Conor McGregor Brags That He’s the Highest-Paid First-Time Action Star. Dwayne Johnson May Beg to Differ.

Edited by Benjamin Svetkey and Edited by Julian Sancton
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Conor McGregor vs. Dwayne Johnson: Who Cashed the Bigger Check?

Did Conor McGregor really set a world record with his Road House payday? That’s what the onetime UFC superstar has been bragging about in recent weeks, claiming he’s now “the highest paid first-time actor of all time.” If true — and McGregor, 35, hasn’t disclosed how much he got for his debut role in Amazon’s reboot of the 1989 kickboxing flick — he would beat Dwayne Johnson’s record of $5.5 million for 2002’s Scorpion King. While some have scoffed at his claim, sources indicate he was indeed paid in that ballpark, and given the Irishman’s stature in the martial arts world and the offers he has turned down (he accepted a role opposite Vin Diesel in 2017’s xXx: Return of Xander Cage, only to back out before filming began) it wouldn’t be surprising if some sort of record was broken. McGregor certainly earned more for Road House than many current A-listers pocketed for their marquee debuts (like Chris Hemsworth, who got a measly $150,000 for his first Thor movie, or Gal Gadot, who made just $300,000 for her first Wonder Woman film). Still, even if he did beat Johnson’s paycheck, McGregor likely hasn’t adjusted for inflation. In 2002, $5.5 million was worth $9.4 million today. — Aaron Couch

Getting Fired Is the Best Revenge

Two former high-flying magazine editors who were dumped from their glamorous media jobs have come together to write a book about … getting dumped from glamorous media jobs. Laura Brown, whose gig as editor-in-chief of InStyle was “eliminated” in 2022, and Kristina O’Neill, who the Wall Street Journal announced had “stepped down” from the top job at its magazine in 2023, are co-authoring All the Cool Girls Get Fired, which they hope will help take some of the sting out of getting pink-slipped, or let go, or role-terminated, or whatever euphemisms your ex-bosses used to describe your dumping. “So much gets wrapped up in the language around [getting fired], but if everyone could just call it what it is, you could be emotionally in a better place,” suggests O’Neill. Brown offers advice that is as relevant to agents as it is to editors: “It’s important to own your abilities. Do not attach your value to where you work — your value lies in yourself.” The book, published by Simon & Schuster, should arrive on shelves in January 2026. — Lachlan Cartwright

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No, You Aren’t Being Stalked — It’s Just a Press Release

We knew publicists could be scary, but this one had journalists so terrified they were calling the cops. Marshall Weinbaum, a 17-year veteran of Disney’s PR department, was the mastermind behind what might be the most chilling press campaign since those missing person posters went up at Sundance for The Blair Witch Project. To publicize The First Omen — the latest incarnation in the Antichrist franchise — Weinbaum sent journalists disturbing children’s drawings with no explanation of what they were. “In the movie, there are these creepy drawings of little girls with their faces crossed out, so I got this idea to print them out and mail them to the press,” he explains. Another, later mailing would make it clear these were part of a PR campaign, but not before some took the missives seriously. Amanda Taylor, a Missouri-based blogger — who also happens to be running for the state house on a pro-choice ticket — was convinced she’d been targeted by right-wing terrorists and filed a police report. “I was freaking out,” she says. “My husband touched it, so I’m screaming at him to wash his hands.” Weinbaum, for his part, regrets frightening anyone but notes that “most people had fun with it.”

Why Chloë Sevigny  Hates Loves L.A.

It turns out Chloë Sevigny doesn’t hate L.A. nearly as much as she said she did a few months ago. In February, the 49-year-old “It” girl turned indie darling had some unkind things to say about our city in an Elle video promoting her gig on Hulu’s Truman Capote drama Feud. “The last place I want to live is Los Angeles,” she said. “I feel like it’s very isolating … I find the sunshine monotonous. I don’t like how dry it is. I don’t like how hard the water is.” But when THR recently ran into the actress — in L.A., of all places! — she sang a different tune. “[Elle] asked me where I wouldn’t want to live and I have spent a lot of time in L.A., so I rattled off reasons why I didn’t want to live here. At the end, I gave 20 reasons why I love L.A., but they edited that out.” For the record, those reasons include: “The Old Hollywood glamour, the streets named after stars, the architecture, the fine art, the punk bands and all my friends who live here.” — Chris Gardner

This story first appeared in the April 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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