Why Ben Affleck Says Paying Taxes After Ultimate Will Attempting “Change into once Admire Having an Ex-Indispensable other”
Ben Affleck published that he and Ultimate Will Attempting costar Matt Damon had been taken aback to learn that they’d to interrupt up their earnings from the 1997 movie between themselves and the IRS.
It appears Ben Affleck wasn't comparatively the accountant early in his profession.
After the Ultimate Will Attempting alum and his longtime BFF Matt Damon every earned $325,000 from promoting the Oscar-winning movie's script, he detailed his dear awakening sooner than tax season.
“Effectively, it appears, Howard, it be necessary to pay these objects known as taxes, which I wasn't comparatively conversant in,” Ben teased in a joint interview with Matt on the Jan. 12 episode of The Howard Stern Point out on SiriusXM. “I turn into once like, 'So, who will get half over again?'”
“It turn into once like having an ex-wife real away—you honest divide, divide, divide,” the Fifty three-365 days-ancient—who finalized his divorce from Jennifer Lopez closing January—joked. “And that joke is in no arrangement supposed to reflect on any individual.”
Meanwhile, Matt—who turn into once 26 when he and Ben, 24, started manufacturing on Ultimate Will Attempting—admitted that studying how grand of their earnings would dart to the IRS turn into once a tall be-careful call. As he eminent, “We had been like, 'We realize this man will get half, nonetheless who else will get half? What's taking place?”
Even supposing Ben—who shares younger other folks Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner—has since found their footing in Hollywood, he hasn't forgotten his past shortcomings.
As a minimum, the Justice League broad title admitted that he and Matt—dad to his and wife Luciana Barroso Damon's daughters Alexia, 25, Isabella, 19, Gia, 17, Sally, 15—had been fleet to splurge their fresh earnings.
“I turn into once broke in eight months,” Ben published on Peacock's Hart to Heart in June 2024. “Me and him both bought fresh Jeep Spacious Cherokees. Honest away. First test, it turn into once 'When can I get my Jeep?'”
Even supposing Ben turn into once staying in Matt's lounge, he admitted, “I obtained the vehicle sooner than I obtained off the couch.”
And when it came to at closing getting a house, he and Matt—who enjoy previously admitted to sharing a checking anecdote for the duration of their early days in Hollywood—leveraged their newfound repute to rent a house in the Hollywood Hills.
“We had no credit score, nonetheless they’d go this story in Range,” he explained. “It turn into once like, 'Hiya, these two knuckleheads sell this script and they're gonna be so honest.' So as to get the rent, we needed to head to the proprietor and bring it. We had been like, 'We don't enjoy credit score, nonetheless we enjoy got this.'”
While Ben isn't proud of his monetary choices taking a explore wait on, he doesn't remorse them both. As he place it, “I’d construct it the the same f–king arrangement.”
For more celebs who've shared a discover about at their paychecks, retain reading.
Joe Giudice
To listen to Joe Giudice repeat it, his and ex-wife Teresa Giudice's salary for season belief to be one of The Loyal Housewives of New Jersey turn into once nothing to flip over. “We obtained paid nothing the fundamental season,” he detailed on daughter Gia Giudice's Informal Chaos podcast in August 2025. “I'll even speak, it turn into once like $25,000. It turn into once ridiculous. However, no topic.”
And the ingredientses they place into that initial repute-making season weren't low-price. “I mediate the fundamental 365 days we had that broad social gathering in my enormous room,” the daddy of four mirrored. “I mediate that level to price me $150,000 the fundamental 365 days.”
Jenna Johnson
While there's no cash prize for nabbing Dancing With the Stars' mirrorball trophy, “whoever makes it to the finale, you all get paid up till then,” Jenna Johnson, who obtained season 33 with partner Joey Graziadei, shared. “And besides you construct get a nice bonus.”
“Ought to you gain,” Johnson, who eminent pro contracts are dependent on seniority, continued. “it’s now not equivalent to you get a million bucks. You’re honest getting a cute trophy together.” As for folks that speak farewell to the ballroom early, properly, as she explained, “You’re guaranteed till a particular amount of weeks.”
Per more than one reports, dancer salaries delivery at round $1,200 to $1,600 an episode, which will develop to up to of $100,000 per season. (ABC has now not confirmed these reports.) On the flip facet, celebrities gain a initiating salary of $125,000. As they cha-cha extra into the competition, stars gain extra bonuses with the semifinalists and finalists getting paid up to $50,000 extra.
Jennifer Lawrence
Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence turn into once paid $25 million to broad title in Adam McKay’s ensemble anguish comedy Don’t Search Up. However her costar and fellow Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio obtained $30 million.
