well, but after spending too many years on the fringes of the alt-music scene, and meeting a hell of a lot of people, I'm not willing to excuse bad behavior solely because someone's a good artist, or automatically assume that there's a mental health issue involved. Some of the most talented people I've met have also been some of the sweetest, kindest, and most down-to-earth people I've ever met, whereas the biggest snots were usually people whose inflated self-opinion was far greater than their actual talent. I've also met people who are basically decent folks but have a reputation for being somewhat challenging to work for (although plenty of people have done just fine with them), but they've been this way ever since they were scrubbing toilets in exchange for studio time, they're even harder on themselves than they are on their underlings...and I've NEVER heard any suggestions regarding domestic violence associated with these people.

(I'll cut Bale some slack here due to his family supposedly being difficult on their own; he seems to be high-strung and have a quick temper, but I don't think he's necessarily an asshole. If the reports about Fassbender beating his girlfriend are true, though, he'll have to go into the "asshole" category, which is a shame since he's a good actor and otherwise seems like an OK person; let's hope the stories are just that, and not true accounts. Penn, alas, has a long-standing (we're talking nearly 30-year) reputation as a woman-abuser, and while he's certainly capable of both fine acting and good deeds to those in need--I'll give him credit for helping out Katrina & earthquake survivors; he does seem to put his money where his mouth is there--it doesn't erase the fact that he's an asshole to women. He's not "troubled," he's just being a dick because he can be and because he gets away with it, and while I'd love to see him get it together and makes amends to those he's hurt, I just don't see it happening. *sigh*)

Lizzie said...

LOL Maybe they're afraid of him....hmmmmm...what do you think?


I Love Robert Downey Jr movies. He is an excellent actor, and deserves a good paycheck...Good for Himmmm

Robin the Mad Photographer said...

@BigMama: Not until the whole family comes to Boston, so I can make them all kinds of tasty baked goods and give them a guided tour of the area, complete w/a ride on the Swan Boats at the Public Garden and a running commentary with the details they don't give you with the costumed Freedom Trail tour guides. ;-)

(They do seem as if they could be a lot of fun to just hang out with and swap "no shit, there I was..." stories, and hey, I love cuddling teeny babies, so it's all good... :-)

car54 said...

Whoa....nice payday. I am glad to see his story have a happy ending. Seems like he is in a good place in his life now.

Robin the Mad Photographer said...

@Lizzie: Why? Do they need to be?

;-)

Wendy Webb said...

He's the best actor of our generation, pure and simple. And i think he makes really good decisions on scripts,too. I wouldn't have seen the original Iron Man were he not involved (comic book movies just aren't my thing, or so I thought). But I heard he was in it, saw it because of that and loved it. He brings in a lot of people, I think.

HalleGoLightly said...

Most. Charismatic. Actor. Alive.

I bet the others are thinking...wha happened?? I'm surprised ScarJo got as much as she did.

Can't wait to see this in early June with my pal!

Saffron said...

@robin the mad photographer - love your synopsis & agree on all the points. I do not excuse criminal behavior by brilliant artists i.e Penn & Polanski and so many other sob's who suck in real life, but often shine in their craft. I should really boikot these sob's but instead I stray and get sucked in by their acting craft. It's a challenge sometimes to pick good films without asshole actors.

So yes please RDJ, can't wait for the day, hopefully soon, when he dazzles me again with his brilliance in a good story (small, independent film).

Jeannies Bottle said...

You know what? Good for him....I adore RDJ's acting...he is terrific in everything he does and his 'come-back story' is fabulous. Someone should make a movie about RDJ's life.

Agent**It said...
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jax said...

what Maja said x 1000000.

come on you people aren't stupid, stop falling for Himmmm.

i would bet my life/family/car/home/job/first born/every last fucking dollar to guarantee that Himmmm is not RD Jr NOR is he famous AT ALL.
TRUST.

please stop giving attention to a sycophant, you are being played.

uberbaldy said...

