Jonah Hill Accepted The Minimum Rate Of $60,000 For His Role In 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' While Leonardo DiCaprio Was Paid $10 Million — His Dream Was To Work With Martin Scorsese: 'I Would Sell My House And Give Him All My Money To Work For Him.'

In the 2013 box office hit, "The Wolf of Wall Street," actor Jonah Hill purportedly received a meager sum of $60,000 for his portrayal of Donnie Azoff, the loyal confidant of Leonardo DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort.

While DiCaprio's coffers swelled with a hefty $10 million for his role, Hill's remuneration barely met the bare minimum stipulated by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). This meager sum, of course, was subject to the voracious appetite of taxes and commissions, as per reports from the BBC.

The pecuniary dissonance notwithstanding, the film soared to extraordinary heights. "The Wolf of Wall Street" amassed a devoted following, owing to its visceral narrative, electrifying performances, and an unflinching portrayal of the opulence synonymous with Wall Street in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its captivating storytelling and thought-provoking themes thrust it into the spotlight, transforming it into a contemporary gem within Hollywood's cinematic repertoire.

Hill's choice to embrace the bare minimum was far from an act of acquiescence or an assertion of his purported valuation in the entertainment industry. Quite the contrary, by 2014, he had already secured critical acclaim and audience adulation for his roles in "Superbad," "Moneyball," and an array of comedic ventures. The actor had attained a level of professional stability and standing that should have warranted a seven-figure stipend, especially when sharing the marquee with a luminary like DiCaprio.

Yet, Hill consciously traversed the path of reduced financial gain to manifest his dream of collaborating with the iconic director, Martin Scorsese. Scorsese, widely venerated as one of cinema's preeminent auteurs, possesses an uncanny ability to extract career-defining performances from his thespians. His directorial wizardry extends beyond visual storytelling; it encompasses his capacity to cultivate profound bonds with his ensemble and crew. This relational finesse constitutes an integral facet of Scorsese's cinematic alchemy, often resulting in profound synergies with key members of his creative team.

Hill articulated his motivations for acquiescing to the SAG minimum during a 2014 interview on "The Howard Stern Show." He emphatically underscored that his decision was "in no way about pecuniary gain" and professed his readiness to ink the contract before anyone could second-guess. He even ventured to declare, "I would liquidate my residence and relinquish my entire fortune for the privilege of laboring under his aegis."

This judicious choice eventually yielded dividends, both artistically and professionally, for Hill. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "The Wolf of Wall Street." The film burgeoned into a cultural phenomenon, with Hill's performance standing out as a tour de force.

For Hill, that modest $60,000 transcended the realm of mere compensation. It constituted an investment in an experiential odyssey he esteemed far above monetary gain—the opportunity to be mentored by a director he held in the highest regard. In making this choice, Hill delivered a resounding testament to the incalculable rewards of ardor and unwavering commitment, affirming that sometimes, the most profound decisions are guided by the heart.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga.com