For years, Josh Brolin’s career was stuck. After breaking out in “The Goonies” in 1985, Brolin’s acting career sputtered in the late 80s, through the 90s and into the 2000s. “I spent 22 years just trying to work,” Brolin, whose Hollywood prospects were so dismal at points that he turned to stock trading to make a living, said in an appearance on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger.” “I’d do anything. I didn’t care what it was.” The “Avengers” star added that not only was he “always the one that was paid the least” when he did land acting work, he was also “always the one that would pick up for people who didn’t want to do publicity.” Brolin, however, understood why his paychecks were low. “There was no viable reason to pay me,” he said. “You pay somebody because you feel your investment is going to be met by the people your name brings in.” In 2007, Brolin appeared in Ridley Scott’s hit “American Gangster” and “No Country for Old Men,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The two roles would turn his fortunes around, both in terms of landing steady acting work, as well as financially. But between shooting the films and their release, Brolin said he was “broke.” Most of his money had gone to paying off debts he had accrued, and “whatever money I did make went back into family stuff.” He had no jobs lined up and had taken home just $30,000 from his time on “No Country.” “I was in a panic at that point,” he said. But then he received a call from his lawyer. “She was like, ‘Guess what, you got some backend [pay] from ‘American Gangster.'” She sent him the number, which he read as $60,000. After taxes and fees, he would be taking home “maybe 25 grand,” a number he called “amazing.” “I called her and I was like ‘I can’t believe this. Sixty grand. That’s amazing,'” he recalled. “And she said ‘Look at it again.’ And I had missed a zero. I started bawling. I started crying. It just made no sense to me. It was winning the lottery. I could never act again and live for the rest of my life off of $600,000. At that point in my life, I could make $600,000 last five lifetimes.” Brolin’s career has taken off since then, with star turns in films like “Dune,” “True Grit” and “Sicario.” He’s not the only Hollywood star who has received a life-changing phone call while at a financial rock bottom. Earlier this year, Chris Pine revealed he was getting ready to ask his parents for money when he learned he had been cast in “The Princess Diaries 2.” “I had an overdraft in my bank account, it was like $400 over,” Pine said. “I was driving on the freeway during the height of summer and I got a call from my agents that I had booked the job.” “I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said ‘You’re getting paid $65,000,'” he continued. “It was like they’d just told me I was making $50 million. It was earth shattering.” Ready to boost your income and career? Don’t miss our special Black Friday offer: 55% off all Smarter by CNBC Make It online courses. Learn how to earn passive income online, master your money, ace your job interview and salary negotiations, and become an effective communicator. Use coupon code THANKS24 to get the best deal of the season—offer valid 11/25/24 through 12/2/24. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.