Why Mark Wahlberg Got ‘All the Money in the World’ for Reshoots and Michelle Williams Didn’t
In his Oscars monologue, host Jimmy Kimmel landed a great joke about the fact that Mark Wahlberg got more money than Michelle Williams for “All the Money in the World” reshoots — even though they have the same agents.
“If we can’t trust agents, who can we trust?” he said.
Wahlberg received $1.5 million to take part in reshoots for “All the Money in the World,” while Williams got next to nothing. And while that struck many as a clear-case of sexism, it just comes down to their contracts, as TheWrap reported in January. (This is an update of our original story.)
Wahlberg ultimately said he would donate all $1.5 million to #TimesUp, which promotes gender equity in Hollywood.
Also Read: Mark Wahlberg to Donate $1.5 Million to #TimesUp in Michelle Williams' Name
Williams received only a per diem of $80 a day for the reshoots, as USA Today reported. Her contract required her to do reshoots, which turned out to be much more extensive than planned because director Ridley Scott re-cast disgraced actor Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer.
Wahlberg received more than 1,000 times as much money as she did because reshoots were not in his contract, according to an individual with knowledge of the deal. It’s no surprise that Wahlberg’s agent, Ari Emanuel, demanded top dollar: Their dynamic inspired Wahlberg’s series “Entourage,” in which an Emanuel-inspired agent’s ruthlessness is a running gag.
Also Read: Michelle Williams Made $1,000 for 'All the Money' Reshoots, Mark Wahlberg Made $1.5 Million (Report)
Emanuel is also co-CEO of WME.
It’s also worth noting that Wahlberg’s character has many more scenes with J. Paul Getty (Plummer). The reshoots cost about $10 million in all, according to USA Today.
Prior to production, the film was financed through foreign pre-sales, the insider told TheWrap. Wahlberg, Forbes’ highest-paid actor for 2017, took a massive pay cut to star in the film. That’s a common move for action stars looking to add more prestige to their IMDB profiles.
The insider said Wahlberg earned more for reshoots because he had lowered his fee and is one of the biggest draws worldwide.
Also Read: Zoe Saldana Accuses Hollywood Studios of Cheaping Out on Childcare, 'Perking Up' Male Movie Stars
WME did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment last month. Nor did spokespeople for the actors.
Scott said in a previous interview that the returning cast members appeared in the reshoots for free and that only Plummer was paid.
“No, I wouldn’t get paid, I refused to get paid,” Scott said, adding about the actors: “No, they all came in free. Christopher had to get paid. But Michelle, no. Me, no.”
Williams previously told USA Today: “I said I’d be wherever they needed me, whenever they needed me. And they could have my salary, they could have my holiday, whatever they wanted. Because I appreciated so much that they were making this massive effort.”
The pay disparity set of a flurry of criticism on Twitter that this was yet another example of gender inequity in Hollywood.
Please go see Michelle's performance in All The Money in The World. She's a brilliant Oscar nominated Golden Globe winning actress. She has been in the industry for 20 yrs. She deserves more than 1% of her male costar' s salary. https://t.co/HIniew6lf7
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) January 10, 2018
Michelle Williams is a captivating, brilliant talent. Her willingness to take 1k to fix the film is wholly honorable. Why didn’t @WME protect their client? Because they were too busy leveraging her shitty deal to get Wahlberg more money. Wahlberg packaged Entourage at WME.
— Krumholtz (@mrDaveKrumholtz) January 10, 2018
Exposing the gross disparity in pay & hard evidence of the gender gap— negotiated by the SAME agents no less! — isn’t a witch hunt. It’s a demand for fair practices. One person suggesting he step up for a costar, or women in general, is just a suggestion. Not a Putin-level order.
— Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) January 10, 2018
Related stories from TheWrap:
What Happened to John Paul Getty III After Kidnapping in 'All the Money in the World'?
Ridley Scott Didn't Call Kevin Spacey When He Replaced Star in 'All The Money in the World'