How Donald Sutherland missed $20 million ‘Animal House’ payday

Hollywood icon Donald Sutherland passed away on Thursday at the age of 88 in Miami after a long illness. 

His son, actor Kiefer Sutherland, announced on X, formerly Twitter, “It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of my father, Donald Sutherland’s passing. I believe he was one of the most significant actors in the history of cinema. Fearless in his roles, whether good, bad, or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can ask for no more than that. A life well-lived.” 

As tributes poured in, a story about one of Sutherland’s early roles came to light: the 1978 comedy classic, “National Lampoon’s Animal House.” 

Sutherland was reportedly given the choice between taking a fee of 2% of the film’s gross profits or $35,000. He chose the latter – a decision he later admitted cost him a substantial payday.

Directed by John Landis, the movie is set at the fictional Faber College (loosely based on Dartmouth College) and follows a fraternity of trouble-making frat boys such John “Bluto” Blutarsky (John Belushi) and Eric “Otter” Stratton (Tim Matheson) as they face off against rivals, throw parties, and battle with the dean after they get put on “double secret probation.” Sutherland played Dave Jennings, a pot-smoking English professor who has an affair with a student, Katy (Karen Allen). 

The movie is considered a modern classic and one of the most successful comedies of all time. However, studio executives had low expectations in 1978. 

According to the book “Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House,” by Matty Simmons, Universal Studios boss Ned Tanen remarked after reading the first outline, “Everybody is drunk, or high, or getting laid. I’d never make this movie.”

The studio eventually agreed to make the film for $3 million, but they doubted that “Saturday Night Live” star Belushi was a big enough name.

“We had Belushi, but Universal still wanted another star. Now, I had been a flunky on the set of Kelly’s Heroes in Yugoslavia, and Donald Sutherland and I had gotten very friendly. I used to babysit Kiefer,” Landis shared with Entertainment Weekly in 1998. 

“So I called Donald, and he said, ‘I’ll do it, but I’m not going to do it for scale. They have to pay me up front.’”

Simmons reported that the studio wanted a star but “wouldn’t pay for a star,” leading to a negotiation that would become one of Sutherland’s regrets. 

“[Sutherland] first asked for $250,000 and, in Landis’s words, ‘The studio said, ‘Get the f–k outta here!’” Simmons wrote. 

The studio countered by offering $20,000 for a day’s work plus points – a percentage of the profits. 

According to the book, Sutherland told Landis: “I can’t accept that offer. I just want the money. I don’t want any points in the movie.”

Eventually, they settled on Sutherland receiving $35,000 with no “points.” 

The college comedy went on to earn $141 million at the box office against a $3 million budget. 

In 2024, it remains the 62nd highest (domestic) grossing R-rated movie of all time. 

In a 2012 interview on the “Opie and Anthony” radio show, Sutherland mentioned that he was offered 2% in points.

When asked, “Do you know what would 2% roughly have translated into?” Sutherland smirked and replied, “I don’t want to know.”

“I don’t recall the exact figures,” Landis told EW. “But had he accepted a profit share, he would have made at least $20 million.”