Robert Pattinson had a very lucrative year in 2015. The 27-year-old British actor landed a number of lucrative roles, culminating in his portrayal of the caped crusader himself, Batman. In fact, Batman offered Pattinson the chance to play a character that he’d always wanted to play, which led to him earning a total of £1.2 million ($1.6 million) in just 794 performances. But how much did Robert Pattinson make for Batman? Let’s take a look at the details.

Robert Pattinson’s Net Worth

Pattinson is one of the highest-paid actors currently working, primarily because of his numerous lucrative movie roles. Before he became famous, Pattinson had a very modest budget and had to choose between eating and paying his rent. Since then, he has been able to build up a significant net worth mainly thanks to the lucrative Batman series.

The actor’s net worth is rumored to be as high as £100 million ($136 million), but this is difficult to verify. What is known for sure is that Robert Pattinson has been able to buy a £17.85 million ($24.5 million) home in London’s upscale Belgravia neighborhood, which he proudly shows off in his Instagram posts. Furthermore, he recently invested in a new Land Rover Range Rover Sport, which he purchased for £43,000 ($58,850).

As for how much money Batman made him, the answer is relatively simple. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) recently released an estimate of the total earnings for each of the Seven Dwarves in Walt Disney’s 1967 film, The Seven Dwarves. Based on this information, we know that:

  • Dopey earned £68,750 ($91,458) for his part in the film;
  • Sneeze earned £62,500 ($83,750);
  • Happy earned £53,750 ($72,458);
  • Doc Saves earned £47,500 ($64,750);
  • Grumpy earned £43,500 ($58,850);
  • Sleepy earned £40,000 ($54,250) and;
  • Lumpy earned £36,000 ($49,230)

So, putting it all together, we know that Pattinson earned £1.2 million ($1.6 million) for playing Batman in 794 performances. And what was the salary for the other 6 dwarves? We don’t know, but presumably it was much lower since they had supporting roles. Still, £1.2 million is a significant amount of money to be earning for just one role!

Where Does He Get All of These Roles?

Well, it’s not like Hollywood hand-picks actors based on their net worth. The roles go to the actors who can play them the best. And, in many cases, it’s an actor’s ability to connect with a mass audience that leads to them becoming famous in the first place. For example, consider how much Tom Hanks was paid for his role in The Terminal, which grossed over $400 million worldwide, or how handsome Jack Nicholson was paid for his role in The Shining, which made $400 million in ticket sales.

One of the biggest barriers to entry in Hollywood is hiring an agency to handle your media. These agencies often get exclusive access to directors and producers, which enables them to get their clients’ names into casting calls for high-profile films. In most cases, the more famous the client, the better the exposure, and this could translate into higher earnings. Naturally, this wouldn’t be beneficial for the actor, but it’s something to consider.

However, in many cases, it is the directors and producers who are responsible for creating the role and suggesting that the actor play it. For example, Joss Whedon suggested that Matt Damon play a young John Lennon in the post-apocalyptic drama, The Wall, and Damon ended up earning over $500,000 for his role. So, in some ways, it’s the director’s fault that your client gets a lot of work, but it’s also something to consider that maybe they don’t always do this on purpose.

The Rise of the Multi-Billion Dollar Agent

For decades, Hollywood worked more closely with the studios, which handled all of the financial aspects of the film. In most cases, the agent would simply get a commission on their client’s earnings. However, over the past few years, this model has begun to change. Now, the multi-billion dollar agents have risen, and it’s largely because of the booming world of content creation. Agents can no longer afford to focus only on getting their clients work, because they have to understand the business side of content as well.

Traditional models of representation, such as acting, have begun to transform, too. Thanks largely to the digital age, it’s easier for creators to build their own communities of fans and for everyone to benefit from content, whether it’s images or words. So, in many ways, we’re living in a golden era for actors, and it’s also created an environment where it’s possible for even the most average person to become an overnight celebrity. What’s more is that these celebrities often maintain a reasonable level of privacy, which shields them from many of the pitfalls that come with being famous.

Conclusion

For decades, acting was considered a ‘bread and butter’ kind of job for many actors. Since the digital age made it possible for people to build their own audiences, it has become much more than this. Thanks to the lucrative world of content creation, it’s now possible for even the most average person to end up on Hollywood’s ‘A-list’ with the right kind of content marketing. What’s more is that many of these A-list celebrities maintain a reasonable level of privacy, which shields them from many of the pitfalls that come with being famous. Finally, since most of these A-list celebrities started out as relatively unknowns, they were able to build their own brand and establish themselves as prominent figures in their respective communities. In many ways, we’re living in the golden era of acting, and it’s also created an environment where it’s possible for even the most average person to become an overnight celebrity.