This actor was paid Rs 800 crore for 20-minute role, yet hated it, called the role ‘dull’ and ‘rubbish’, almost rejected its sequel, later…

This superstar wasn’t impressed by the film that earned him phenomenal success and about $95 million.

Imagine getting $95 million for just a few days of work on a movie. Most actors would do anything for such an opportunity. But nearly 50 years ago, when one man got this offer, he was so unhappy with the film that he almost rejected it and returned only for the director’s sake.

Meet Alec Guinness, the actor who earned millions for his 20-minute role

By the mid 1970s, British star Alec Guinness was already a well-known and respected figure in Hollywood and UK. The actor is known for acclaimed films like Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Man in the White Suit, The Lavender Hill Mob, and Great Expectations. His portrayal in Bridge on the River Kwai earned him Oscar for Best actor and followed by notable roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago.

Despite his well-established career, Guinness demanded $300,000 and 2% of films backend profits for the role of wise mentor in a space adventure. Well, creator George Lucas accepted the deal by adding another 0.25%.

The film was Star Wars, and Guinness was cast as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Though the screentime in the move was for 20-minutes, the role turned into a global phenomena and overshadowed the rest of the cast. The profit-sharing agreement turned out to be a game changer for Guinness as he earned $95 million (approx. Rs 800 crore) for his performance.

Alec Guinness wasn’t happy with Star Wars

According to reports by Hollywood Reporter, Guinness wasn’t impressed by Star Wars from the beginning. He called the script ‘fairy tale rubbish’ and only accepted the role for its staggering amount. His wrote in his diary that working on the film was ‘dull rubbishy stuff’.

However, after the film’s phenomenal success, Guinness felt grateful to George Lucas and agreed to work in The Empire Strikes Back to complete Obi-Wan’s story. “I said yes to a day’s work on Star Wars II … It’s dull rubbishy stuff but, seeing what I owe to George Lucas, I finally hadn’t had the heart to refuse.” Guinness wrote in his diary.

Ironically, Guinness’s brief appearances in two movies earned him more that McGregor did over three films and a series.