4 Mel Gibson in Mad Max

Mel Gibson, the Australian star who was once the king of Hollywood, was once again. Gibson, a multi-talented, iconic actor, won two Oscars for his direction of 1996’s Best Picture-winner Braveheart. He was also one of the highest-paid actors in Tinseltown. Since then, he’s had a bit of a fall from grace. It all started with his breakout role in George Miller’s small-cult film Mad Max.

Gibson, a relative unknown, earned just $1,500 for his role in Mad Max. Peter Weir, an Australian director of The Truman Show, was drawn to Gibson’s iconic performance. Gibson was a star in several art house hits, but he was eventually offered the role of lead in Warner Brother’s Lethal Weapon. His salaries soared to tens and millions of dollars for each role.

Role: “Mad Max” Rockatansky

Salary: $1,500