So I haven't read everyone's comments, just breezed through, but RDJ is fantastic in this movie and anyone who criticizes him because of this is an idiot. This isn't a case of him demanding more money for a film like some actors and actresses, coughcamerondiazcough. His agents made deals for money from how well the movie does. It's a gamble and for arguments sake if Avengers had done poorly he wouldn't be getting this money. If the other actors get pissed then they need to direct their anger in the right direction and that's not at RDJ but at their agents for not trying to get a cut of the box office revenue.

Seriously, what idiot doesn't recognize, with the build up of the previous films to this one and the background buzz that has only been building these last few years, that Avengers had a very good chance of being an amazing box office hit. If I was an agent for any of these actors, except for Ruffalo, Johannson, and Renner who all either weren't in previous films or barely in them, I'd be worried about staying their agent. As others have pointed out Evans and Hemsworth are both the central character in their respective Marvel films and have at least 1, if not 2, films coming down the lines, not counting Avengers sequels. They, like RDJ, should have had agents that got them a bit of the back end. I know other actors have done that by taking a smaller salary. It's a gamble but when you have future films in line go ahead a take it. RDJ has and he's taking that to the bank.

Basically don't hate RDJ. Hate his agent who better be thanking his stars cause his payday is going to be huge too. Smart move fellas!

Brenda L said...

RDJ - my roof is leaking, let me borrow about $3500 pleeeeease?

Maja With a J said...

*LOL* @ Brenda Love. I could use some cash too!

Lizzie said...

Robin The Mad Photographer....
Because many here believe that Robert Downey Jr. is a poster named Hmmmmmm, and has been revealing things about hollywood stars, directors, producers...etc......So, it was a joke about..maybe they're afraid of him...of what he might reveal...just a joke for those who read here a lot. :-)

tamarind said...

Way to go! Team RDJ!!

__-__=__ said...

Congrats to RDJ! I hope the other actors learned a lesson in negotiations so they can make better deals in their future. And, if RDJ is one of Himmmmm posters, then double good on him. I like the idea that the folks causing harm in Hollywood will be outed. They deserve nothing less.

I think I've said it before but psychopathic behavior is enabled by people keeping secrets. It's a bad thing.

Sherry said...

@Vicki, et.al...Himmmm...as much as we all wish I really seriously doubt is RDJ. I admit there have been things that have made me suspcious but it's highly unlikely.

I wish I could get the REAL RDJ's paycheck however much the Feds would strip it. That credit card company is getting awful nasty these days.

Anonymous said...

It's not as easy as simply asking for back end cuts and side deals. You have to work your way up to that. RDJ, because of the immense success of the Iron Man movies, has done so. If the others continue to make good career choices, they'll be in position to benefit in the same way.

I'm sure all of them have great representation or they wouldn't have been in the movie in the first place. They just have to bide their time. In due time! :-)

Angela said...

Just one thing...

Have you noticed that RDJ has been playing the same character in almost all his recent movies?

Take apart Tropic Thunder, The Soloist and Due Date and the guy has only been busy playing Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes, who's actually a riff on his Tony Stark in Victorian clothes.

That's similar to Johnny Depp who's happy to play the misunderstood outsider with daddy issues for Tim Burton or another Jack Sparrow movie. The guys are talented but they have awfully narrowed their range. Clooney, at least, takes creative risks and actually alternates between big paychecks and independent movies he does almost for scale.

Poisonfawn said...

ahem ahem...wheres this hmmmmm HMMM??? himmmm? hmmm???

Lori said...

@Maja. With a J. - I concur!!!

Monica said...

I think RDJ is a fantastic actor and deserves this paycheck, but I do not in any form or shape believe that he is Hmmm.

I've loved RDJ since "Less Than Zero" and he's worked very hard for his success. Kudos to him.

Robin the Mad Photographer said...

