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Wolf of Wall Street's Jonah Hill accepted just $60,000 to star as Donnie

The actor said he was motivated by the part and not the money

Daisy Wyatt
Wednesday 22 January 2014 08:33 EST
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Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (Paramount Pictures.)

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Money may be the main motivation for characters in The Wolf of Wall Street, but its cast members seem less concerned about their salaries.

The film's star Jonah Hill has revealed he was paid $60,000 (£36,000) to shoot the movie, a modest sum for a Hollywood blockbuster.

Hill, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio's right hand man Donnie Azoff, said he accepted the money because he was so keen to star in Martin Scorsese's film.

Speaking to New York radio host Howard Stern, Hill said he wanted the part so badly he was happy to settle for $60,000, adding: "You don't do a movie like that for the money. You do 22 Jump Street for the money".

Hill was so keen for the role he said he even tracked down DiCaprio in Mexico, and told him that if another actor wanted the part he would "kill him".

He added that Scorsese, who has been nominated for an Oscar for the film, was one of his "favourite directors of all time".

The 30-year-old said he took the responsibility of the role seriously, making phone calls in his character's fake porcelain teeth to prepare him for the part.

Hill received his second Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Donnie Azoff, an idiosyncratic trader who is nurtured to the top by DiCaprio's character, Jordan Belfort.

The three-hour Scorsese film is based on the memoirs of real-life trader Belfort, who was convicted of fraud crimes relating to stock market manipulation in 1998.

Hill's character, Azoff, is loosely based on American businessman Daniel Porush, who served 39 months in prison for securities fraud and money laundering.

The Wolf of Wall Street has been nominated for five Oscars, including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

DiCaprio is nominated for his fourth Oscar for his portrayal of the slick but slimy trader. He has yet to win an Academy Award, but did pick up Best Actor at the Golden Globes earlier this month.

Hill was previously nominated for an Oscar in 2012 for his performance in Moneyball.

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