Samwise Gamgee Actor Sean Astin Says He Had to Sell His House Because He Had Negotiated Such a Small Salary on The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Actor Sean Astin has said helium negotiated specified a tiny wage for playing Samwise Gamgee successful Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy that helium was forced to merchantability his house.

Astin played Sam successful 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring, 2002's The Two Towers, and 2003's The Return of the King, which were filmed back-to-back.

Backing up erstwhile comments from chap The Lord of the Rings actors, Astin said determination was a “disconnect” betwixt the magnitude of attraction helium received for acting successful the cardinal dollar movie franchise, and the wealth helium got for doing so.

Last year, Frodo histrion Elijah Wood, who Astin spent a large woody of surface clip with arsenic Sam, said that his wage for The Lord of the Rings movies was “not massive” and that appearing successful the films was “a existent gamble.”

“Because we weren’t making 1 movie and past renegotiating a declaration for the next, it wasn’t the benignant of lucrative script that you could benignant of remainder casual for the remainder of your life,” Wood told Business Insider astatine the 2025 Texas Film Awards.

The histrion besides noted that the institution who made the picture, New Line Cinema, took “a existent gamble” by shooting each 3 films backmost to backmost — but that hazard was lone made imaginable by offering the formed “not monolithic salaries.”

That said, Wood made it wide that the salary, nevertheless small, was not the large gully of participating successful the film. “The payment of that was that we were besides signing up for thing that was going to beryllium a portion of our lives forever,” helium explained.

In 2024, Cate Blanchett, who played the elf Galadriel successful The Lord of the Rings, said connected the Watch What Happens Live speech amusement that she “basically got escaped sandwiches” and “no 1 got paid anything.” Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas, said successful 2019 that helium had been paid $175,000 for each 3 films. "Nothing, nothing, nothing. I got nothing. 175 expansive for 3 movies," helium said astatine the time. "No listen, top acquisition of my life, are you kidding me? You'd bash it again for fractional the money."

Now, successful a caller interrogation with The Guardian, Astin admitted helium was “not prepared for that level of visibility and access,” pursuing the occurrence of The Lord of the Rings. “And determination was a disconnect betwixt the attraction that I was getting and however overmuch wealth we had. It was not a batch of money! In fact, I had to merchantability my location due to the fact that I negotiated specified a tiny magnitude connected the trilogy.”

Astin has spoken astir this before. In 2017, helium told the Jim & Sam Show that helium had bought a location with a $250,000-a-year owe earlier filming connected The Lord of the Rings started, but helium didn't marque capable from the movie to spend it.

"I did the audition process and got offered Lord of the Rings, and it was an connection for $250,000 for a twelvemonth and a half," helium said. "And I was like, 'Wait a minute, my pen signed this contract, which obligated maine to $250,000 a year, and I'm gonna motion this contract, which volition marque it truthful that I perfectly cannot fulfill that different thing.'"

"So it was $75,000 a movie. No residuals."

Astin added that by the clip The Return of the King arrived successful theaters successful 2003, helium was successful a amended fiscal position. “We agreed not to speech astir it, but erstwhile it came clip to bash publicity for the 3rd film, I was feeling a small spot better, is that a bully mode to get astir that?" helium said.

Clearly, since past Astin has done good enough, telling The Guardian he’s “very comfy financially now.” Indeed, determination is speech of him reprising the relation of Sam successful the caller movie co-written by Tolkien superfan Stephen Colbert. Astin confirmed he’d spoken to Colbert astir it, he’s up for it, and he’d similar to deliberation he’d beryllium amended paid this time.

Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].