How Rich Is The Cast Of The Mandalorian In Real Life?
While anything and everything related to Star Wars is up for debate when it comes to quality, authenticity, and entertainment value, The Mandalorian is undeniably one of the more popular releases from the franchise that tells stories that take place in a galaxy far, far away. The series has earned multiple Emmy Awards and even more nominations for everything from the performances to the costumes, special effects, music, and more. But it had more than just industry appeal; fans also found plenty of things to love about the series. Among other watch-worthy aspects, Vulture notes that viewers "fully obsess over the affectless yet totally compelling voice of Mando ... and, of course, the endless charms of Baby Yoda. Do you remember the first time you saw Baby Yoda? Do you remember how it felt?" Of course!
Indeed, along with the irresistibly adorable little creature that resembles a younger version of Yoda yet is deemed "the child," the series is filled with captivating characters that are played by both industry veterans and newcomers to the television side of show business. While each seemed to earn a great deal of attention and acclaim for their roles in Star Wars universe, they've also earned fortunes over the years that range from shockingly (relatively) modest to enviably massive. Read on to find out how rich the cast of The Mandalorian is in real life.
Taika Waititi says money 'ain't a problem anymore!'
If you can't remember seeing Taika Waititi in The Mandalorian, that's because he was the voice of IG-11. Yes, he was the droid who was reprogramed from a bounty-hunting killer into a protective babysitter. Waititi was also brought on as one of the directors of Season 1, however, wasn't able to sign on for the second season. "I'm not directing any of the episodes [in Season 2] of The Mandalorian because I was doing another film, a soccer film with Michael Fassbender," he explained on Instagram Live (via Cinema Blend). However, that doesn't mean that he's done with the Star Wars universe. In May 2020, it was revealed that he'd been hired to co-write and direct an entire Star Wars film.
With so much success coming Waititi's way, it may be surprising to find out that he's only worth $3 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. He (jokingly?) opened up about money during Deadline's The Contenders event in 2017 "during the massive $118M+ opening weekend" of Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok. When he was asked why he decided to direct that particular movie, he explained that he's been motivated by "money, straight up," adding that he has two children and they "cost sh** loads of money."
The star also addressed the fact that his Directors Guild of America membership had been reinstated after a brief suspension, saying, "I think it was something to do with money, which ain't a problem anymore!"
Gina Carano's bank account packs a punch
When those behind The Mandalorian were looking for someone to play the fierce Cara Dune, they opted to cast Gina Carano. That made sense since she's not only an actor, but she's also someone who knows how to work the camera thanks to her gig as a fitness model. She also knows how to handle herself in a fight due to her status as the former "face of women's MMA," per USA Today Sports' MMA Junkie.
Before switching over to acting, Carano earned quite a bit of cheddar from her fights. For instance, despite losing to Cris "Cyborg" Santos in a 2009 Strikeforce match, Carano earned $125,000, according to Bleacher Report. That topped all other competitors from that night, including Renato Sobral ($75,000), Jay Hieron ($55,000), Gilbert Melendez ($50,000), and Fabricio Werdum ($50,000).
Carano's post-MMA career has been lucrative, thanks to roles like Riley in 2013's Fast & Furious 6, Angel Dust in 2016's Deadpool, and her gig on The Mandalorian. However, some fans called for her termination from the Star Wars series in September 2020 when, as NME noted, she was accused of transphobia after "putting the words 'boop/bob/beep' in her Twitter bio in lieu of pronouns." (She denied "mocking trans people" and maintained she was "exposing the bullying mentality of the mob that has taken over the voices of many genuine causes.") Even if Carano can't recover, she's still built up a fortune that's worth $8 million dollars, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Nick Nolte says reports of his supposed fortune are 'a joke'
Nick Nolte wasn't one of the more obvious stars of The Mandalorian, thanks to the fact that he was the voice of Kuiil, the handy dude who helps Mando in Season 1. And you know, (SPOILER) things don't end up well for him ... WHY DIDN'T THEY WAIT UNTIL HE WAS BACK IN THE SHIP? OMG! Anyway, while the outcome of Kuiil's character was undeniably, er, not good, there are a few theories as to what actually happened to the character who was tasked with getting the child out of danger.
Whatever became of Notle's character on The Mandalorian, thanks to the actor's many years in the industry — which has included roles in movies like 1991's The Prince of Tides, 1997's Affliction, and 2011's Warrior — Celebrity Net Worth notes that he has $75 million. However, according to People, in 2016, while attending a panel after the New York premiere of Graves, he addressed the situation, saying, "I'm supposed to be worth $74 million, that's a joke."
That may, in part, be because of various iffy issues and unfortunate instances that have been costly. For instance, back in 1961, he "was busted for selling fake draft cards, fined $75,000, and sentenced to 75 years in prison," which was "later suspended," according to AP, and the Daily Mail reported that in 2008, "a blaze at his California home caused a reported $3 million damage." That could certainly do a number on the bank account.