“Search, Leo brings in extra field place of work than I construct,” Lawrence told Vanity Subtle for its’ December 2020/January 2021 area. “I’m extremely fortunate and blissful with my deal. However in other cases, what I in reality enjoy considered—and I’m obvious other girls folks in the group enjoy considered as properly—is that it’s extremely shadowy to place a question to about equal pay. And in the event you construct place a question to something that appears unequal, you’re told it’s now not gender disparity nonetheless they’ll’t repeat you what precisely it is.”
Her sanguine attitude turn into once laborious-fought: When the disparity between Lawrence’s compensation and that of her male costars for 2013’s American Hustle turn into once published in the 2014 Sony electronic mail hack, it ended in an industry-wide dialog about the gender pay gap in Hollywood.
“I'm so fortunate to enjoy my job. My downside is now not cash,” Lawrence told the U.Okay.’s Channel 4 Files in 2017. “I wasn't upset that I most appealing obtained this many millions for a movie. That's ridiculous. I turn into once angry about the unfairness and inequality.”
Jonah Hill
Much less equivalent to DiCaprio’s salary: The $60,000 “sooner than commissions and taxes” that Jonah Hill turn into once paid for 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Boulevard, whereas the titular wolf made $10 million.
“They gave me the lowest amount of cash that you would mediate of,” Hill recalled on The Howard Stern Point out in 2014. However it turn into once the prospect to look in a Martin Scorsese movie, so the Moneyball alum desired to get the deal accomplished sooner than any individual can also change their thoughts.
“I’d sell my house and affords him all my cash to work for [Scorsese],” explained Hill, who earned his 2nd Entirely Supporting Actor nomination for his flip as a squirrelly substance-abusing stockbroker. “This isn't what you construct cash for. You construct 22 Soar Boulevard otherwise you construct other things, and besides you would pay your hire. I’d enjoy accomplished something on this planet. I’d construct it over again in a 2nd. This isn't about cash. It is most likely you’ll honest peaceful construct things that you care about.”
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey fortunately current most appealing quite of little bit of green to broad title in 1985’s The Color Crimson.
“They had been most appealing offering $35,000 to be in this movie, and it is some distance possibly the most appealing $35,000 I ever earned,” the billionaire media magnate told Essence in 2023. “It modified all the things and taught me so grand.”
Jennifer Lopez
When she scored the feature of gradual Tejana singer Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 biopic Selena, Jennifer Lopez grew to was the fundamental Latina actress to tag $1 million for a movie.
“I turn into once too younger and didn’t know what the hell turn into once going on,” Lopez told Range in 2019, reflecting on her breakout movie. “It turn into once enormous they equipped me a million bucks. I feel like everyone turn into once making a commentary.”
And it prepared the ground for her to construct quite a lot of of millions more, although in most cases her participation doesn’t price a ingredient.
“I construct things because I like them,” Lopez explained to GQ in 2019. “I didn't get paid a complete bunch of cash for Hustlers. I did it free of price and produced it. I monetary institution on myself, ? Admire Jenny From the Block—I construct what I like.”
Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody didn’t construct The Brutalist for the cash. Moderately, he took on the feature of a Hungarian architect struggling for his art in put up-WWII The usa for $250,000 and obtained his 2nd Oscar for Entirely Actor.
“I need a studio movie now, because I’ve poured it all into this,” Brody quipped to Range, referring to the “barn that looks as if a fortress” he’s renovating in upstate New York.
Pete Davidson
“Attain you guys know what they pay us?” Pete Davidson cracked to New York magazine when asked sooner than Saturday Evening Live's fiftieth anniversary particular how he spent his cash when he turn into once first hired on the age of 20 in 2014. “It’s like three mountainous an episode, so I mediate I obtained dinner.”
Curiously, the salaries enjoy remained proportional for SNL rookies, with season one stars John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Streak reportedly earning $750 an episode wait on in 1975. Which turn into once roughly same to $3,300 in 2014, according to the Individual Designate Index Inflation calculator. (Even supposing the $750 of 1975 is $4,428 in 2025.)
Kenan Thompson
While Kenan Thompson makes a lot bigger than $3,000 per episode of SNL now that he’s in his anecdote 22nd season, the old Nickelodeon broad title needed to delivery somewhere.
“That first commercial after they paid me, it turn into once $800,” the All That alum published in Demi Lovato‘s 2024 documentary Little one Huge title. “I turn into once 12 so as that will also honest as properly were a million bucks.”
Lauren Graham
It appears Gilmore Ladies’ place as a cherished rewatchable traditional is literally precious.
