Taraji P. Henson earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for 2008โs The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but years later she was still fired up by the $150,000 she accepted to be in the movieโafter producers rejected the $500,000 quote she brought to the table.
As for the filmโs leads Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, โYou donโt hear a lot of $20 million quotes anymore, but at this time that was happening,โ Henson said on the Ladies First With Laura Brown podcast in 2021. โAnd rightfully soโIโm not saying they shouldnโt have paid Cate and Brad what they deserved.โ
But, she continued, โIโm bringing a certain amount to the seat too and I felt like what I was asking at that time in my career was fair, was fair to the ticket sales that I would contribute to this big film. Wouldnโt do it.โ Henson was โguttedโ when they offered $100,000, she recalled. โWhen it was all said and done I got $150,000, but I had to swallow my pride, baby.โ
Breaking it down, โI know people go, โ$150,000, thatโs a lot of money!โโ Henson acknowledged. โI donโt ever want people to think that Iโm ungrateful because that is not me.โ But, she calculated, โUncle Sam is going to take 50 percent of that, so now youโre left with, what? $75,000. Now before Uncle Sam takes the money, I have to pay my team before taxes, 30 percent. So once Uncle Sam takes his 75, then I got another 30 thatโs coming off of that 75, so I may have made $40,000?โ
