Top 10 Most Expensive Animal Actors
#10: Rin Tin Tin
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When you think of the early animal performers, chances are Rin Tin Tin will spring to mind. And it all started with American soldier Lee Duncan, who was fighting in World War One and discovered a litter of pups. Later on, after bringing Rin back to the States, Duncan got his dog to appear in 1922’s “The Man from Hell's River,” kickstarting Rin's acting career. At one point, he was earning $1000 a week! In an eight-year period, Duncan made $5 million from the pup! Rin was the start of a lineage of dog actors, all using a similar name. Another famous early dog in cinema that was also a German Shepherd was Strongheart, who appeared in several Laurence Trimble films.
#9: The Dog in Manos
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If it wasn’t for a 1993 episode of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” the 1966 film “Manos: The Hands of Fate” would likely have been lost to the sands of time. And that might have been a good thing, considering how badly it was panned. Made with a budget of just $19,000, the film was made on a bet by Harold P. Warren, who believed it was easy to make a horror film. One of the stars of Manos was The Master’s dog, which actually belonged to the actor Jackey Neyman. She and her dog were the only paid members of the cast and crew. Neyman received a new bicycle, while the pup got a big bag of dog food.
#8: Moose the Jack Russell
If there was an S-Tier for animals that stole the show in sitcoms, Moose would definitely be there. After six months of training, he famously portrayed Eddie in the iconic sitcom “Frasier,” where he mastered the art of blankly staring at Frasier. When he had to lick his fellow actors, liver paste was dabbed behind the human’s ears. At his peak, Moose was bringing in around $10,000 per episode! As the show continued, Moose’s trainers realized he couldn’t do this forever. So, he had a son, Enzo, who took over as Eddie when his dad retired in 2003. The two even appeared in the same film, playing different ages of the same character, with 2000’s “My Dog Skip”.
#7: Pal The Collie
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Similar to Rin Tin Tin, Lassie was a franchise character portrayed by dogs all from the same family line. And the first to take the mantle was Pal. This Rough Collie’s first foray into film was in 1943’s “Lassie Come Home.” He was originally brought in as a stunt dog but replaced the lead pup after impressing the director. The flick also featured a young Elizabeth Taylor, who was in her second ever cinematic role. Reportedly, Pal brought in more than double Taylor’s salary in the film as he earned $250 a week at the time while she was on $100! Pal would kickstart the Lassie juggernaut with numerous films, books, and TV shows like the long-running 1954 series “Lassie.”
#6: Trigger The Horse
Originally named Golden Cloud, this palomino stallion got his big break in the 1938 film “The Adventures of Robin Hood” by being the mount for Maid Marian. At the same time, Roy Rogers, who was set to make his name in cowboy films, was looking for a horse partner in his first lead role with “Under Western Stars.” And he quickly fell for Golden Cloud and renamed him Trigger. He then bought Trigger for the equivalent of around $53,000 today. The two appeared in nearly 90 films and 100-odd episodes of “The Roy Rogers Show.” After Trigger passed away, Rogers had his partner’s body mounted. In 2010, the stuffed Trigger was sold in an auction for $266,500.
#5: Terry The Terrier
This little Cairn Terrier burst onto the silver screen with 1934’s “Ready for Love.” But her most famous role happened in 1939 with “The Wizard of Oz” when she morphed into the iconic Toto. However, it wasn’t all fun and games for the dog. During production, an actor accidentally stood on Terry’s leg, injuring it badly. She stayed at Judy Garland’s place while she recovered. For “The Wizard of Oz," Terry was paid $125 per week, around $2,700 today. This was more than most of her human colleagues and, in some cases, over double. The actors that played the Munchkins were paid around $50 per week, about $1065 today. Terry’s final film appearance came in 1945’s “Easy to Look At.”
#4: Boo
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Not all acting animals have to be in videos. Sometimes, all it takes is lots and lots of pictures. In 2010, the life of Boo the Pomeranian was changed forever when Kesha tweeted a link to his Facebook page. People flocked to the fluffy pup, and he quickly took the world by storm with his cute appearance. Merchandise, books, calendars, and more all came out featuring his adorable face. Boo’s success reportedly brought in around $1 million per year! Another internet-famous animal is Tara. This cat famously saved a boy in her family from an attack by a dog in 2014. The video is believed to bring her family around $100,000 per year.
#3: Crystal The Capuchin Monkey
Making her screen debut in 1997’s “George of the Jungle,” Crystal has starred in many popular films in her career. There’s 2006’s “Night at the Museum,” “The Hangover” franchise, “Dr. Dolittle” with Eddie Murphy, and many more. She was even cast in the short-lived 2012 T.V show “Animal Practice.” And this is where she really made the cash. For every episode she was in, Crystal was paid a massive $12,000! Making her one of the highest-paid actors on T.V at the time. And her co-star, Justin Kirk, was a big fan. He described Crystal as “so cool” and “the most famous monkey in Hollywood.” Other T.V shows she has been in include “Community” and “Malcolm in the Middle.”
#2: Bart The Bear
Some of the biggest names in Hollywood had the joy of being in films alongside Bart, the big Alaskan Kodiak bear, such as Ethan Hawke, Morgan Freeman, and Brad Pit! In 1996, Bart worked with Anthony Hopkins for “The Edge,” and the “Thor” actor was enamored with the fuzzy performer. He reportedly treated Bart like any other fellow actor and would spend hours looking at and admiring him. Bart’s biggest cinematic success was for 1988’s “The Bear,” where he was reportedly put forward for an Oscar. However, he was rejected for not being human...specists. But the Academy did make up for it by letting him take part in the 1998 ceremony. Over his career, Bart reportedly brought in $6 million altogether.
#1: Keiko The Killer Whale
When 1993’s “Free Willy” came out, there was one clear star made from the film, Willy the orca. Played by Keiko, he quickly captured the hearts of the audience. And that morphed into outrage when it was discovered Keiko was struggling in captivity. Feeling the pressure, Warner Bros. created the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, with plans to protect him and led to his release. The project to reintroduce him to the wild is said to have cost more than $20 million. When he was taken to Iceland to be taught to be wild, it cost around $500,000 per year. But eventually, he was released in 2002. However, in 2003, he passed away in Norway. For “Free Willy” alone, Keiko reportedly brought in $36 million!
