Leatherface Actor Gunnar Hansen Only Made $800 for His Role in THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie is a horror movie classic and might be one of the most disturbing films I’ve ever seen. I remember the first time I saw it as a young teen; my mind was a mess of freak-out emotions.

This movie was an indie film with a super low budget of $60,000, but it launched and crazy successful film franchise that continues to this date. But getting that first movie made was rough for director Tobe Hooper, his cast, and crew.

No one knew what the film would become, and the first movie ended up making millions. But the actor who played the iconic Leatherface, Gunnar Hansen, only made only $800 for the film. The cast member only made $200 a week

Obviously, due to the shoestring budget, the cast and crew weren’t going to make a lot of money. But the whole experience was that much worse due to hard shoot in the hot Texas weather in the summer, where everyone was sharing a single bathroom, and meat props were rotting on set.

Hanson also had to wear that same costume every day during the production and he had to work 12 to 16-hour days. He explained, “I would have made more money if I’d worked in McDonald’s those numbers of hours.”

It may have been a shit job at the time and it may have paid shit money, but in the end the film was a success and it’s one of the most iconic horror films ever made.