Comedy films have an amazing way of bringing people together while making them laugh hysterically for a while. Some stars, like Seth Rogen, have made bank by starring in great comedy flicks throughout the years. Before Rogen came into the fold during the 2000s, Jim Carrey was paving the way in the 90s.
Unless you lived it, most cannot imagine just how popular Carrey was back in the 90s, and he has continued his success for years. Normally, he would demand a huge salary for a project, but for Yes Man, Carrey took an unconventional approach for his payment.
Let’s look back at Jim Carrey’s salary for Yes Man.
He Agreed To An Upfront $0 Fee
One of the most incredible parts about being a massive Hollywood star is the fact that you can haul in millions of dollars for just a few months worth of work on the set of a movie. Getting these paychecks is the goal of virtually every performer, but despite this, some people are willing to take pay decreases to star in a particular project that they are interested in. Enter Jim Carrey, who agreed to take a $0 salary to star in the film, Yes Man.
It is important to note that, prior to signing on to star in Yes Man, Jim Carrey was already a legend in the film industry. While he got his start in comedy and on television shows like In Living Color, he became a global superstar in the 90s with comedy films that conquered the box office on a regular basis. Films like Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Liar Liar, and more all helped make Carrey a household name while subsequently netting him millions of dollars.
During the height of his career, it was not uncommon for Jim Carrey to pull down a $20 million salary to star in a movie. The $20 million salary level is one that is reserved for only the biggest stars in the industry, which goes to show how much of a success Jim Carrey was during his prime years.
So, when news broke that he was taking no money to star in the film Yes Man, people were a bit skeptical. Turns out, the film legend had some tricks up his sleeve to ensure that he made bank.
He Collected Money On The Backend
If you’re a big enough star in the movie business, you can negotiate certain wrinkles into your contracts that will help you make a lot more money than what you would be getting paid for a base salary. This is the route that Jim Carrey took when he signed on to appear in Yes Man by agreeing to take a portion of the film’s profits as opposed to just a flat fee.
Now, this is a huge gamble for any star, as there is simply no way of knowing how a film is going to perform at the box office. It is true that the biggest stars in the film industry are accustomed to successful projects that net a sizable profits, but even Hollywood heavyweights are not immune from releasing a film that winds up flopping badly at the box office.
Despite knowing that he was taking a huge risk by signing this type of contract, Jim Carrey was still willing to roll the dice to see just how much money he could pull down in the long run. This wound up being a stroke of genius by the actor, who went on to make a massive amount of money.
Carrey Made Around $35 Million
Released back in 2009, Yes Man went on to be a sizable success at the box office for Jim Carrey and the rest of the cast involved with bringing the film to life. The film was able to gross $223 million at the worldwide box office, meaning that when compared to its budget, it was going to bring home a nice profit for the studio. It also meant that Jim Carrey was going to get a big chunk of that money.
It has been reported that Jim Carrey made upwards of $35 million for starring in the film, which remains his biggest salary to date. As we mentioned previously, $20 million is usually the top end of things for actors, so the fact that Carrey was able to make an additional $15 million simply by taking a risk on this movie is incredible.
Jim Carrey may have made no money in base salary for starring in Yes Man, but the payment he took home from the film’s profits far exceeded what he would have gotten with just a standard salary.