Seann William Scott, known for his role as Stifler in the ‘American Pie’ franchise, recently revealed the shockingly low salary he received for the first film. During an appearance on ‘The Rich Eisen Show,’ the actor disclosed that he was paid only $8,000 for his role in the 1999 movie.
Scott reminisced about the time and mentioned that the amount seemed like a lot of money back then. He even bought a used Thunderbird for around $5,000 or $6,000. However, he couldn’t recall what happened to the remaining cash and shared that he had to work as a churro guy at the L.A. Zoo, possibly earning even less than $8,000.
This revelation comes amidst the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, where actors are picketing for better pay and residuals. The strike began after contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers stalled. Many actors have come forward to share their experiences of receiving shockingly low paychecks and residuals for their work on popular shows, highlighting the flaws in the streaming model.
Seann William Scott’s revelation adds to the conversation surrounding actors’ salaries and the lack of guaranteed big payouts upfront, especially for new intellectual properties. Despite ‘American Pie’ becoming a major hit and grossing $235 million worldwide, Scott’s initial compensation was significantly low.
It’s worth noting that Scott and co-star Jason Biggs negotiated salaries of $5 million each for reprising their roles in the 2012 sequel, ‘American Reunion.’
These revelations from actors like Seann William Scott, Tommy Dorfman, and Mandy Moore shed light on the challenges faced by actors in the industry and the need for fair compensation and residuals in the digital streaming era.
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