Whether it’s about accommodating the actors’ lifestyles or ensuring their image isn’t tarnished by a devastating death or humiliation on screen, these stars go above and beyond in their contract negotiations.
Queen Latifah
After being in the Hollywood mix for some time and learning the power of sequels, Queen Latifah now includes a no-death clause in her contracts when signing on for movies and TV shows. The clause is intended to secure future roles, as she has experienced a series of characters she portrayed dying, which prevented her from participating in sequel films, according to Business Insider.
“I was like, ‘No more dying. No more getting shot by 300 bullets up in this car,'” Latifah told Drew Barrymore during a 2022 interview.
Queen Latifah played three characters who died in their respective films: Chloe in “Set It Off” (1996), her character in “Sphere” (1998), and Detective Amelia Donaghy in “The Bone Collector” (1999), who also meets a tragic end.
The Rock
In the “Fast and Furious” franchise, stars such as Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), Vin Diesel, and Jason Statham each embody a tough guy persona. They often have specific clauses or workarounds to maintain that action star image.
Through his clauses Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson collaborates closely with editors, fight coordinators, and the behind-the-scenes team to ensure he never loses a fight in his scenes, The Mirror reported. Vin Diesel has his sister review the script to monitor how much his character gets punched, making sure it doesn’t become excessive, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson, one of Hollywood’s highest-paid and busiest actors, has several clauses in his contracts, but here are some of the stand outs: he has a golfing clause that allows him to play golf twice a week, according to LadBible. Second, there is a no-AI clause that prevents movie studios and TV shows from using his likeness through artificial intelligence applications, according to Mashable. Lastly, he once had an awards clause, which stipulates that he must receive a receives an additional $1 million more than his Oscar-winning co-stars, according to his official IMDb.
Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman also has unique movie clauses associated with her roles. She is best known for her performances in Quentin Tarantino films such as “Kill Bill” and “Pulp Fiction,” where she played two iconic action stars from the Femme Fatale genre.
One of the perks of her contract is that she can purchase the costumes associated with her characters at a discounted price.
In addition, Thurman oversees stunt choreography’s safety and editing, which gives her the final say on how the fight scenes are choreographed and presented on screen, according to Soap Central.
Her travel accommodations are also very demanding as she request a a hotel room that has three room, three cellphones, and a favorable dressing room, according to Too Fab. She also has a clause that allows for extended training and longer fight sequences, adding more depth to her characters and enhancing otherwise simple fight scenes.
Jack Nicholson
Hollywood veteran Jack Nicholson is a unique and highly respected actor who has specific stipulations in his contract to fit his lifestyle. He requires that all his scenes be filmed within a three-week window and that his filming schedule does not interfere with his passion for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Additionally, he requests accommodation for basketball games during this time. Nicholson is also willing to accept a lower salary in exchange for a percentage of the film’s gross revenue and merchandise sales. This arrangement explains why he earned between $60 million and $90 million from his role as the Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 film “Batman,” according to Far Out Magazine.
