“I’m the highest-paid first-time actor”: This UFC star broke into Hollywood shattering Dwayne Johnson’s astonishing record | WWE News – Times of India

Image via: Sony Pictures Releasing

Dwayne Johnson made his Hollywood debut in 2001 with Brendan Fraser-starrer action adventure The Mummy Returns. His debut was a stunner as fans and many critics were impressed by his performance as he played The Scorpion King. With the spectacular debut which opened the door for later opportunities to become one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, Johnson has also earned a whopping fortune from his debut role. However, UFC star Conor McGregor has seemingly broken his record paycheck as he broke into Hollywood with the 2024 action flick Road House.
Also Read: Dwayne Johnson’s holiday action comedy lands frosty reception on Rotten Tomatoes despite stellar cast

Did Conor McGregor shatter Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood debut record?

Irish MMA star and former UFC Champion Conor McGregor has made a spectacular debut playing Knox, the primary villain in the Jake Gyllenhaal starrer 2024 action thriller Road House which is a remake of Patrick Swayze-led 1989 movie of the same name.
While McGregor’s performance was hailed by fans and critics, the UFC star has bragged about his payday claiming that he was the highest-paid Hollywood debutant. In a now-deleted post on X, McGregor reportedly wrote, “I am now officially the highest-paid first-time actor of all time, on record, pipping Dwayne Johnson for the top spot. Incredible!” (via The Sun).
For context, Johnson made a whopping $ 5.5 million paycheck for his debut movie. During his chat with Good Morning Britain, while he was on a promotional tour of the Prime Video movie, McGregor responded with a confident tone. “That’s the fact,” he told the outlet, “I’m the highest-paid first-time actor of all time so it’s a nice feather in the cap. There’s not an action star in Hollywood that could take me on and that’s a fact, so let’s see how it goes,” he added.

Several outlets have reported that McGregor impressive $6 million to $10 million for his debut role, however, per The Hollywood Reporter, there is no official record of the star getting that much money. However, sources shared with the outlet that he indeed received a little over The Rock’s $ 5.5 million paycheck.
But there is a catch that many often ignored, Johnson made $ 5.5 million in 2001, and adjusting the inflation, it would have been about $9.4 million today and even if McGregor received the highest paycheck for a first-time actor, technically he is far behind Johnson. Regardless, considering the reports, it is fair to say that McGregor has shattered The Rock’s record.

Is Conor McGregor set for another big-screen role?

There is no official report of another McGregor movie lined up as of writing the piece but he is not out of the big Hollywood picture. His role in Road House was impressive and the movie was a huge success at Prime Video which also teased a sequel as a post-credits scene revealed that McGregor’s Knox is still alive. In an interview with TMZ, the former UFC Champ shared that he has other movies lined up but refrained from sharing any details about it.
Additionally, he told Total Film that he rejected multiple movie offers before joining the Road House cast. “I had turned down a good few roles in my time on the climb,” he told the outlet. “I’ve had directors show up at fight camp, really beautiful directors doing really top-end movies… And over and over, they’d come to me, and I always turned them down… I’d leave people a little high and dry. I probably have a few enemies out there that I don’t really know of because I had said, ‘I might do it,'” he added.
But McGregor is not done with Hollywood, “I was just in awe of it all, to be honest with you, the whole process,” McGregor said of making his film debut. “I didn’t know how I was going to take to it. I didn’t know whether I was going to like it, to be honest. I’m a fighting man – that’s my bread and butter. It’s where I come from… I’m not an actor, but I’m show business. That was my vibe to it. I felt that. I enjoyed every second of it.”
Fans may see the UFC legend in an action flick anytime soon but there is no report of McGregor joining another movie as of yet.
Road House is streaming on Prime Video.
Also Read: WWE Fans Compare Donald Trump-Obama Clash to Stone Cold vs. The Rock Rivalry