This trilogy grossed Rs 136000 crore at box office, but cast just got 'free sandwiches', lead actor was paid Rs 80 lakh

Actor Cate Blanchett says no one got paid anything for working on The Lord of the Rings franchise, which went on to gross over $2.9 billion (Rs 136000 crore) worldwide.

In an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Blanchett, 55, was asked about her biggest paycheck. Cohen guessed that it was probably The Lord of the Rings. "Are you kidding me? No, no one got paid anything to do that movie," said Blanchett, who played the role of Galadriel, the elven co-ruler of Lothlórien alongside her husband Celeborn. When Cohen asked her if she "got a piece of the backend" profit, Blanchett replied, “No! That was way before any of that. No, nothing.”

"I wanted to work with the guy who made 'Braindead'," she said about her decision to do the movie trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson. Blanchett starred in Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy as Galadriel, a royal elf in Middle-Earth who possesses powerful magical abilities. The Oscar-winning actor reprised her role in the director's Hobbit film series, a prequel to The Lord of the Rings.

Cate Blanchett (right) in Lord of the Rings

The Australian actor said, “I basically got free sandwiches, and I got to keep my (elf) ears,” Blanchett said of her salary on the movie. "Women don't get paid much as you think they do," she added.

Not just Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, who played elven prince Legolas, revealed on 'The Howard Stern Show" last year that he earned just $175,000 (Rs 80 lakh) for all three movies.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from IANS

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