6 Most Weird Contract Demands By Celebrities Ft. Samuel L. Jackson, Nicolas Cage & More

As an ardent admirer of these extraordinary personalities, it is truly fascinating to delve into their unique contract demands that reflect their individual quirks and experiences. Queen Latifah’s ‘no-death’ clause stems from her early career struggles, while Reese Witherspoon’s wardrobe obsession led to an impressive collection of Jimmy Choo shoes at home. Keanu Reeves’ digital manipulation ban is a testament to his commitment to his craft, and Samuel L. Jackson‘s golf policy underscores his love for the game.

It’s no surprise that many famous people assert their wishes and influence when negotiating. These requests can be significant enough to make it into their contracts, ensuring the production team complies with them. Sometimes, celebrities discuss their contract terms during interviews, while on other occasions, details are leaked by their associates for public entertainment.

Famous stars such as Keanu Reeves, Nicolas Cage, Reese Witherspoon, among others, make unique requests in their contracts. For instance, they ask for their personal wardrobe on set, and some even prohibit studios from altering their acting performances digitally. Discover more about these peculiar contract stipulations below.

Queen Latifah’s ‘no-death’ clause

Queen Latifah’s contract includes an unusual provision often referred to as her “no-onscreen-death” policy. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2022, she explained the reasoning behind this demand, which stems from her ability to convincingly portray character deaths early in her career. She jokingly stated, “I became too proficient at it, so it’s become a running gag. I said, ‘If I keep being this good at [dying], I won’t be eligible for any sequels.’ So, to prevent my characters from meeting an untimely end, I requested that a no-death clause be added to my contracts to ensure I wouldn’t be written out of future projects prematurely.”

Reese Witherspoon’s ‘wardrobe’ policy

1. In a follow-up to the hit original movie Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, comes Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde. Interestingly, during an interview on The Graham Norton Show, Witherspoon revealed that she kept all of Elle’s costumes from the film and made sure it was included in her contract. She also shared that she amassed a collection of 77 pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes for Elle, but never wore any of them at home. However, on the movie’s 15th anniversary, she decided to dust off those shoes and give them another try.

“She continued by saying, ‘Some worked, some didn’t, but it was quite exciting. I shared them all with my daughter.'”

Keanu Reeves’ no digital manipulation contract

Keanu Reeves is renowned for his exceptional action abilities and knack for delivering compelling performances. To ensure authenticity in his work, he includes a provision in his contracts that prohibits film studios from digitally altering his performance. During an interview with Wired, the actor explained this by saying, “Yes, digitally. I’m okay if they remove a blink during editing. But at some point, possibly in the ’90s or early 2000s, my performance was changed without my knowledge. They added a tear to my face, and I was taken aback, thinking, ‘What?!’ It felt like, I don’t even need to be here.”

He shared that it’s frustrating to lose his own agency where he knowingly participates to get edited while he gives a different performance. The John Wick actor continued, “If you go into deepfake land, it has none of your points of view. That’s scary.”

Samuel L. Jackson’s game policy

Known for his roles in Avenger films as Nick Fury, Samuel L. Jackson has an unusual requirement: he must be allowed to play golf at least twice a week. In an interview with CNN years ago, the actor explained that this is a condition of his work contracts. He added, “Either they relocate me to a golf course or I join one so I can play there. Golf appeals to me because it’s a game that suits someone like me who is an only child – you bear the consequences for your mistakes, but also reap the rewards for your successes.”

Nicolas Cage’s demand for a real-life bat

During the filming of the 1988 movie Vampire’s Kiss, Nicolas Cage requested something quite unusual and potentially hazardous: he wanted a real bat instead of a mechanical one for the scene where he was bitten by a bat. In the DVD commentary, producer Barbara Zitwer admitted that Cage was so determined to have a real bat that they ended up illegally importing one from Mexico to ensure his peace of mind. However, director Robert Bierman managed to bring him back to reason by explaining that a wild and real bat might actually endanger his life and jeopardize the entire production.

Daniel Day-Lewis’ method acting

Daniel Day-Lewis is renowned for his immersive acting techniques. In one instance, he shed his British accent to portray a character in a Spielberg film. Later, it was revealed by one of his fellow actors, Jared Harris, in an interview that he too had to abandon his British accent around Day-Lewis to help him feel comfortable and not disrupt his acting flow. During the shoot, they referred to him as “Mr. President”.

2024-08-28 07:09