Orlando Bloom was still at the very beginning of his career 23 years ago. But his embodiment of the elf Legolas in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy made him world famous overnight. However, when the star looks back on his breakthrough today, some are amazed at the relatively low salary he was paid for it.
Lord of the Rings Salary: Orlando Bloom earned very little as Legolas
In the first film, Legolas only exchanged 3 words with Frodo. In Parts 2 and 3, Orlando Bloom, as one of the nine companions, got increasingly busy doing his part to save Middle-earth. Speaking to US radio personality Howard Stern, Orlando Bloom talked about being a fresh start in acting in 2001 no profit sharing or something similar for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. That also got the conversation going his salary for the trilogythe revelation of which shocked the moderator in the video “You’re joking, is that all?” elicited:
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Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom as Legolas
I didn’t get anything. 175 thousand [Dollar für drei Filme]. But listen, that was the greatest gift of my life. I would do it again, even for half the money.
Broken down by the three fantasy films, that’s just over $58,000 per film. For a commitment of more than a year of filming because the trilogy was shot in one go (plus later reshoots). Of course, in the long run, Orlando Bloom was paid more than just $175,000 in salary – he was rewarded with a career for his Legolas performance in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean series and in films such as Kingdom of Heaven and Elizabethtown followed.
This year Orlando Bloom wrapped up his starring role in the fantasy series Carnival Row on Amazon Prime* and is currently in cinemas on Gran Turismo.
Middle-earth Gage: What did the other Lord of the Rings stars earn?
Not everyone is as open about their profits as movie stars as Orlando Bloom. But over the years, it has leaked out to some as to who appeared to have emerged from the trilogy with how much money. Compared to the salary of the other Lord of the Rings stars the Legolas actor is actually on the lower end of the revenue class:
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Lord of the Rings Stars and their Fees
All of this is still a long way from the (non-inflation-adjusted) salary of today’s superstars: Margot Robbie, for example, was paid $50 million for Barbie, while Tom Cruise is said to have netted $100 million for Top Gun: Maverick.
Podcast: The 15 best series starts in September including Lord of the Rings replacement
Need more fresh streaming tips? In the monthly preview, we bring you closer to the most exciting September series, which you can stream on Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+, among others:
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We have checked the long starting lists of the streaming services and present you the 15 big highlights of the month in the Moviepilot podcast stream trawl. Also included is Netflix’s departure from Sex Education and the return of the acclaimed Apple series The Morning Show. Amazon also has a John Wick series ready for us and is sending the great fantasy series The Wheel of Time into its second season as a substitute for Lord of the Rings.
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