“There in reality are no residuals on Netflix,” Lauren Graham, who performed Lorelai Gilmore for seven seasons and then reprised the feature for 2016’s Gilmore Ladies: A 365 days in the Lifestyles, acknowledged on Jimmy Kimmel Live in March 2025. “However I’ve been paid in like and appreciation.”
Tommy Dorfman
Feeling now not so liked, Tommy Dorfman obtained particular about her 13 Causes Why paycheck for the duration of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike—which turn into once ended in in phase (as turn into once the WGA strike) by streamers like Netflix now not making it a practice to pay extra compensation to solid and crew once a level to had was a tall hit.
“my earnings for your complete first season of 13 the reason why had been $29,953.24 sooner than company and supervisor fees (20%) and taxes,” Dorfman wrote on Threads July 24. “8 episodes over six months.” She continued, “i did the full promo and had KEY ART for this level to, flew round day out from NYC to SF to shoot for every episode, turn into once saved for days with out pay/working. i barely qualified for insurance protection.”
And, Dorfman added, “for the duration of the fundamental 28 days of liberate, the level to's season 1 garnered a complete of 476 million look hours. that is why we strike.”
Dax Shepard
With out naming names or numbers, Dax Shepard told fellow Parenthood alum Lauren Graham when she seemed on his podcast that he knew he made “among the many lowest of the full actors” on their NBC drama, which ran for six seasons.
However, the Armchair Educated host stressed out that he did now not thoughts.
“Every job I had ever had in my existence sooner than Parenthood, I made a level to search out out what everyone turn into once making,” he acknowledged. “I'd progressively figure it out—both a dialog the place I get it out of them or I backchannel thru an agent.”
So he made a level to purposely now not discover about out such facts about his Parenthood family, which helped with playing the skills even when he did get an inkling of the place he turn into once on the pay pyramid.
George Clooney
“I obtained a buck for writing the script,” George Clooney told the Los Angeles Cases in 2005 about the monetary strings he pulled to get his movie Ultimate Evening, and Ultimate Ultimate fortune made. “I needed to endorse my test for directing and flip in my performing salary.[Actorcowriterandcoproducer[ActorcowriterandcoproducerGrant Heslov]and I every made a buck for doing it.”
His labor of like about CBS Files journalist Edward R. Murrow speaking truth to energy in the Fifties had legs, although: Making his Broadway debut, Clooney wrapped his months-lengthy stint taking part in Murrow in a stage adaptation of the movie in June 2025. And with the play having grossed a Broadway anecdote (for a nonmusical) $3.3 million for the duration of a preview week sooner than it formally opened April 3, he made plenty bigger than $1.
Christian Bale
For his chilling flip as Patrick Bateman in 2000’s American Psycho, Christian Bale turn into once paid “completely the minimum they had been legally allowed to pay me” because nobody in the manufacturing in reality desired to rent him other than director Mary Harron, the Welsh actor told GQ in 2022.
He made so diminutive, Bale shared, that he remembered “sitting in the makeup trailer and the makeup artists had been laughing at me because I turn into once getting paid decrease than any of them.”
Jon Heder
His uncle can also honest were Rico, nonetheless Jon Heder confirmed in 2010 that he turn into once “in the muse” most appealing paid $1,000 for Napoleon Dynamite.
After the irreverent comedy grew to was a sleeper hit, he turn into once ready to renegotiate for part of the earnings, telling the New Zealand Herald, “They went quite of bit elevated.”
Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Hounsou acknowledged he’s “indubitably underpaid” in Hollywood despite his prestigious checklist of credits, together with Amistad and Blood Diamond.
“I've been in this change and making motion photos now over twenty years,” the Beninese actor told CNN’s Larry Madowo in January 2025. “And peaceful—with two Oscar nominations and been in quite a lot of tall blockbuster motion photos—and yet I’m peaceful struggling financially to construct a living.”
Rebellion Wilson
Rebellion Wilson detailed in her 2024 memoir Rebellion Rising that she turn into once paid $3,500 to construct Bridesmaids, “a rate that I then needed to pay on to the Show hide Actors Guild to affix the union. So in reality, I obtained paid nothing.”
Aloof, she wrote, the skills turn into once “all the things!”
And the Australian actress’ broad title rose ever a-ca elevated, alongside with her rate going from the SAG minimum scale of $65,000 for 2012’s Pitch Wonderful to $10 million for 2017’s Pitch Wonderful 3. Wilson wrote that she raked in $20 million complete for the threequel, Isn’t It Romantic and The Hustle, although—truth alert—she “lost nearly 50 p.c to taxes, 10 p.c to brokers and 5 p.c” to her approved professional. However even after those duties and paying her publicist, change supervisor and assistant, Wilson “netted what to me turn into once an absolute fortune.”
