How Much Money Did Tobin Bell Make For Each Saw Movie?
The infamous laugh of Jigsaw was not Tobin Bell’s only contribution to the Saw movies. Saw would never be what it is today if it weren’t for the iconic voice and judgmental nature of Tobin’s John Kramer. His mere presence on-screen today is chilling and creates a curious, yet still scary tone. This meticulous actor has a movement about his physical nature that fits the Jigsaw killer’s character. The way Tobin speaks, his delays, and his piercing eyes make him one of the most interesting and entertaining horror movie slashers of all time. But what did they actually pay Tobin Bell for his role in the Saw films?
Tobin Bell’s Saw Movie Salaries
Tobin Bell’s performance as Jigsaw, the horror movie killer in the Saw franchise, is absolutely jaw-dropping (pun intended). He has received great reward for his fantastic performances, evident by the suspected salaries he has raked in!
The first movie was extremely low budget. The role of the Jigsaw killer required 14 days of laying on the floor. It was cold, dirty, grungy, and difficult, but Tobin insisted on doing it himself without a double or fake body to substitute for him. While it is speculated he did not make that much, monetarily, from this film…he is most definitely profiting in the form of a full blown successful career as Jigsaw.
In Saw II (2005), the production budget was five times larger than the first movie, at $5,000,000 and it made far more than the first movie. The second film in the franchise probably meant much more for Tobin. Maybe even earning a percentage rather than a flat rate.
Saw III’s budget also went up, doubling the previous movie’s budget and probably dishing out more percentage earnings Tobin than the previous movie. While it did not perform as well as the second movie, it still greatly outdid the original again and likely earned Tobin a huge reward.
The fourth Saw movie is where the franchise’s earnings begin to decline. Despite the budgets still all being around $10,000,00 (with an exception of a $17 million budget for Saw 3D in 2010), all of the rest of the movies in the franchise did pretty poorly at the box office when compared to the first few films. Still, Tobin was probably one of their greatest expenses (if not the greatest expense). Whether these remaining films earned the producers as much as they would have liked or not, they probably earned Tobin an absolute ton!
All this and also being the smartest horror movie slasher of all time? Not so bad, Tobin!
What Did the Actors Make in the Saw Movies?
Tobin Bell may have earned the most out of any of the actors in the Saw franchise, however, he was not the only cast member to bank! Some of the other top paid Saw actors and actresses may have included the following cast members.
Donnie Wahlberg
One of the Wahlberg brothers likely made a killer in Saw II (2005). He was one of the primary stars and brought a well-known, already famous face to the Saw sequel. He also starred in one the best performing movies of them all (Saw II made the most in the United States of all the films, while it made second most worldwide, next to the third movie). He even returns for some fun in the third film!
Shawnee Smith
Smith started out in the original Saw movie alongside Tobin Bell…however, she made a centerstage appearance with a lead role in the second, third and sixth movies. She also reprised her role via archived footage in the fourth movie. Her heavy involvement and familiar face throughout the Saw movies gives credence to her being one of the top benefactors of the Saw films.
Costas Mandylor
Playing the role of Mark Hoffman in Saw IV (2007), Costas may not have made so much. However, it is speculated that he made a pretty penny being able to reprise this role in the subsequent Saw V (2008), Saw VI (2009) and Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010) movies.
Scott Patterson
Patterson played Agent Peter Strahm in the Saw movies, starting in Saw IV (2007). He then reprised his role in Saw V (2008), probably making a ton!
Betsy Russell
Like her costar Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson, Betsy started out in Saw IV (2007) and played the role of Jill Tuck. She then returned for Saw V (2008), Saw VI (2009), and Saw 3D (2010), more than likely earning a lot more for the later films.
Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes played Dr Gordon in the first Saw movie. Dr Gordon then returned for Saw 3D: The Final Chapter to be explained as an accomplice to Jigsaw. Elwes most likely got paid A LOT more for this role reprisal.
Saw Salaries: Final Notes
Saw (2004) was a box office hit and launched many careers. However, Saw did not start out the high-paying household name in horror that it is today, and it started out extremely low budget. Still, it was pivotal for director James Wan (his first feature film as a director), and also for Tobin Bell, Jigsaw himself. Tobin Bell was an awesome Jigsaw killer and without his involvement in the Saw movies, it is questionable as to how much the franchise could have grown!
Check out some surprising facts about the Saw movies and learn some more about how Saw was made!
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.