Brad Pitt Talks Big Hollywood Salaries: ‘Yeah, That Thing Died’

Brad Pitt said today's movie actors shouldn't count on big salaries 

Can A-list talent still expect salaries of $10 million per movie? Brad Pitt doesn't think so.

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“Yeah, that thing died," the 48-year-old actor (and perennial A-lister) told the BBC. "That arithmetic doesn't really work right now. That deal's not flying these days."

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"A lot of the studios have been challenged because of the economic downturn as well so they've been betting on bigger, more tent pole kinds of things,” Pitt said in the interview. "At the same time that opens up a vacuum for really interesting new filmmakers to come in."

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Pitt, who stars in the upcoming “Killing Them Softly,” earned $25 million last year, while his actress-fiancee Angelina Jolie pocketed a cool $20 million, according to the recent Forbes list of the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities.

(Noteworthy: Pitt’s ex-wife Jennifer Aniston banked $11 million.)

Tom Cruise, the highest paid actor in 2011, made a whopping $75 million and “Twilight” lead Kristen Stewart trailed with $34.5 million.

Come again, Brad?

"You take the roles for the roles," he said. "And you've just got to balance economics like everyone does."

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