Sean Astin Reveals The Lord Of The Rings Pay Was So Low He Had To Sell His House

"There was a disconnect between the attention that I was getting and how much money we had."

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings is truly one of the greatest movie franchises ever made. The trilogy was a huge hit, winning several Oscars, with The Return of the King making history by taking home all 11 Academy Awards it was nominated for. The movies also made many of the cast members famous, but their success did not mean every actor made a lot of money.

Former child star Sean Astin, best known for playing the loyal Samwise Gamgee, recently opened up about his experience in an interview with The Guardian. He said that while starring in the movies brought him a "level of visibility and access", there was a "disconnect" between all the attention the cast was receiving and how much they were actually earning.

"It was not a lot of money! In fact, I had to sell my house because I negotiated such a small amount on the trilogy", he said.

Don't worry, though, in the same interview, Astin said he is now "very comfortable financially." He has also experienced the very modern side of fame, with Sam becoming the subject of fan fiction, memes, and even AI-generated content. These days, he still regularly reunites with Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan, his fellow hobbits, at conventions around the world.

The Lord of the Rings franchise is heading back to the big screen, and while Astin hasn't confirmed a return as Sam, he's open to the idea, and he'd like to see a bigger paycheck this time around.

Peter Jackson famously shot all three Lord of the Rings movies at the same time, meaning there was no opportunity to know future success and negotiate salaries. It was "a real gamble," as Elijah Wood put it in an interview with Business Insider last year.

Orlando Bloom previously revealed on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show that his role as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy earned him just $175,000. "Listen, the greatest gift of my life," he added. "I'd do it again for half the money."

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