• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content

Home> Entertainment> Film

Published 14:32 18 Aug 2023 GMT+1

Barkhad Abdi was only paid $65,000 for his starring role opposite Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips

Despite being an Oscar-nominated actor, Barkhad Abdi didn't take home much treasure after starring in Captain Phillips.

Katherine Sidnell

Katherine Sidnell

If you’ve watched 2013’s Captain Phillips, it’s hard not to immediately recite the movie's most iconic line: “I'm the captain now.”

However, it turns out that the actor behind the infamous phrase didn’t receive untold treasures for his part in cinema history.

This is despite 38-year-old Barkhad Abdi receiving multiple awards for his seaworthy performance as Muse in the pirate film.

Advert

Reflecting on his big break, Abdi revealed his lacklustre payday in an interview with The New Yorker back in 2014.

Incredibly, the then-unknown actor only auditioned after seeing a casting call for Somalians at his local community centre in Minneapolis.

Prior to arriving in the US, Abdi had fled Somalia as a child during the civil war and was eager to audition.

So much so, that he did a read-through with three other men from his apartment block and even lied about being able to swim.

Barkhad Adbi was cast in Captain Phillips following an open casting call.
Sony Pictures Entertainment

Advert

However, it helped him bag a coveted audition with director Paul Greengrass.

After flying out to Los Angeles, Abdi amazed the filmmaker after improvising the film’s most iconic line.

Along with Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, and Barkhad Abdirahman, he was cast as part of the film’s pirate crew – who ultimately scuttle the ship.

Abdi recalled: “He was, like, ‘All you guys [are] in the movie! Now you have to be pirates. I’m not looking for actors.”

Before starring with Tom Hanks as the titular captain, Abdi even made sure he learnt to swim.

Advert

For all his efforts though, the actor was paid £57,600 ($65,000) – just a fraction of the treasure that Captain Phillips made at the box office, totalling £48.7 million ($55m).

Even more shockingly, he went back to work selling phones at his brother’s shop in a Somali-run mall in Cedar Riverside after filming wrapped.

However, he wouldn’t remain there for long.

The actor, who starred alongside Tom Hanks, only got a very small percentage of the pirate treasure.
Sony Pictures

“How I thought about it was, like, when the movie came out, reviews either gonna be good or bad. Either way, I cannot be working here,” he told The New Yorker.

Advert

Though he didn’t have an agent at the time, Abdi quit his job on the day of the premiere and focused on promoting the film.

During this time, he relied on a per diem from the studio which included a town car and designer clothes that were loaned to him.

His gamble would pay off though, as not only would the film receive a ton of critical praise, but Abdi would win a BAFTA for his role and receive his first Oscar nomination.

Since then, he’s gone on to have major roles in Eye In The Sky (2015), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and Castle Rock (2019).

Shiver me timbers!

Featured Image Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Topics: Money, Celebrity, TV and Film, Tom Hanks

Katherine Sidnell
Katherine Sidnell

Katherine is an entertainment journalist with a love of all things nerdy. Starting out writing Doctor Who fan fiction as a kid, she has gone on to interview the likes of Matt Damon, James May and Dua Lipa to name a few. Published in The Sun, The Daily Mail and Evening Standard - she now joins Ladbible as resident nerd in chief.

X

@ksidnell

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • People saying new Tom Hanks film is 'Forrest Gump sequel' as he's made 40 years younger in first trailer
  • Tom Hanks’ daughter reveals actor had to ‘track them down’ as she opens up on turbulent childhood
  • Tom Felton got paid £14 million to appear in Harry Potter for 31 minutes
  • Tom Hanks says his son can't rely on his last name ahead of starring in film together

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
3 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Pope Leo is related to Madonna and more famous celebs as gobsmacking family tree revealed

    The first American Pope might be related to pop star Madonna and other Hollywood celebrities

    Entertainment
  • 2 hours ago

    Nobel Prize winning scientist finally explains Interstellar's ending in mindblowing new clip

    Finally, an explanation of Interstellar’s ending I can (kind of) understand

    Entertainment
  • 2 hours ago

    Lorraine Kelly blasted for 'no empathy' response as she announces Kim Woodburn's death on live TV

    Kim Woodburn passed away at the age of 83 yesterday (17 June)

    Entertainment
  • 3 hours ago

    Fans have big question after trailer for final season of hit Netflix series The Sandman lands

    Was Neil Gaiman responsible for the show's demise?

    Entertainment