Ellen Pompeo
In gradual 2017, Ellen Pompeo negotiated a fresh Grey’s Anatomy contract for $575,000 per episode, a seven-figure signing bonus and two plump backend fairness solutions value an estimated $6 million to $7 million.
“I’m forty eight now, so I’ve at closing gotten to the place the place I’m OK requesting what I deserve, which is something that comes most appealing with age,” Pompeo told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. “Because I’m now not possibly the most ‘relevant’ actress available. I do know that’s the industry concept because I’ve been this character for 14 years. However in actual fact, anybody can also very properly be honest on a level to season one and two. Are you able to be honest 14 years later? Now, that’s a f–relatives’ ability.”
Reflecting more now not too lengthy ago on how she progressively made decrease than costar Patrick Dempsey, although she turn into once the Grey in place a question to, Pompeo acknowledged she didn’t begrudge him his cash.
However, she acknowledged on a March 2025 episode of Name Her Daddy, “Honest being that I turn into once the namesake of the level to, I deserved the the same and that turn into once more difficult to get. I wasn't salty about him getting what he obtained. I turn into once salty that they didn't trace me as grand as they valued him and they never will.”
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis recalled getting paid $2,000 per week—so $8,000 in complete—for 1978’s Halloween, her movie debut. “I mean,” she told Fallacious Tomatoes in 2018, “nobody obtained paid, something.”
But whereas the cry queen earned four figures, director John Chippie’s pal Prick Castle felt like a king making $25 per day to fragment the feature of Michael Myers. (It’s Anthony Moran whose face you discover about when the killer’s cowl comes off for a freaky 2nd, and editor Tommy Lee Wallace moreover logged screentime as Michael.)
“That turn into once plenty on the time!” Castle, who attended movie college at USC with Chippie, told Vanity Subtle in 2018. “It is most likely you’ll honest enjoy got to undergo in thoughts: My hobby in doing the movie turn into once being on place, so I will also demystify the skills of filmmaking and directing. I expected to loaf around the place for no cash. However hey, $25 per day, and all I needed to construct turn into once wear a rubber cowl.”
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji P. Henson earned a Entirely Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for 2008’s The Abnormal Case of Benjamin Button, nonetheless years later she turn into once peaceful fired up by the $150,000 she current to be in the movie—after producers rejected the $500,000 quote she dropped on the desk.
As for the movie’s leads Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, “You don’t hear a quantity of $20 million quotes anymore, nonetheless today that turn into once taking place,” Henson acknowledged on the Females First With Laura Brown podcast in 2021. “And rightfully so—I’m now not saying they shouldn’t enjoy paid Cate and Brad what they deserved.”
However, she continued, “I’m bringing a particular amount to the seat too and I felt like what I turn into once requesting the time being in my profession turn into once honest, turn into once honest to the ticket sales that I’d make a contribution to this tall movie. Wouldn’t construct it.” Henson turn into once “gutted” after they equipped $100,000, she recalled. “When it turn into once all acknowledged and accomplished I obtained $150,000, nonetheless I needed to swallow my pleasure, diminutive one.”
Breaking it down, “I do know other folks dart, ‘$150,000, that’s a quantity of cash!’” Henson acknowledged. “I don’t ever desire other folks to mediate that I’m ungrateful because that’s now not me.” However, she calculated, “Uncle Sam is going to rob 50 p.c of that, so now you’re left with, what? $75,000. Now sooner than Uncle Sam takes the cash, I in reality enjoy to pay my crew sooner than taxes, 30 p.c. So once Uncle Sam takes his 75, then I obtained one other 30 that’s coming off of that 75, so I will also honest enjoy made $40,000?”
Cate Blanchett
While Blanchett has made lots of money over time, it didn’t all advance from taking part in royal elf Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings franchise, although it grossed $2.9 billion on the worldwide field place of work.
“Are you kidding me? No,” she retorted on See What Occurs Live in August 2024 when Andy Cohen guessed LOTR turn into once her most appealing paycheck. “Nobody obtained paid something to construct that movie…I mean, I incessantly obtained free sandwiches, and I obtained to retain my ears.”
Orlando Bloom
They weren’t paid a precious amount, that’s. Orlando Bloom, who performed elven warrior Legolas, shared on The Howard Stern Point out in 2023 that he made $175,000 for the full trilogy.
Optimistically he moreover obtained to retain his ears.
Source credit : eonline.com
