Sometimes being a returning star has its perks. Actor Clint Eastwood scored a large payday for appearing in “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”
By the third installment of the “Dollars” trilogy, Eastwood realized his worth as an actor. He wasn’t prepared to accept a small sum to return in his iconic role as the Man with No Name. For appearing in “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” production paid Eastwood $250,000. No small amount of change, especially in 1966.
The cherry-on-top of the film deal was a Ferrari. Production had to buy Eastwood a new automobile if they wanted him to don the iconic poncho once more. Fortunately for audiences, Eastwood’s demands were met.
It’s hard to imagine anyone else as the Man with No Name. And “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” is arguably the best in the trilogy and one of the greatest Spaghetti westerns ever.
Eastwood had the lucrative deal coming, considering he took a substantial pay cut to play the part the first time around. On the hit TV series “Rawhide,” Eastwood was making around $100,000 a season. But the actor had dreams of appearing in the film industry. To star in “A Fistful of Dollars,” Eastwood accepted a paycheck of $15,000. Director Sergio Leone was looking to make the film on a budget.
But Eastwood decided to take on the role because he believed the part would help further his career.
Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone
The Italian director and Clint Eastwood ended up having a successful partnership, pushing each other’s careers to new heights. Arguably, Leone could afford Eastwood’s demands by the time the third installment of the “Dollars” trilogy rolled around.
This is even more remarkable considering that Eastwood and Leone never actually spoke to each other. Leone didn’t know English, and Eastwood couldn’t speak Italian. The two ended up speaking through a translator and hand gestures. But filmmaking ended up being a universal language for two.
“Sergio spoke very little English. And I didn’t speak any Italian at that time,” Eastwood told The Independent. The actor remembered the Italian auteur fondly. “So we got together with an interpreter when I reached Rome. And through the interpreter – plus a lot of hand signals – we kind of got the idea.”
These days Eastwood certainly doesn’t have to worry about money. The actor turned director ended up making millions throughout his career.