This 'Fast' Star Isn’t 'Furious' About Her Paycheck! Take a Look Inside Michelle Rodriguez’s Net Worth
Michelle Rodriguez is best known for playing Letty Ortiz in the Fast and Furious franchise—a role she reprises in the newest installment: Fast X. (Now in theaters, by the way!) Working alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood—Vin Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, Viola Davis and Liam Neeson to name a few— she's racked up movie credits and a pretty hefty bank account too.
Here is everything you need to know about Michelle Rodriguez’s net worth—and how she made her fortune:
How did Michelle Rodriguez become famous?
Michelle Rodriguez was born Mayte Michelle Rodriguez in San Antonio, Texas. She got her first lead role in Girlfight (2000) after responding to an open casting call. She beat out 350 other actresses vying for the part despite having no formal boxing training and very little movie experience.
Rodriguez opened up about the experience during a recent interview for Collider: “I trained for about a month because I had no experience. I was like, ‘I never graduated high school, but I could beat up most of the girls in this room'...[director Karyn Kusama] decided to trust me, a little knucklehead from Jersey City with no education. I was like, ‘Alright! I'll take it on'...And that was it. From there everything kind of flowed. I haven't stopped working since.”
Girlfight was a hit on the festival circuit, garnering Rodriguez both critical acclaim and notoriety for her breakout performance. By the time the movie had its cinematic release in September 2000, she was already signed to blockbusters like Resident Evil (2002) and The Fast and Furious (2001).
What is Michelle Rodriguez's net worth?
Michelle Rodriguez has an estimated net worth of $25 million. Not too shabby!
Related: From Slow and Steady Progress to 'Fast & Furious' Blockbusters, Vin Diesel's Net Worth Is Massive
How old is Michelle Rodriguez and how much is she worth?
Michelle Rodriguez was born on July 12, 1978, in San Antonio, Texas. As of 2023, she is 44 years old and worth a whopping $25 million.
How much does Michelle Rodriguez make per movie?
It's safe to assume that the bulk of Rodriguez's income comes from the Fast and Furious franchise where she’s been featured in 11 different projects. While the amount she makes per movie varies greatly depending on the size of the role and the budget of the movie, it's safe to estimate that she makes $2 million-$10 million per movie. That's quite an upgrade from her first Hollywood paycheck for The Cradle Will Rock (1999) where she made only $60.
How much does Michelle Rodriguez make per year?
Michelle Rodriguez makes an estimated $5 million each year from her acting roles in movies, TV, video games and voice overs. Her work outside the Fast & Furious franchise includes the Resident Evil and Machete movies and even voicing a Smurf in the 2017 animated movie Smurfs: The Lost Village.
How many cars does Michelle Rodriguez own?
For someone who didn't have a driver’s license before filming The Fast and Furious, Michelle Rodriguez has come full circle—and amassed quite the car collection. As of 2023, she owns a Lamborghini Aventador, a Ferrari 488 GTB, a Tesla Model S—and a Toyota Prius (gotta have your daily driver!)
How much did Michelle Rodriguez get paid for Fast X?
The estimated budget of Fast X is $340 million, which means the stars likely collected hefty salaries for the the 10th movie in the series. Rodriguez made around $5 million for her role in Fast and Furious 6 so it's safe to assume she made at least that much for Fast X, likely somewhere in the $5 million-$10 million range.
Related: Fast X Has Arrived: Here's How to Watch the 'Fast & Furious' Movies in Order
How much did Michelle Rodriguez make for Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves?
Rodriguez plays Holga Kilgore in Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which is based on the hugely popular roleplaying game of the same name. Holga is an exiled barbarian who is thrust into a party partnership with Chris Pine’s Edgin Darvis. Pine reportedly got paid $11.5 million to portray Edgin– so we hope that Rodriguez earned at least half as much!
How much did Michelle Rodriguez make for Fast and Furious 6?
Rodriguez was reportedly paid $5 million for Fast and Furious 6, her return to the franchise after opting out of Fast Five.
How much did Michelle Rodriguez make for Widows?
Widows earned a disappointing $76 million against a $42 million budget. Considering that marketing often costs as much as the film's budget, Widows likely didn't even break even. The lead actors on a project typically earn about 9% of a film’s total budget (about $4 million for Widows). Considering Michelle Rodriguez was working in an ensemble that included (expensive) A-list actors like Viola Davis and Liam Neeson, she likely took home around $500,000-$1 million for her role.
Steve McQueen, the director of Widows, was actually repeatedly warned not to work with Michelle Rodriguez—due to her reputation for being “difficult on set”. Good thing he didn’t listen! Rodriguez shined as Linda in the 2018 heist thriller.
How much did Michelle Rodriguez get paid for Avatar?
We don't know how much Michelle Rodriguez made from James Cameron’s 2009 epic Avatar. However, we do know that she allegedly “turned down millions” after refusing to appear in Avatar 2: The Way of Water. Her character died in the original film, but that didn't stop some characters from returning.
Next, Fast10 Your Seatbelts! The Upcoming Fast and Furious Movie Will Be Two Movies
