You Won’t Be Able to Guess the Movie Which Gave Denzel Washington His Biggest Payday

When you think of Denzel Washington, you probably imagine him in intense, powerful roles—like his Oscar-winning performance in Training Day or his portrayal of a gritty, determined ex-Marine and DIA officer in The Equalizer.

He’s one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, right? So you might think his highest paycheck came from one of his biggest hits. But guess what? It didn’t.

In 2021, Washington received the largest paycheck of his entire career, and it wasn’t for a huge blockbuster, and it wasn’t for an Oscar-worthy performance. Nope, it came from a movie a thriller that didn’t exactly set the world on fire. In fact, it flopped. So how did he walk away with such a huge paycheck? Let’s dive in.

Denzel Washington earned big from an unexpected movie role

It’s 2021. The world is still grappling with the pandemic, and movie theaters are struggling to stay open. Warner Bros. makes a big decision to release all of their films both in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time.

This new strategy is a major shift in the film industry, but it has one major downside: less money from ticket sales. This decision put The Little Things, a thriller starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto, in a tough spot.

The movie was originally supposed to be a big theater release, and Washington’s contract was tied to its box office performance. But with the film now going straight to streaming as well, his potential earnings from the box office would be significantly lower.

Now, Washington isn’t the kind of actor who’s going to let that slide. His team fought hard for a better deal. Instead of accepting a smaller paycheck because of the movie’s limited theater release, they negotiated for a much higher salary.

Warner Bros. agreed to give the Hollywood star a huge $40 million for the movie, which is double what he usually makes per film (per Variety). The 69-year-old is said to make about $20 million per movie upfront.

Denzel Washington’s highest-paid role didn’t do well with audiences

While Denzel Washington earned a record paycheck for his role in The Little Things, the movie wasn’t exactly a hit. Critics gave it a 44% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which isn’t great.

And the audience wasn’t thrilled either—most people didn’t flock to theaters to see it, and even those who did weren’t impressed. One fan wrote on RT:

Slow, slow. The worst for Denzel.

Another added:

An absolute bore. I was so excited to see the cast but throughout the entire movie absolutely nothing happened. Do not waste your time.

The movie earned just $30 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) —barely covering Washington’s salary, let alone the full production and marketing costs.

That might sound like a lot, but for a movie with such a big star like Denzel Washington and a huge budget, it didn’t even come close to breaking even. How did a movie that made so little money end up making the actor so much?

The answer is simple: Washington’s contract was all about the box office performance. When the movie switched to being released on both HBO Max and in theaters at the same time, it dramatically hurt its box office potential.

So, Washington’s team pushed for better pay to make up for this lost opportunity. Warner Bros. agreed and paid him a massive $40 million for his role.

Even though The Little Things didn’t make much money and didn’t receive great reviews, the Mount Vernon native still got his payday. It was a win for the movie mogul, but not for the movie itself.

Another film that earned Denzel Washington $40 million

Believe it or not, Denzel Washington’s $40 million payday wasn’t a one-time thing. In fact, he earned the same amount from another film over a decade ago. This time, it wasn’t because of a global pandemic but rather because of some behind-the-scenes drama.

Getting paid $20 million for a movie is impressive, but imagine making that much without even filming the movie—then getting another $20 million to actually do it later. That’s reportedly what happened with Washington in 2007.

Washington was cast in American Gangster, a film about a notorious drug lord in 1970s Harlem. The movie had all the ingredients for success: a gripping true story, a talented cast, and Washington in the lead role.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Universal locked him in for the film back in 2004 when his asking price was $20 million. However, behind-the-scenes drama and studio conflicts with director Antoine Fuqua led to the movie being scrapped.

But since the movie star had a contract that guaranteed his pay, he still got the $20 million, even though the film didn’t happen. Smart move, right? A few years later, Universal decided to move forward with American Gangster—this time with Ridley Scott as the director.

And of course, they still wanted Washington in the lead, so they signed him to another deal for another $20 million. So, in total, he made $40 million for the movie. The movie was a huge hit, grossing around $270 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo).

It was also a critical success, and Washington’s performance was praised. While his $40 million salary accounted for about 40% of the film’s budget, the movie’s success showed that sometimes, paying top dollar for a top actor really does pay off.

Watch The Little Things on Netflix and American Gangster on Amazon Prime Video!