This story first appeared in the Oct. FILM STAR How bad is the decline in actor salaries over the past decade? Despite the huge sums still being raked in by such superstars as Robert Downey Jr. Granted, that's an extreme example — Hill offered to do the part for scale and got an Oscar nomination for his trouble.

See more Highly Paid Film Stars.

But studio cost-cutting has meant that mid-level stars are being nickel-and-dimed in ways that would have been unheard of in the gilded '90s i. Before breaking out the violins, though, remember that even mid-level stars are far better off than most other actors. CAA generally pays more than WME, UTA, Gersh, ICM and Paradigm, yet salaries increasingly are tied to what an agent brings in.

And an agency will overpay to lure a top agent and his clients. In short, top talent breeds top salaries. Home Screening Rooms, Private Jets, Huge Expense Accounts. At most agencies, you start in the mailroom, hope an assistant's desk opens up, then dream of ascending the assistant ladder so you can be on the receiving end of middle-of-the-night email rants from top agents.

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At CAA, though — where Richard Lovett has five assistants and Kevin Huvane has four — you start as an assistant and move up to the mailroom agent-training program. But most animals work for peanuts: That select circle of top cinematographers would include time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins , Gravity Academy Award winner Emmanuel Lubezki and Martin Scorsese 's frequent collaborator Robert Richardson.

The going rate for modern masters? Backend is otherwise rare these days for the non-A-list. But unlike writers, directors sometimes helm all 22 episodes of a season — it's just too much work.

But some big-name pilot directors David Nutter , Jason Winer and Pam Fryman get an executive producer credit and a stake in the show, which is how Bryan Singer is said to have made tens of millions for directing the pilot of House M. After a practice builds up, a lawyer can receive 30 percent of what the firm earns from his or her clients. With a big enough list, that easily can add up to millions.

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Read more The Hollywood Reporter Reveals Hollywood's Favorite Films. There's also overtime — a full day of pay for every hour after 16 hours — which has been known to happen on movie sets. Unless, of course, you're Alex Trebek , Jeopardy! They're tied to commissions — one big client can be worth millions. Top partners can pull in seven figures. And unlike agents, managers can produce projects, bringing in additional fees. And bonuses can double that salary.

Still, says one former network president: The really fun jobs are running cable networks, a job like head of programming at AMC, because you have more opportunity to be creative. That's what an "average" porn star makes in a year, according to Joanne Cachapero of the Free Speech Coalition, the closest thing adult film has to a guild.

But there's a limit to even the most successful porn star's earning power. But bonuses and other sweeteners structured on box office and production output, among other factors usually amount to two to three times that payday.

Plus, the job comes with the best perks in Hollywood, from private jet rides to hour assistants. Moritz — can be counted on two hands plus maybe a foot.

But one dealmaker says no one is earning true first-dollar gross as in the old days. Instead, "everybody reduces before a film is greenlit and agrees to be part of a cash-break pool. Read more TV Premiere Dates That makes a big difference. How about driving a semi tractor-trailer 65 miles an hour off a ramp and 30 feet into the air? Tom McComas , 44, who has done all that and much more as a stuntman in The Dark Knight and Mission: Impossible movies, earns about a half-million dollars a year, and some make even more.

But those are exceptions — most risk their necks for far less. And work, by the way, is getting harder to come by in L. That's barely enough to cover a daredevil's insurance premiums, let alone pay the bills when he or she takes the inevitable spill. She shattered her pelvis; I jumped, flipped in the air and herniated a couple of disks. Basically we're blue-collar workers who punch the clock. The bottom line for a stuntman is: More and more top stars are lending their voice to TV and radio commercials.

But major stars account for only about 20 percent of the voices you hear in commercials. The other 80 percent — non-celebrity voice actors — don't make nearly that kind of dough. Jon Hamm is the voice of Mercedes. It used to be when movie stars did a TV show, it was seen as slumming. Now it's considered moving on up. Just this summer, Oscar winner Halle Berry debuted on CBS' Extant , and this fall Katherine Heigl stars on NBC's State of Affairs , while Tea Leoni plays a better-dressed version of Hillary Clinton on CBS' Madam Secretary.

But established TV actors with virtually no big-screen experience can do very well. With paychecks like that, who needs a film career?

Michelin-starred private chefs obviously can make more — but there are other ingredients in the salary recipe, like whether the client requires odd-hour meals or has a special diet. According to Christian Paier , owner of L. It's a very intimate thing. Even D-list celebs who go on Wife Swap can make decent money: But for the vast majority of reality show performers — unfamous Bachelor contestants and other run-of-the mill reality hopefuls — jury duty pays better.

You're given a minimal stipend to compensate for missed wages, and that's pretty much it. Stars Re-Create Classic Characters. But some of them are doing pretty well. And TV residuals are booming: But the real money is in writing an entire episode on one's own. Terms of Use Privacy Sitemap About Our Ads.

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