What’s in a name, Shakespeare once asked. British actor Tom Hollander found out unexpectedly that a name can mean millions of dollars, as he accidentally received fellow actor Tom Holland‘s paycheck for a box-office bonus payment for The Avengers.
Hollander is best known for his roles as Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice and Quentin in The White Lotus. He revealed the pay snafu on the Wednesday edition of Late Night with Seth Meyers, noting that it’s not an infrequent mistake.
“I’m introduced to somebody’s very, very excited, then confused, then disappointed, children,” Hollander said.
Hollander’s talent agency confused the two actors, who, at the time, were represented by the same agency. Hollander said he received an email advising him of a box-office bonus payment.
“And I thought, ‘I don’t think I’m in The Avengers. It was an astonishing amount of money,” Hollander told Meyers.
Hollander teased the payment was a “seven-figure sum” — on top of Holland’s negotiated salary. He did not reveal the exact amount.
Hollander received the email right after hosting a BBC show he earned $30,000 to do.
“My feeling of smugness disappeared very quickly,” Hollander said.
Hollander took the revelation of the vast sums eluding him with grace.
“It’s up, it’s down. It’s hero, it’s zero,” he said.
Hollander is currently in the FX anthology, Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans, in which he plays writer Truman Capote.
