Elijah Wood admits that the ‘Lord of the Rings’ cast was paid less than you think

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a massive movie success that made almost $3 billion around the world, winning over many fans and boosting the careers of its actors. However, the paychecks for the main cast show a surprising difference between the films’ huge earnings and what the actors were paid.

Despite The Lord of the Rings trilogy’s lasting influence, the relatively low salaries of the actors raise concerns about how the film industry compensates its stars. As reported by AOL, Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins, recently confirmed that the cast was paid much less than many people think. While exact amounts are debated, The Things reported that Wood got around $250,000 for the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, with a total of about $1 million for all three films combined.

This amount is very small compared to the billions the trilogy earned for New Line Cinema. Wood explained that the way the deal was set up — filming all three movies at once without renegotiating contracts — led to lower salaries than expected. He noted that New Line Cinema’s choice to make all three films together was a big risk, which was eased by paying the actors less. Even with this pay, Wood has no regrets, and the trilogy really did change the lives and careers of everyone involved.

Elijah Wood talks about cast salaries

Elijah Wood wasn’t the only one who spoke about the pay for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Comicbook reported that Cate Blanchett, who portrayed Galadriel, humorously mentioned receiving “basically free sandwiches” for her part. Although she was joking, her comment points out that many key actors were paid relatively little. While precise figures for Blanchett’s salary are not available, her remarks show the perceived unfairness in pay compared to the films’ huge profits. Other cast members share this view.

Men’s Journal reported that Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas, reportedly earned about $175,000 for the whole trilogy, which he considered a “greatest gift” despite being small compared to the global revenue. Likewise, Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee, made around $250,000 for all three films. These figures are significantly less than what actors in other major film franchises typically earn.

Comparing these salaries to those of actors in big franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars shows a clear difference. For example, CBR reported Robert Downey Jr. was paid $500,000 for the first Iron Man movie, with pay rising significantly for later films. Similarly, Parade reported that Mark Hamill earned $650,000 for A New Hope in the 1970s, a time when Star Wars’ success was uncertain, highlighting this pay gap.

Members of the Lord of the Rings cast haven’t publicly complained about their pay, and that may be because their relatively small salaries were one part of the exposure and star power the films gave them. The trilogy’s success wasn’t completely predictable from the start, which influenced the initial pay structure, but many became household names thereafter.