Taraji P. Henson Reflects on $150,000 Pay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Taraji P. Henson, who received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her role in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, recently shared her frustrations regarding her pay for the project. Henson initially presented a quote of $500,000 but ultimately accepted $150,000 after negotiations with producers.

During an appearance on the podcast Ladies First With Laura Brown in 2021, Henson acknowledged that while lead actors Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett commanded hefty salaries around the $20 million mark at the time, she believed her requested fee was justified. “I’m bringing a certain amount to the seat too and I felt like what I was asking at that time in my career was fair, was fair to the ticket sales that I would contribute to this big film,” she said.

Henson described feeling “gutted” when the initial offer was $100,000, revealing, “When it was all said and done I got $150,000, but I had to swallow my pride, baby.” She expressed gratitude for the amount she received, clarifying that she did not want to come off as ungrateful, but detailed the financial reality behind it. “I know people go, ‘$150,000, that’s a lot of money!’” she said. “But Uncle Sam is going to take 50 percent of that, so now you’re left with, what? $75,000. Now before Uncle Sam takes the money, I have to pay my team before taxes, 30 percent.” This breakdown led her to estimate that, after all deductions, she might have made close to $40,000 from her engagement in the film.

Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Eonline