Captain Phillips Star Barkhad Abdi Returned to Selling Mobile Phones after Being Paid Abysmally Low Amount for Award-winning Performance
Even though Barkhad Abdi had an illustrious career following the breakout success of Captain Phillips, he was paid so abysmally low for his first movie that he had to return to selling mobile phones with his brother to support himself financially for a while.
Barkhad Abdi has come a long way since then and has starred in movies like Eye in the Sky, Good Time, The Pirates of Somalia, and Blade Runner 2049. However, even after landing SAG, Golden Globes, and Academy Award nominations for Captain Phillips, he was struggling to make ends meet. Clearly, a role that had brought him sky-high fame was yet to bring him any fortune back then.
Captain Phillips Actor Barkhad Abdi Struggled Financially Even After Landing An Oscar Nomination With His Stupendous Performance
No real cinephile can forget the iconic line Barkhad Abdi uttered in Captain Phillips: “I am the captain now.” He gave the performance of a lifetime in this Tom Hanks starrer and was showered with awards and accolades to recognize his brilliance in Hollywood. However, the industry that gave him fame forgot to give him enough sustenance to get by. According to an article in The New Yorker, he was paid a criminally low paycheck of $65,000 in a movie made on a budget of $55 million, which makes his paycheck not even a percent of the whole budget.
It seems even more unjust once one hears that the movie grossed $218 million worldwide at the box office, yet Barkhad Abdi had no money for clothes or a stay during the publicity events. According to reports by The New Yorker, Sony Pictures, who produced the film, would put him up at the Beverly Hilton hotel and would provide him with clothes and cars but only for official events. He later asked to be put in a hotel near the airport just to be able to commute with the help of a friend who had a taxi.
“Abdi requested that he be allowed to stay at a commuter hotel near [the airport] to be closer to his friend, a Somali cabdriver from Minneapolis, who shuttles him around for free.”
Thankfully, Abdi decided to move to Hollywood and pursue his luck in acting despite all the adversities. Abdi said to the outlet at the time,
“How I thought about it was like, ‘When the movie came out reviews either gonna be good or bad. Either way, I cannot be working here.’”
Abdi was not the only nominee for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars who took home a below-average paycheck. Jonah Hill, who was nominated for The Wolf of Wall Street in the same category, also accepted a SAG minimum paycheck of $60,000. Although Jonah Hill already has a net worth of millions, he once famously said he would give it all and work for free if that meant he got a shot at working with Scorsese.
Barkhad Abdi’s Rise From A Limo Driver To An Oscar Contender
Barkhad Abdi rose to fame with much struggle and his story of success is truly inspirational. According to a profile piece done by The Guardian, Abdi responded to an open casting call that was looking for Somali actors. He went in and his authoritative presence and acting charisma landed him the role.
Previously to Captain Phillips, he was a limousine driver in Minneapolis. He was not completely oblivious to the film industry, as he had previously been a director of Somali hip-hop videos.
“I was working on my own film, too, but it never worked out. When you work with a great director, you realize you are far from being a director.”
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Two years after the release of Captain Phillips, he landed Eye in the Sky and ever since then, he has not turned back. He is one of the most promising actors in Hollywood now, with his last project being Agent Game in 2022.
Captain Phillips can be rented on Prime Video.
