Freddie Prinze Jr recently spoke with Esquire and explored a variety of issues. Prinze discussed his “frustrating” encounter with the Scooby-Doo creators on the wage cut. The I Know What You Did Last Summer actor said that the “studio” urged him to accept a wage reduction.
According to Prinze, after the success of Scooby-Doo (2002), the film’s lead actors wanted a salary hike. Instead of raising the salaries of the rest of the main cast members, the producers urged Freddie Prinze Jr to accept a pay reduction. In an interview with Esquire, the Scooby-Doo star was cited as saying:
“I recall thinking, ‘Wait a minute, who is giving them the raise?'” ‘Me or you?’ You can’t afford to pay them what I’m earning on this after we made you three-quarters of a billion dollars? “Fuck that.”
Prinze also mentioned a time when the studio behind Scooby-Doo supposedly revealed his pay in a magazine after the dispute. This reported action by the producers almost drove Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker star Harrison Ford away from the Scooby-Doo sequel, as he recalled:
“My ego was furious.”
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What is the net worth of Scooby-Doo actor Freddie Prinze Jr in November 2022?
The actor, who was born in 1976, has been involved in the entertainment industry from a young age. After appearing in a number of films, Prinze found popularity with the 1997 horror I Know What You Did Last Summer. Because of its cinematic clichés and horror cliches, the film influenced media and popular culture for years, prompting remakes and spoofs. Prinze later repeated his role as Ray Bronson in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer before going on to feature in a number of successful films such as Summer Catch, Down to You, Head Over Heels, Boys and Girls, and others. Freddie Prinze Jr. appeared in Scooby-Doo as Mystery Incorporated gang member Fred Jones in 2002.
In addition to his role as Fred Jones, Prinze has worked on various other projects, including his work with WWE. In 2021, he started his third tenure with the American professional wrestling company.
Facts About Scooby-Doo (2002)
Freddie Prinze Jr. was a part of the Scooby-Doo ensemble, which included his wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar, as Daphne Blake. Velma Dinkley and Norville “Shaggy” Rogers were played by Linda Cardellini and Matthew Lillard, respectively. At the same time, Australian actor Neil Fanning provided the voice of Scooby-Doo.
Scooby-Doo was a massive worldwide hit, as seen by the memes that still circulate on the internet. During an interview with the American Men’s magazine Esquire, Prinze also discussed how, despite the pay reduction dispute, Scooby-Doo gave him a fresh perspective. Here’s a quote from his magazine interview:
“All these individuals who grew up enjoying those [Scooby-Doo] movies began reaching out…and then I got what I thought was a more realistic perspective on what the movie meant to people because I wasn’t watching it through the studio’s eyes.”
Raja Gosnell directed Scooby-Doo, while James Gunn, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy, co-wrote the script with Craig Titley. Gunn also penned the film’s script.
