Seann William Scott has revealed the paltry fee he was allegedly paid to star in American Pie.
Scott, 46, starred as ladies’ man Steve Stifler opposite Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Biggs, and Alyson Hannigan in the hit 1999 comedy film.
The actor recently told TV chat show host Rick Elsen that he only earned $8,000 (£6,230) for his role in the movie, which went on to make $235m (£183m) at the box office.
Scott said that the sum had been “a lot of money for me at the time”, going on to divulge what he spent his pay cheque on.
“I remember afterwards I bought a used Thunderbird for like $5,000 (£3,900) or maybe $6,000 (£4,670), I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, baby,’” he said.
Scott said he was unsure “what happened” to the remaining sum, speculating that the total fee was perhaps “even less than $8,000 (£6,230) because “I ended up having to work at the LA Zoo as a churro guy.”
The Independent has contacted a representative of Universal Pictures for comment.
Scott is the latest star to speak out about the disproportionate compensation actors have received for jobs.
Earlier this month, Orange Is the New Black star Kimiko Glenn claimed she only made $27.30 (£20) in 2020 from streaming residuals, which the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, defines as “additional compensation paid to performers when a production is shown beyond the original use covered by the initial compensation”.
Jason Biggs, Thomas Ian Nicholas and Eddie Kaye Thomas plot to lose their virginities in 1999’s ‘American Pie’— (Moviestore/Shutterstock)
Glenn, 34, joined Netflix’s groundbreaking drama in its second season as inmate Brook Soso, who was thrown into prison for illegal activism.
Matilda child star Mara Wilson and romcom staple John Cusack have shared similar horror stories from the industry amid the ongoing actors’ and writers’ strikes.
Both SAG-AFTRA and WGA are in dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the production companies.
Among SAG-AFTRA’s chief demands – which are similar to those of the WGA – include increased wages, higher streaming residuals and assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).
“When employers make Wall Street and greed their priority and they forget about the essential contributors who make the machine run, we have a problem,” SAG president Fran Drescher said in an emotional tirade against studios. “We are being victimised by a very greedy enterprise.”
