When it comes to starring in major movies on the big screen, most fans assume that all stars are making millions. This, however, isn’t always the case. Some make millions, some do well enough, and some don’t even make enough for health insurance. It all depends on the project, and some salaries would truly surprise people.
Julia Roberts is one of the biggest stars in film history, and Pretty Woman was her first huge success. Her salary for the film, however, might not come close to what people would expect.
Let’s take a look at how much Julia Roberts made for Pretty Woman and how that changed over time.
She Made $300,000 For The Film
Looking back at her career now, it’s easy to see why Julia Roberts was commanding huge paychecks for her biggest film roles. However, it took years to reach this point, and Roberts put in a ton of work to earn her place in Hollywood. Pretty Woman is still considered one of her biggest and best movies, but the pay that she received is not what people would expect.
During the latter part of the 80s, Julia Roberts started picking up some steam in the entertainment industry. Her brother broke into acting before she did, and her grandmother acted previously and was an acting coach, meaning that Roberts was simply following the family line into acting. Earlier projects like Mystic Pizza and Steel Magnolias really helped boost her stock.
When Pretty Woman came knocking, Roberts unknowingly set herself up to become a mainstream star. The role was initially offered to Molly Ringwald, who was already a major name thanks to films like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. Due to her passing on the role, Roberts jumped at the chance to star in the film. Due to lacking name value, however, Roberts only made $300,000.
Despite taking a much smaller salary than one would think for an blockbuster smash, Roberts proved to be an incredible fit in the role, and suddenly, the entire planet knew who she was.
It Becomes A Classic
It’s never easy to pinpoint when a movie is going to blossom into a classic, but it didn’t take long for fans to see this being the case with Pretty Woman. Starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, Pretty Woman became a must-see movie while it was still on the big screen, and the film wound up making over $460 million at the box office.
In the blink of an eye, Julia Roberts was a major star that was poised to take over Hollywood. The success of the film came from out of nowhere, and it held the record for domestic ticket sales for a romantic comedy for over a decade. Yeah, it was a pretty big deal, and Roberts wasted no time in capitalizing on the success that she had just found with her first major hit.
Of course, learning that she only made $300,000 for the role still came as a shock to people, but the movie did have a smaller budget when compared to some of the films that Roberts would do as her career continued. However, there was not a shot that she would be pulling down that type of salary again.
She Went On To Make $20 Million Per Movie
After the success of Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts was able to continue her upward tick in popularity and success. She would go on to conquer the 90s while boosting her salary in profound ways. In fact, Roberts would become the first woman in film history to command a $20 million salary for a single picture.
In 2000, Erin Brockovich became another massive hit for Roberts, and this was the movie that netted her a record-breaking salary. So, was the $20 million worth it for the studio? It sure was. Roberts would win the Academy Award for Best Actress, and the film would go on to make over $250 million while also being nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
Through the years, Roberts has continued commanding top-dollar for her biggest roles. While she does not crack $20 million for every movie, being the first actress to do so is still a major feather in her cap. For instance, she was paid $600,000 for each episode of Homecoming that she appeared in, meaning that she doubled her Pretty Woman salary every single week.
Julia Roberts is a legend of the big screen who has made bank, but her first mega-hit paid her a relatively low salary.