George Clooney Confesses He Took a Pay Cut for Monuments Men: "Everybody Worked for Crazy Cheap"

Actor also directed the upcoming flick

By Lily Harrison Feb 04, 2014 8:28 PMTags
Matt Damon, George Clooney, The Monuments MenColumbia Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox

George Clooney's Monuments Men is by every definition a major motion picture, but the actor revealed that the film's budget was anything but big.

In fact, during a recent interview with Variety, the 52-year-old explained that most of the cast took dramatic pay cuts before signing on board the flick.

"If you pay everybody a full boatload, it's a $150 million film," he told the publication. "You just can't do it. Everybody worked for super cheap, like crazy cheap."

But the opportunity to make the film was more important to Clooney than the money.

"I had some understanding that Hitler was stealing s--t. I didn't understand he was taking all of it. They don't teach that in school. That's why I loved the story."

He added, "We figured at this point, we've done so many WWII movies, there really aren't any new ones. You have to get around to someone as smart as Quentin [Tarantino], who can burn Hitler in a movie theater to do something different."

Jonah Hill found himself in a similar situation when he opted to take a salary cut for his role in Wolf of Wall Street.

The actor revealed in an interview with Howard Stern that he was only paid $60,000 because he wanted the role so badly.

Of course, you can't put a price tag on Hill's Oscar nomination for his role as Donnie Azoff in the Martin Scorsese-directed movie.

But back to Mr. Clooney…the Hollywood hunk addressed the rumors that he's going to enter into the political arena.

"I like the ability to shine light and make it loud, but boy, the idea of administrating and legislating. What a nightmare," he said.