Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From The Star Wars Universe

Ford was Paid Peanuts

Despite Han Solo becoming his breakout role, Harrison Ford did not make very much for the initial Star Wars film. The franchise started out as an independent film, with much of the funding coming from George Lucas. Because of this, he could not afford to pay his actors very much money. Since Harrison Ford was virtually unknown at the time, he did not merit a very large salary.

So how much was Harrison Ford paid to play Han Solo in A New Hope? Just $10,000. He earned a much larger salary for the next film after the Star Wars films became a hit. Harrison Ford may not have made much money on the film, but one of his co-stars made a lot of cash…

Making Millions the Smart Way

Han Solo’s actor only made a few thousand bucks from filming the first movie, but Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan, earned millions. Alec negotiated a deal with George Lucas in which he agreed to appear in the film in exchange for 2 percent of the box office returns.

George Lucas probably did not realize just how much money A New Hope would make at the box office, or he may not have agreed to such a large payout. Alec’s total earnings were upwards of $95 million, a sharp contrast from the measly ten grand that Harrison Ford was paid.