Werner Herzog joined the Mandalorian to pay for a movie
Werner Herzog could have been brought on to play a range of Star Wars' characters and surely would have nailed any one thanks to his stony demeanor and unmistakable accent. However, he was cast as The Client in the first season, which means that he was the one who hired the Mandalorian to track down the child.
As someone who's been in the business for years, you might think that Herzog is familiar with Star Wars, but that's not the case. According to Vanity Fair, while he was talking at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, he admitted that when he signed on for the role, he "had a very, very vague idea of what Star Wars was all about." Granted, he also told Variety, "You shouldn't feel upset that I haven't seen the Star Wars films; I hardly see any films. I read. I see two, three, maybe four films per year."
However, Herzog took The Mandalorian job because — while he's personally worth $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth — he wanted to use the money to finance another project, Family Romance, LLC, which tells the story of a "man [who] is hired to impersonate the missing father of a young girl." He joked, "The only thing I have not done so far [to make money for movies], is bank robbery."
Giancarlo Esposito went from Sesame Street to Star Wars
Fans of The Mandalorian will recognize Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon, the villain of the Star Wars' series. He's also another star who's been in the business for ages, appearing as Mickey on Sesame Street from 1982 to 1984, Gus Fring on Breaking Bad from 2009 to 2011, and Pastor Ramon Cruz on The Get Down from 2016 to 2017, as well as Sidney Glass/Magic Mirror/The Genie on Once Upon a Time from 2011 to 2017. Beyond that, he's the voice of Lex Luthor on the animated Harley Quinn series, and has popped up on other shows like Miami Vice, Law & Order, and Community, and movies like 2006's Last Holiday and 2017's Okja.
In July 2020, Esposito talked about his career, which included bringing back his Breaking Bad character for Better Call Saul. "It wasn't a ploy for money or anything else," he told Complex's Watch Less podcast. Instead, he asked himself, "Do I really wanna go back and do this again? ... Do I want this character to define my whole career?"
Whatever Esposito wants to do, he can seemingly afford to be a little picky thanks to the fact that he's worth $6 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, and can apparently earn $65,000 per episode when he's working on a show. It's no darksaber, but that's definitely not too shabby!
Carl Weathers is well off thanks to his iconic characters
Carl Weathers was Greef Karga on The Mandalorian, the man who ran the Bounty Hunters' Guild which is how Mando finds his oh-so-dangerous yet oh-so-adventurous (and therefore entertaining) work. While Karga was supposed to have a very different (and dire) storyline, he managed to stick around, and Weathers got the opportunity to direct an episode in Season 2. "[It's] a liberating experience when you have so many smart, talented, collaborative, good-hearted, caring people around you on a daily basis," he told SYFY WIRE in March 2020 while talking about working on the show.
Weathers also opened about meeting with the man behind The Mandalorian (not the character, but the series), Jon Favreau. "You walk into the conference room and all this art is on the walls and [Favreau] is so passionate about it all and it's all magnificent," he said, according to SYFY WIRE. "It's like, 'Are you kidding me?' I'm working on something that Disney is going to be behind, I'm working on something that Jon Favreau is marshaling, and I'm working on Star Wars — and then I get a chance to meet [voice actor, writer, producer, and animator] Dave Filoni — and now it's like, 'We're in really good hands.'"
Indeed, The Mandalorian was a hit, and thanks to it and a career that includes being Apollo Creed in the Rocky film franchise, Weathers has $6 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Bill Burr's take on Star Wars is as rich as he is
Bill Burr played Mayfeld in Season 1 of The Mandalorian, a character that Men's Health describes as "a ruthless, hot-headed mercenary" who leads a rescue mission with Mando before they turn on each other. While Burr's character didn't stick around for too long, that may not be the worst thing for the actor and comedian who isn't the biggest fan of the franchise. "I was just too old by the time I saw Star Wars," Burr said on The Daily Beast's The Last Laugh. "It was geared towards kids and I was watching Fast Times at Ridgemont High by the time it came out." In 2015, he also admitted on Conan that Star Wars is like a "cheesy self-help book put in outer space with, like, Muppets."
While that might sound like Burr is biting the hand that feeds him, he can afford to hate on the stories — while also taking home a paycheck from The Mandalorian — thanks to the fact that he has $12 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Burr also happens to be known for his arguably offensive humor, and that's, in fact, the key to his success. Forbes notes that "there is, after all, a massive market for that sort of thing. The media is filled with figures who constantly rail against modernity, who express 'forbidden' opinions, and use the resulting outrage and attention to increase their audience."
