Cate Blanchett is talking about her "Lord of the Rings" paycheck.
The "Lord of the Rings" film series has grossed billions at the box office. However, this does not seem to mean that its actors were lavishly paid. Galadriel actress Cate Blanchett, for instance, reveals that she did not participate for the money.
Cate Blanchett reportedly earned far less than one might expect for her role as Galadriel in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The renowned Hollywood actress even jokes that she was practically paid in sandwiches. Her motivation for working with director Peter Jackson was not financial, as the 55-year-old reveals in a conversation with host Andy Cohen on the show "Watch What Happens Live."
When asked by Cohen which film has earned her the most, Blanchett lets him guess. He suggests, "I think it's probably 'The Lord of the Rings.'" Blanchett responds almost disappointedly, "Are you serious?"
Despite Jackson's trilogy, consisting of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," grossing over $2.9 billion at the box office, Blanchett seems to have seen little of it. "No, nobody got paid for the film," she explains. She also wasn't additionally compensated later: "No! That was way before all this. No, nothing."
Sandwiches and Ears
Blanchett, who also appeared as Galadriel in the "Hobbit" films, explains that she wanted to work for the director of "Braindead." Jackson had previously gained attention with this splatter film, which was first indexed in Germany in 1993. "I basically got free sandwiches and got to keep my (prosthetic) ears," the actress explains, adding, "Women don't get paid as much as you think."
Not only actresses seemed to have been relatively underpaid at the time. In 2023, Legolas actor Orlando Bloom revealed in the "Howard Stern Show" that his salary for the entire trilogy was $175,000. While not a small amount, it's modest compared to the billions generated by the fantasy series.
Blanchett's work on the "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" films provided her with more than just monetary compensation; she also received free sandwiches and got to keep her prosthetic ears. Despite the massive box office success of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, its actors, including Blanchett and Orlando Bloom, reportedly did not receive lavish paychecks.
