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We’re less than two weeks from the release of what could be the last blockbuster of the decade: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Given how much Episode IX is about to rake in at the box office, we thought we would research the Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker cast’s salary to find out how much Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver and other cast members are making from one of the most well-known (and successful) franchises in movie history.
As fans know, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (a.k.a. Star Wars: Episode IX) is the ninth and final part of the Skywalker saga, which debuted in 1977 and has spanned more than four decades. While the franchise has brought fame and money to its stars, some cast members have opened up about how the films have affected their sense of self. “I really am working on liking myself and feeling like I am where I need to be,” Ridley told Variety in December. “And it has been helped by working with people that made me feel good and in a really safe working environment. So I feel like I can do my best work and work with a group of people that I really love.”
Though some cast members have mixed feelings on how the films have changed their life, Ridley explained that the end is still bittersweet. “It feels strange when we’re in a group doing things and people ask us how it feels because then you’re like [as if in pain] Oh! And we genuinely all really do get along. So that’s sad,” she told Variety. “But also, I think this story, from what we filmed, [screenwriter] Chris [Terrio] and J.J. have done such an amazing job at wrapping it up, it feels like the right time to say goodbye. So even though it’s sad, it feels right. But cut to Dec. 20 when we’re done, and I’m going to be like, ‘Take me back!’”
TBH, when Dec. 20 comes, we’re sure we’ll want the Episode IX cast back as well. Ahead, find out details on the Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker cast’s salaries and net worths.
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker hits theaters Dec. 20.
Carrie Fisher
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Salary: ~Low 7 figures
Net Worth: $25 million
Fisher passed away of a heart attack in December 2016, but director J.J. Abrams confirmed that scenes of her character, Princess Leia Organa, in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be used in Episode IX. “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” Abrams said in a press release. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.” It’s unclear how much Fisher will featured in the final film or if she would have made her same salary, but according to a 2015 report from Variety, the actress made a low seven figures for The Force Awakens, so her salary would’ve been at least that same number if she was alive and has a main role in the Rise of Skywalker. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Fisher had a net worth of $25 million before her death. Along with her role in the Star Wars movie, Fisher also Emmy and Grammy nominated. The late star was also an accomplished writer and screen writer, having received a BAFTA nomination for her 1990 comedy Postcards From the Edge.
Mark Hammil
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Salary: ~Low 7 Figures
Net Worth: $18 million
Variety also reported in 2010 that Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the franchise, also made low seven figures for The Force Awakens, the same salary as Fisher. (Costar Harrison Ford, who is not expected to appear in Episode IX, made upwards of $10 million, according to Variety.) Sources told Variety at the time that Disney created an intentional pay gap between the franchise’s original stars (Fisher, Hamill and Ford) and newcomers, like Ridley and Boyega. The gap was referred to as a “legacy pay scale.” It’s unclear how much Hamill will make for the Rise of Skywalker or how large his role will be, but if he is in a significant amount of the film, he is likely to earn at least the same salary he made for the Force Awakens, if not more. Variety reported that Fisher and Hamill’s salaries were expected to raise in the films after the Force Awakens. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actor’s net worth is an impressive $18 million. In addition to Star Wars, Hamill also voiced the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series in the ’90s. He’s also voiced Luke Skywalker in various animated series and video games, as well as starred as the voice of Chucky in 2019’s Child’s Play remake.
Daisy Ridley
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Salary: ~$100,000 to $300,000
Net Worth: $6 million
As a newcomer to the Star Wars franchise, Ridley, who plays Rey, made only between $100,000 to $300,000 for her first Star Wars film, 2015’s The Force Awakens. It’s unclear how much the British actress made for the film’s follow-up Star Wars: The Last Jedi or the Rise of Skywalker, but Variety reports that it’s expected for younger stars like Ridley to negotiate their salaries for future installments, so it’s possible that the actress could be making closer to the seven-figure range. Celebrity Net Worth cites her net worth at $6 million. Along with Star Wars, Ridley has also starred in 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express and 2018’s Peter Rabbit.
John Boyega
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Salary: ~$100,000 to $300,000
Net Worth: $6 million
Boyega, who plays Finn in the franchise, was in the same boat as Ridley when he signed on for The Force Awakens in 2015. According to Variety, the newcomers made low six figures between $100,000 and $300,000 for the film. Their salaries are expected to raise for the franchise’s later installments, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Boyega made closer to seven figures for the upcoming Rise of Skywalker. As for his net worth, Celebrity Net Worth reports that the actor is in the $6 million range. In addition to Star Wars, the actor has also starred in 2017’s Detroit, as well as 2018’s Pacific Rim: Uprising. He also holds BAFTA Rising Star award, which he won in 2018.
Oscar Isaac
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Salary: ~Mid to high 6 figures
Net Worth: $10 million
Given Isaac’s resume as a recognizable film star before The Force Awakens, Variety reports that the actor, who plays Poe, was able to score a salary of mid to high six figures for the 2015 film. Before Star Wars, Isaac earned award nominations for critic-favorite films like Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina and A Most Violent Year. Though his salary was below seven figures for The Force Awakens, sources report that the actor likely scored a pay bump for later installments, meaning that his salary for the Rise of Skywalker could be in the low to mid seven-figure range. Celebrity Net Worth cites that his net worth is an impressive $10 million. After Star Wars, Isaac starred in X-Men: Apocalypse, as well as won a Golden Globe for his role in HBO’s Show Me a Hero.
Adam Driver
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Salary: ~Mid to high 6 figures
Net Worth: $8 million
Driver was in the same situation as Isaac when he signed on for The Force Awakens in 2015. Both actors were in the same mid-to-high-six-figures pay bracket because of their noticeable careers before Star Wars. Driver, who plays Kylo Ren, was actor in Girls, Frances Ha and Inside Llewyn Davis prior to his life-changing Star Wars role. Like his cast mates, Driver’s salary also likely rose for the franchise’s future installments, bumping his range to a possible low to mid seven figures. His net worth is $8 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Since Star Wars, Driver has earned an Oscar nomination for his role in 2018’s BlacKkKlansman, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for 2019’s Marriage Story opposite Scarlett Johansson.