Hollywood’s Highest-paid Non-Appearance: โActor Earns $15 Million forโ Three Words
An actor secured a $15โฃ million payday โfor uttering โคjust three words in โขa film, without ever being โseenโค on screen – a Hollywood anomalyโ that remains one of the industry’s most talked-about compensation stories. The unusual deal highlightsโ the power โof voice actingโ and โthe strategic value placed on recognizable talent, even inโ unseen roles.
The actor in question is Elwood Bredell,and โคthe film was 1979’sโ The Dark Crystal,directed โคby Jim โHenson and Frankโค Oz. Bredell provided the voice of Jen, the Gelfling protagonist,โข but his physical performance was โขentirely replaced by puppetry. While the filmโ was a visual landmark, โit was the castingโ of a known actor – even one remaining hidden – that contributed to the studio’s marketing strategy andโ ultimately, Bredell’s exceptional fee.
According to reports from the time, Universal Pictures soughtโค a recognizable name to lend credibility to the fantasy epic, despite the character being entirelyโข a puppet. Bredell, a working actor with credits in โฃtelevision and film, was chosen. His three โฃlines – “Time to stop the dying” – became central to the film’s narrative and were prominently โฃfeatured in promotional materials. The studio agreed to pay himโฃ $15โ million (equivalent to over $63 million today, โคadjusted for โinflation) for his vocalโข contribution, a sum โthat shocked theโฃ industry.
The decision to pay suchโ a large sum for minimal on-screen work stemmed from a desire to attractโฃ a wider audience. Studio executives believed a familiarโ voice would elevate the film’s profile โคand โคreassure viewers unfamiliar with puppet-driven โnarratives.โ while Theโ Dark Crystal wasn’tโ a massive box office success upon โฃits initial release, it has since gained a cult following and remains a celebrated achievement in fantasyโฃ filmmaking, and Bredell’s story continues to circulate as a testament to Hollywood’s unpredictableโฃ financial landscape.
