Leonardo DiCaprio took 90% pay cut to star in J. Edgar

The biggest names in the movie business always command the largest paycheques.

Leonardo DiCaprio has had an extensive and eclectic acting career, with gigantic blockbusters such as Titanic , The Departed and Inception solidifying his status as one of the highest profile figures in the industry.

As a result, his standard fee is a colossal $20 million.

However, for upcoming biopic J. Edgar , Leo opted to settle for a much smaller figure so he wouldn't cripple the production's budget.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, director Clint Eastwood stated that:

"He could have made a lot of money just doing spectacle movies with all kinds of CGI."

"But he wants to vary his career, like I've always looked to vary mine as a director."

The film, which is scheduled for a January release date in the UK, was produced on a relatively minimal $35 million.

DiCaprio made a similar move with Christopher Nolan's Inception , again taking a sizeable pay cut.

However, with that particular film he also took home a percentage of box office earnings, netting him a reported $50 million.