Ming-Na Wen is living a lucrative dream
Ming-Na Wen was another person whose character didn't stick around for too long on The Mandalorian, but she did appear in Season 1 as the wanted assassin Fennec Shand. "We got our inspiration really from the name. The idea of a fennec fox came to mind," the star — who's also famous for her work on Mulan, ER, and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — told Vanity Fair, "She's tricky, and yet she's able to maneuver and survive, and be stealthy — so very graceful and agile. I just love that whole image with the name."
Wen also talked to Collider in June 2020 about being a part of the Star Wars franchise, saying, "When your childhood dream comes true, where do you go from there? That was a real big one for me. It [was] amazing to be in the Marvel universe, but for me, I was really a Star Wars kid. The Force was my religion, besides Buddhism. I would pray to God, Buddha, and the Force, when I was a kid. I actually still do, whenever I get on a plane." She said being a part of Star Wars world makes her feel like a "kid in a candy store" and she is "still pinching" herself in disbelief.
Wen may also be pinching herself over the fact that she has a $5 million fortune, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Timothy Olyphant is a millionaire and the marshal
Timothy Olyphant turned up in the second season of The Mandalorian as Cobb Vanth, the marshal of Mos Pelgo, a town on the planet of Tatooine, and a man who had scored himself some Mandalorian gear. Twitter really lit up when he showed up, with one person tweeting that this could be spinoff material, while another social media user wrote, "The Mandalorian: we already have an extremely sexy version of the tin man. What can we do to make this show even more attractive than it already is? The Mandalorian: *adds Timothy Olyphant*." And as Vulture noted, when the show "typecast Timothy Olyphant as a lone gunman-type law-enforcement officer" and plopped him in a Star Wars show, the results were as "every bit as good as you're hoping."
While Olyphant has been in the business since the mid-'90s, in 2019, GQ noted that "the 51-year-old actor's career reache[d] a new peak." The star himself talked about his particular kind of success, saying, "Dude, I've lived a blessed life. You don't understand. I found a sweet spot. Nobody bugs me. I have it as good as it gets." That sweet spot also involves having $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Sasha Banks is banking on The Mandalorian
Gina Carano may have come to The Mandalorian with a background that includes MMA, which is why it may not be a surprise that the WWE's Sasha Banks was given a role in the show. However, it's apparently something the SmackDown Women's Champion has had a difficult time accepting, although she's certainly happy. "I am just beyond extreme blessed. I cannot believe that I am in two of the biggest universes in the whole world, with WWE and the Star Wars universe," Banks told Digital Spy in June 2020. "I'm just like so in shock. I can't believe it."
While we don't know quite yet who Banks plays as of writing, news broke in February 2020 that she would be turning up in Season 2 and was spotted in the trailer that came out the following September. We can also tell you that she has $3 million at this point, according to Celebrity Net Worth, but who knows what she could be worth in the future if her acting career continues to take off.
Temuera Morrison's finances are funded by Fetts
Fans of the Star Wars films will know actor Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett, a bounty hunter and the original version of clone copies from 2002's Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. He made his return on The Mandalorian as Jango's son, Boba Fett, in Season 2... or did he? Radio Times speculated that he might "instead [be] playing an entirely new character with deep ties to Star Wars' past and present." And Inverse pointed out that some people have "insisted he already had a cameo in Season 1 as the mysterious figure who appears after Fennec Shand is left for dead."
What we do know for sure is that while another character may or may not have had Boba Fett's gear, as Polygon noted, "In the closing minutes of The Mandalorian season 2, episode 1, The Marshal, a mysterious new character appears with his back facing camera, watching our main character speed across the desert of Tatooine." Why is that interesting? Well, although viewers were left in suspense "because The Mandalorian loves its mysterious," many people were under the impression that we were seeing Boba Fett. Indeed, Morrison's IMDb page does say that he was in Chapter 9: The Marshal.
Whenever he happens to turn up, the question is: Will Morrison be in more episodes? If so, the additional paychecks will help boost his fortune that sits at a modest $1.5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Pedro Pascal's fortune is mysterious
While we only briefly saw Pedro Pascal's face in The Mandalorian, he did, in fact, play the title character who appeared with a mask around 99% of the time. He talked about taking on his starring role in The Mandalorian, telling Variety in 2020, "I hope this doesn't sound like me fashioning myself like I'm, you know, so smart, but I agreed to do this [show] because the impression I had when I had my first meeting was that this is the next big sh**." He was certainly right about that.
While The Mandalorian has undoubtedly boosted the actor's profile (and fortune?), a Mandalorian movie — which is a possibility — could make him even richer, not to mention the fact that his résumé also includes roles in/on Game of Thrones, Narcos, and Wonder Woman 1984.
While reports of the actor's worth are unclear, Celeb Worth puts his fortune at a relatively minor $2 million, while Who Times figures he has around $30 million. Granted, there's quite a difference between those two amounts, however, even if he has the smaller amount, we have no doubt that he'll make his way up the higher amount if he can continue to land such enviable gigs.