@Lizzie: I know. I was just being a smartass. :-)

@Agent**It: Don't worry, the "special" brownies aren't THAT kind of special, so they're perfectly RDJ-safe, should he ever wish to avail himself of any. (Ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, instant espresso, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar or cinnamon sugar on top--the only way they'd be problematic is if he's allergic to any of the ingredients, or has a caffeine sensitivity, in which case I'll bake him something else...blueberry muffins or cake, perhaps? Maple cream pie? Or, if a savory main course is called for, Death Chicken? (Yes, that's the name of the recipe--see Jill Connor Browne's The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook and Financial Planner for this & many other fine recipes from what I call the Southern "Kill or Cure" School of Cuisine. Trust me, this one's worth your while--it tastes AMAZING, plus your house will smell wonderful while it bakes; if you love bacon, you neeeeeeed this recipe!)

...Oh, and I still want to know how the hell our friend Himmmm knew about the damn brownies, and if he knows anyone who's been the recipient, because I swear I'm not that much of a legend for them to be common Internet knowledge...

astrogirl said...

Jax I agree except I think they are the sycophants not himmmm. He may have inferred some stuff in later posts, but he never actually said he was RDJ.

Unknown said...

I'm a freelance writer. Actors also work freelance. The thing is, you have to get while the getting is good. Some months you have all the bills covered and can even go out to dinner once or twice, and other months you're dodging disconnect notices. While I'm sure it's been a long time since RDJ had to worry about that, as a freelancer you always have to have an eye on that next job or opportunity.

I don't know if he's Himmm or not and I don't care. I just know RDJ is a very gifted actor who was strong enough and lucky enough to come back from the dark. He's earned all of this -- paid his dues, and I can't help but be very happy for him.

McSpanky said...

There's so much butt-kissing on here I have to say this: My, how times have changed. It doesn't seem that long ago that RDJ couldn't even get insurance. The turnaround is more amazing to me than the payday.

The Black Cat said...

I don't think RDJ's personal battles should have anything to do with his income.
Thank you Timebob for pointing out Jon Favreau is the one for getting RDJ the Iron Man part. I was wondering the other day how that came to be. Comic book action heroes are not my first choice to go see at the movies so it did take me a while to see the original Iron Man, I loved it and purely because RDJ was in the title role. He made Fish Sticks tolerable even.
I would be in favour of seeing him in something a little more meatier though anytime soon.

michelelala said...

Worth. Every. Penny.

gtzisshe said...

I was actually surprised by all the positive comments as well. Read a little about himmmm, they think its rdj?
Sounds like everyone has put kneepads on in these comments.

BigMama said...

ya know, here's the thing. I don't think RDJ is himmmm. I mean, he might be but I really don't care. I am equally ammused by himmmm's comments as I am by RocketQueen, Emeyekay, JasonBlueEyes, Mooski, Robin etc. As far as the blatant pandering to the Actual RDJ, well....yeah! The reason so many people enjoyed the idea it was him as himmmm is based on a mutual love of the man and his work. Whether you became a fan during Iron Man, hung in there because he was so good during the "lost years" (some damn good movies were made during that time as well ahhhhh Restoration, great movie) or you have been a lifelong fan since Weird Science...he's good. Simple.

Had people thought himmmm was Sean Penn maybe? than I doubt there would be as much traffic and love for the comments. Regardless, it's been fun. I will, however, hold out hope for a part time job as a biscuit making, bbq pan wielding, diaper changing vacation nanny. I will also be happy to pander to some of my other favorites....Bill Murray, Giovanni Ribbissi, Jim Caviezel, Joss Wheadon, oh the list goes on and on. So lighten up peeps. have a little fun and live a little. It's not like we are ever going to meet these people. ;)

Agent**It said...
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Steppy said...

I guess "back end" deals are good? Wonder why RDJ is praised for it, while Tom Cruise was labeled as a desperate has-been for the same thing??
I'm thinking they are both much smarter than the gossip columnists!

Robin the Mad Photographer said...

