In an attempt to win back a potentially massive amount of street cred, Hugo Weaving announced earlier this week (in a show of unexpected, blunt honesty) that his voice-work for the Transformers franchise was basically “meaningless.” Which is a much better way of saying that Weaving probably took the role to make a fast buck and wants to wipe the Michael Bay-shaped stain from his filmography. He did add, though, that he didn’t mean it “in any nasty way,” which was nice of him.
But Michael Bay (who directed all three movies in the Transformers trilogy) isn’t the kind of guy who allows such comments to pass without unleashing a fair degree of mania upon the planet. Check out what he had to say below.
“Do you ever get sick of actors that make $15 million a picture, or even $200,000 for voiceover work that took a brisk one hour and 43 minutes to complete, and then complain about their jobs?
With all the problems facing our world today, do these grumbling thespians really think people reading the news actually care about trivial complaints that their job wasn’t “artistic enough” or “fulfilling enough”? I guess The Hollywood Reporter thinks so. What happened to people who had integrity, who did a job, got paid for their hard work, and just smiled afterward? Be happy you even have a job — let alone a job that pays you more than 98% of the people in America.
I have a wonderful idea for all those whiners: They can give their “unhappy job money” to a wonderful Elephant Rescue. It’s the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Africa. I will match the funds they donate.”
Though Bay is kind of right with regards to the 98% of people in America thing, is it really necessary that he follow-up Weaving’s offhand comments about voicing a giant robot with a relentless push for unsatisfied celebrities to donate their salaries to elephant rescue charities?
Still, $200,000 for one hour and forty-three minutes work? We most definitely understand why Mr. Weaving took that part.
Source: IndieWire