It is a general aspect of the viewers that when a star signs for a big franchise, they take home a huge amount of earnings. But, a recent revelation by Academy award winner Cate Blanchett says another thing. She said that along with the other stars, she also got nothing from the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, despite it being one of the highest-grossing film series of all time, having grossed $2.9 billion worldwide.
Cate Blanchett Reveals Shocking Lord of the Rings Paycheck
Cate Blanchett in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Image Credit: New Line Cinema
Despite its status as a cinematic goldmine, the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy appears to have been less generous to its star-studded cast than one might expect. Two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett, renowned for her portrayal of the ethereal elf queen Galadriel, made a startling revelation during a recent television appearance.
While participating in a game on the popular talk show, Watch What Happens Live, Blanchett was asked about the movie that provided her with the largest paycheck, Cohen speculated that it might have been Lord of the Rings. However, Blanchett quickly dispelled this notion by stating, “No, no one got paid anything to do that movie.”
When further questioned about whether she had received any profits from the backend, she revealed, “No! That was way before any of that. No, nothing.”
Blanchett emphasized that her motivation for joining the project stemmed from a desire to collaborate with Jackson, particularly because of his earlier work, such as the 1992 zombie comedy Braindead (released as Dead Alive in North America).
Underwhelming Compensation Across the Cast
Cate Blanchett in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Image Credit: New Line Cinema
Blanchett was not alone in expressing disappointment over the financial compensation for her role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas in the series, revealed in a 2019 interview on The Howard Stern Show that he was paid a mere $175,000 for all three films. Reflecting on her own experience, Blanchett mentioned on Watch What Happens Live that she “basically got free sandwiches” and kept her elf ears as a souvenir. She later added, “Women don’t get paid as much as you think they do.”
Blanchett’s role as Galadriel began in 2001 with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and she reprised the role in the subsequent films, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Although the character of Galadriel was not originally part of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, she was included in the 2012 prequel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Conclusion: Blanchett’s candid discussion on the show serves as a reminder that even actors involved in blockbuster franchises may not always see the financial rewards that audiences might expect. Despite the lack of substantial earnings, Blanchett’s contributions to the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series remain iconic, further solidifying her place in cinematic history. The conversation took place as Blanchett appeared on Watch What Happens Live with co-star Gina Gershon to promote their sci-fi film, Borderlands, which is now showing in theaters.
