Johnny Depp earned only a fraction of his usual salary for his comeback role as Ebenezer Scrooge.
The actor, 63, plays the title role in the upcoming film “Ebenezer” – the latest version of Charles Dickens’ classic novel “A Christmas Carol” – and was paid $5 million, Variety reported Tuesday.
It’s a massive pay cut from his last studio role in 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” for which he received $16 million – although he only filmed one scene before Warner Bros. cut ties with him after he lost a libel case against The Sun for calling him a “wife beater”.
Depp’s highest-earning role was as Captain Jack Sparrow in 2017’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” for which he reportedly earned a whopping $90 million from back-end profits.
The actor’s huge salaries have made headlines over the years, including when he was reportedly paid $50 million for appearing on screen for a few minutes in 2010’s “Alice in Wonderland.”
Forbes named Depp the most overpaid actor in Hollywood in 2015 and 2016, comparing his salary with box office performance. For example, the 2016 Alice sequel, “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” was a hit in theaters and, according to the outlet, returned only $2.80 for every dollar paid.
In 2011, Depp said he was paid too much for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, while making it clear he would take it for his two children with ex Vanessa Paradis – daughter Lily-Rose, 27, and son Jack, 24.
“Basically, if they want to pay me this stupid money right now, I’ll take it,” he told Vanity Fair in 2011.
“I have to do it. I mean, it’s not for me. You know what I mean?” he continued. “At this point, it’s for my kids. It’s ridiculous, yeah, yeah. But ultimately, is it for me? No, no. It’s for the kids.”
In August, “Pirates of the Caribbean” producer Jerry Bruckheimer told Deadline that he was in talks with Depp to reprise his iconic role in the franchise’s next film.
“We are talking with Johnny, we are working on a script and I hope we can achieve it,” he told media outlet D23.
Other insiders told the outlet that Depp will only return as a supporting character in the sixth film in the hit franchise, which will instead focus on actress Margot Robbie’s protagonist.
Meanwhile, Depp’s role as “Ebenezer” marks his first major film since winning his 2022 defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard, to whom he was married from 2015 to 2017.
Depp sued the Aquaman actress for alluding to his abuse of her in a 2018 op-ed for the Washington Post. He received $1 million.
“Ebenezer” hits theaters on November 13. It also stars Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, Ian McKellen and Sam Claflin.
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