Quote
An actor's established salary based on their most recent comparable role.
Definition
A quote is an actor's going rate—the salary they received for their most recent comparable role, which establishes the baseline for future negotiations. Quotes escalate throughout careers as stars demonstrate box office value and may vary by project type.
Agents carefully manage quotes, sometimes accepting lower fees for passion projects while protecting quote integrity for commercial work.
Why It Matters
Quotes structure Hollywood salary negotiations and influence casting decisions. Understanding quote dynamics helps explain why certain roles go to certain actors and how star power translates to compensation.
Protecting and increasing quotes is central to talent representation strategy.
Examples in Practice
An actor with a $10 million quote would expect at least that amount for similar roles, though quotes might differ for comedy versus drama or studio versus independent projects. Quote protection sometimes leads actors to decline roles that might lower their established rates.
Streaming has complicated quote calculation as upfront payments replace traditional compensation structures.