Did Harry, Ron and Hermione Get Paid the Same for the Harry Potter Movies?

As a huge Harry Potter fan, I was really curious to find out how much the main stars made from the incredibly successful films. Were Harry, Ron and Hermione paid equally, or did some actors make more than others? After digging into reports on their earnings, a clear picture emerged – read on to learn who made the most from the wizarding franchise.

Let‘s Start With Harry Himself

Daniel Radcliffe famously brought the Boy Who Lived to life on screen. It‘s no surprise that as the central star and namesake of the franchise, Radcliffe earned the most of the trio across all eight films. According to multiple reports, Radcliffe raked in an estimated $110 million total from the Harry Potter series over a decade of filming.

Radcliffe started small – he made $1 million for the first film, 2001‘s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone. But as the franchise took off globally, his paychecks grew substantially for each sequel. By the final two-part installment, he was earning $15 million per film.

For perspective, that‘s over $451,000 for each minute of screen time! Here‘s a rundown of Radcliffe‘s estimated earnings:

• Sorcerer‘s Stone (2001) – $1 million
• Chamber of Secrets (2002) – $3 million
• Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – $6 million
• Goblet of Fire (2005) – $8 million
• Order of the Phoenix (2007) – $10 million
• Half-Blood Prince (2009) – $12 million
• Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010) – $15 million
• Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) – $15 million

Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter Salary: $110 million total

How Did Emma Watson‘s Pay Compare?

Emma Watson won over fans worldwide with her portrayal of brightest-witch-of-her-age Hermione Granger. Watson was considered the breakout star of the young cast. She earned an estimated $60 million throughout the course of the eight Harry Potter films, according to reports.

While substantial, Watson‘s pay was considerably less than Radcliffe‘s. For the first film, both Watson and co-star Rupert Grint are said to have earned less than $1 million. Watson likely also started out earning a few million dollars per film through the middle sequels.

By the end, she was collecting massive paydays – an estimated $10 million per film for the two-part finale. Here‘s the breakdown of Watson‘s Harry Potter salary:

• Sorcerer‘s Stone (2001) – under $1 million
• Chamber of Secrets (2002) – $1-2 million
• Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – $3 million
• Goblet of Fire (2005) – $4 million
• Order of the Phoenix (2007) – $5 million
• Half-Blood Prince (2009) – $6 million
• Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010) – $10 million
• Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) – $10 million

Emma Watson Total Salary: $60 million

Rupert Grint‘s Salary as Ron Weasley

Playing Harry‘s loyal best friend Ron Weasley, Rupert Grint completed the main trio of young actors. Grint also saw his pay rise substantially from the first to last films – raking in a reported $70 million in total for the series.

Again starting at under $1 million for Sorcerer‘s Stone, Grint hit the big time by the end. He‘s said to have earned $30 million collectively for both parts of Deathly Hallows. His per-film pay was basically on par with Watson‘s, though also lower than lead star Radcliffe.

Here are the reported payouts for Rupert Grint in the Harry Potter movies:

• Sorcerer‘s Stone (2001) – under $1 million
• Chamber of Secrets (2002) – $1-2 million
• Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – $3 million
• Goblet of Fire (2005) – $4 million
• Order of the Phoenix (2007) – $5 million
• Half-Blood Prince (2009) – $6 million
• Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010) – $10 million
• Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) – $10 million

Rupert Grint Total Salary: $70 million

So was their pay equal? In short – no. As the below summary shows, Radcliffe consistently earned the most as the star and central character of the films. Watson and Grint earned big bucks too from the smashing success of the franchise, but made less than leading man Radcliffe.

But What About Other Harry Potter Actors?

The salaries of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint made headlines for their massive sums. But they weren‘t the only young stars cashing in on the wizarding craze. Here‘s a quick look at what other actors earned:

• Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) – Reportedly earned an estimated $35 million across all eight films, for $875,000 per minute of screen time.
• Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) – Has an estimated net worth of $10 million currently. His exact Potter salary is unknown.
• James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) – Likely earned a few million each, though exact numbers are undisclosed.
• Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) – Now has an estimated net worth of around $4 million.

These figures pale in comparison to the huge sums paid out to the lead trio. But the Harry Potter series still proved highly lucrative for many of its young stars.

Why Did Daniel Radcliffe Earn So Much More?

As the main star and title character, Radcliffe was destined for an outsized salary. Here are some of the likely factors that earned him bigger paychecks:

• Top billing and most screen time – Radcliffe dominates as the face of the franchise. He gets the most scenes and dialogue to carry the story.

• Central role as the Chosen One – As Harry Potter himself, the character is indispensable. The books and films would simply not exist without Harry and his journey.

• More acting experience – With roles in The Tailor of Panama and David Copperfield before being cast, Radcliffe had a more impressive resume than newcomers like Watson and Grint.

• Leverage to negotiate – As the films became a global phenomenon, Radcliffe‘s team could demand more pay knowing he was crucial and irreplaceable.

• Producer preferences – The producers likely wanted to keep Radcliffe happy above all else. His salary hikes showed he was their priority.

No matter the reasons, there‘s no denying Radcliffe earned a huge part of the fiscal success of Harry Potter. The worldwide fame also set him up well for a thriving career since, though he keeps a relatively low profile.

The Bottom Line – Harry Potter Was Worth Millions

It‘s no secret the Harry Potter films were a license to print money. Over $7 billion in box office sales made it the third-highest grossing film series of all time. And a key beneficiaries were the films‘ young stars.

Daniel Radcliffe led the way with an estimated $110 million payday for playing the Boy Who Lived. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint also pocketed tens of millions each for their roles as Hermione and Ron.

While exact figures aren‘t public, it‘s clear the wizarding world provided huge financial rewards for its core cast. The child actors went from unknowns to multimillionaires thanks to the smashing success of the Harry Potter movies.