'Josh Brolin, who was once "broke," reveals his $600,000 payday that transformed his life: "I started crying."'

'Josh Brolin, who was once "broke," reveals his $600,000 payday that transformed his life: "I started crying."'
'Josh Brolin, who was once "broke," reveals his $600,000 payday that transformed his life: "I started crying."'

For years, Josh Brolin's career was stuck.

In the late 80s, through the 90s and into the 2000s, Brolin's acting career struggled after his breakout role in "The Goonies" in 1985.

"Brolin, who struggled to find success in Hollywood and turned to stock trading, said in an interview that he spent 22 years just trying to work and would do anything to make a living."

The "Avengers" actor revealed that he was consistently the least paid among his colleagues when he secured acting roles, and also the one who would take on publicity duties for those who didn't want to.

Brolin, however, understood why his paychecks were low.

"I was not paid because there was no justification for it," he stated. "You pay someone because you believe your investment will be successful due to the reputation and influence of the individuals associated with your name."

In 2007, Brolin's roles in "American Gangster" and "No Country for Old Men" helped him land steady acting work and financially turn his career around.

During the time between filming and release, Brolin admitted to being "broke." He had spent most of his earnings on paying off debts and had used any remaining funds for family expenses. With no job prospects in sight, he took home only $30,000 from his work on "No Country."

"At that moment, I was in a state of panic," he said. However, he soon received a call from his lawyer. "She exclaimed, 'Great news! You've received some backend pay from 'American Gangster!'"

He read the number she sent him as $60,000, but after taxes and fees, he would only be taking home "maybe 25 grand," which he considered "amazing."

"He remembered how he called her and exclaimed, "I can't believe this! Sixty grand! That's amazing!" But she urged him to look at it again, and he discovered he had missed a zero. He started crying and bawling, feeling like it made no sense to him. He was winning the lottery, but he couldn't act again and live off of $600,000 for the rest of his life. At that point in his life, he realized that $600,000 could last five lifetimes."

Since then, Brolin's career has soared, with notable roles in "Dune," "True Grit," and "Sicario."

Chris Pine was about to ask his parents for money when he received a life-changing phone call informing him that he had been cast in "The Princess Diaries 2."

"I had an overdraft in my bank account, which was equivalent to $400 over," Pine stated. "I was driving on the freeway during the peak of summer when I received a call from my agents informing me that I had secured the job."

"He continued, "I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said 'You're getting paid $65,000,'. It was like they'd just told me I was making $50 million. It was earth shattering.""

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by Nicolas Vega

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