I like to think I've learned a few things about the Internet, seeing as I've been surfing it (and getting soaked to the skin in the process) since April of 1993, and one of the things I learned fairly early on (say, late January of 1995) is that You Just Never Know Who's Reading Your Online Blather, and that while it's true that on the Internet, nobody knows if you're a dog*, it's also true that they don't know if you're a famous musician/writer/A+ List actor, etc., so it pays to write in such a way that, should the person about whom you're writing happen to read your $.02 worth, you haven't completely embarrassed yourself. Mind you, a certain amount of embarrassment is to be expected no matter what you said, but it's reassuring to remember that at least you weren't the person describing in lurid yet loving detail all the fiendishly wonderful and totally NC-17 rated acts you'd love to perpetuate upon the human topic of conversation...trust me on this one.** (If you were that person, however, a keen sense of humor and liberal use of emoticons can ease the embarrassment factor to a considerable degree, and help prevent unpleasantness such as restraining orders, etc. ;-)

TL;DR Version: We have no way of knowing definitively who Enty/Himmmm/any number of posters are in real life, or which celebrities may or may not be reading here (my guess: probably a hell of a lot are lurking, and some may well be posting, PR reps' statements not proving anything either way), but Being Kind is never a bad thing, and may well save your ass someday...or at least provide you with a hell of a good anecdote to tell years later. Trust me on this one, too. :-) And yes, RDJ, should you happen to be reading this, the field trip and baked goods offer is still on the table, should you ever decide to take me up on it, especially the latter...I have references, damn it.*** ;-)


*They all, of course, know if you're an asshole, but that should go without saying.)

**Someday, I really need to write a piece entitled "Everything I Know About the Internet I Learned From Trent Reznor". Also, if this were the nin.com forums, somebody would have already Photoshopped an Oscar into RDJ's hand and forwarded it to Enty for posting for all of our amusement...I'm just sayin'. ;-)

***10 Internet Points to anyone who can tell me where that last line came from...

mooshki said...

uberbaldy, don't blame their agents - when they signed on for their original movies, they probably signed the standard Marvel 6 film contract. Yes, there's room for renegotiation, as RDJ proved, but I doubt they were able to leverage their first films very much. And really, for the stage the others all are in their careers, I think their paychecks are fair. I don't think many actors can get a percentage of the backend like RDJ did; I think only A-list actors can typically do that.

Henriette said...

Good for him! He made a lot of money with the Iron Man franchise anyway. I never saw any of the other ones before, so he should get his moola.

I always liked RDJ because he is a great example of someone who put his life back together. I remember when many people had written him off and made horrible comments about him. He was the butt of many jokes, and he did serve time. He was not out of jail in a day like Blowhain.

I still remember the Vanity Fair article on him, which was sad and chilling.

No, his personal problems should not dictate his paycheck, but he is a great example of how someone can change.

Agent**It said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AKM said...

Oh, Robin, Death Chicken! My favorite chicken recipe! It's such amazing comfort food and everyone thinks you're a genius for making it. Heheheheh. JCB is brilliant and someday I WILL go to Jackson for the Parade. I'm not even a chocolate person, but Chocolate Stuff could cure many of the world's ills, IMHO.

I love RDJ. That's a crazy amount of money, though.

"Himmmm-is-RDJ" disbeliever here, for what it's worth.

jgirl828 said...

He deserves it! Him and Mark Ruffalo were the best in the movie!

mytincart said...

We love RDJ. His wit and comedic timing elevate films.

However, while most critics and fans are in love with "The Avengers," we merely found it, "ok." The good parts always included RDJ. Overall, it was a little too much going on and too many superheroes to keep track of.

The film, "Iron Man," on the other hand, was wonderful. And its success had little to do with the special effects. It was how RDJ approached the Tony Stark role and made it his own. It was great watching the evolution of a self-absorbed man re-discovering life and restructuring his morality into something noble. I'm talking about Stark, the character, of course. ;) In some ways, though, the same can be said for RDJ himself and his long journey escaping addiction.

The world's a better place with RDJ in it.

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