Mr. & Mrs. Smith worked because John and Jane Smith were never a damsel-and-hero routine. They were two elite assassins, equally lethal and hilariously competitive. One planned every strike, the other improvised through chaos. Watching their suburban marriage explode into an all-out spy war was half the fun, while seeing the perfectly matched duo eventually fight side by side sealed the deal.

Apparently, the payroll department skipped the equal partners memo, as Angelina Jolie found rival assassins easier to defeat than Brad Pitt's salary advantage.

According to an article linked by IMDb, industry insiders have long believed Brad Pitt earned $20 million for Mr. & Mrs. Smith, while Angelina Jolie reportedly received $10 million, exactly half of her co-star's salary. For two performers sharing top billing, that was an eyebrow-raising gap. Apparently, the payroll department thought equality belonged only in the fight choreography.

The disparity looked even stranger considering Angelina Jolie's stature in Hollywood. After Nicole Kidman exited the project, Brad Pitt reportedly stepped away as well, only returning once Angelina Jolie officially signed on. Their magnetic chemistry ultimately became the film's biggest attraction, making the reported pay difference feel even harder to justify, especially after the film grossed an astounding $487.3 million worldwide. 

The same IMDb-linked report also notes that some industry insiders disputed the widely cited figures, suggesting Angelina Jolie's final compensation package may have eventually climbed closer to Brad Pitt's reported $20 million payday. Adding perspective, John Leguizamo later recalled in a Variety interview that the production was comfortably handing out $20 million deals to its leading stars while offering him standard scale.

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As Angelina Jolie's Mr. & Mrs. Smith paycheck comes with nearly as many plot twists as her long-awaited return to the screen, one thing is easier to determine: the projects that earned her the biggest payday.

Angelina Jolie's biggest Hollywood paydays came with something even more satisfying than enormous checks: payroll dominance. Unlike Mr. & Mrs. Smith, where the numbers favored Brad Pitt, her highest-grossing salary deals placed everyone else firmly in the rearview mirror. When the studio needed undeniable star power, the accounting department suddenly became far more generous.

For Eternals, Angelina Jolie reportedly secured a staggering $35 million to portray Thena, making her the highest-paid performer in Marvel's ensemble epic. While male co-stars such as Richard Madden and Kumail Nanjiani reportedly earned only low single-digit millions, Jolie comfortably towered over the payroll. Thena may have wielded a legendary spear, but the real power move arrived with the contract.

Maleficent delivered another financial victory for Angelina Jolie, who reportedly earned $33 million to headline Disney's fantasy blockbuster. The film revolved entirely around her iconic villain, leaving little room for anyone else to challenge the top spot. Sharlto Copley, despite playing King Stefan, reportedly earned only a fraction of Jolie's salary, proving that sometimes the villain really does get the happiest ending. All in all, if Mr. & Mrs. Smith highlighted Hollywood's pay imbalance; Eternals and Maleficent proved Angelina Jolie eventually became the salary benchmark instead of the exception.

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Were you surprised to learn Angelina Jolie reportedly earned only half of Brad Pitt's salary for Mr. & Mrs. Smith? Let us know in the comments!