Did Conor McGregor make history with highest paid acting debut in 'Road House'? Here's what Dwayne Johnson was paid for 'The Scorpion King' in 2002
Conor McGregor recently made his first foray into Hollywood and his reported earnings for his film debut were reportedly similar to what Dwayne Johnson earned when he made the transition back in 2002.
The Irishman is the biggest star in MMA and has set a number of records in terms of arena gate and pay-per-view sales, so it's understandable why he would command such a hefty fee to star in a film. However, until now, McGregor has not disclosed his exact paycheck for 'Road House'.
But, there has been some debate as to whether he truly earned more than Johnson did when he starred in 'The Scorpion King' in 2002.
The WWE legend-turned-actor reportedly earned $5.5 million for his starring role in the film, which was a record fee for a first-time actor. Based on inflation, that figure would equal to approximately $9.4 million in 2024, which is a big commitment from the studios as they clearly see a lot of potential.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'The Notorious' did in fact earn a similar salary to star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Road House', which streamed on Amazon Prime Video rather than a theatrical release.
Conor McGregor vs. Dwayne Johnson: How did their first film roles perform at the box office?
Conor McGregor has been compared to Dwayne Johnson in terms of status salary commanded for his first film role and popularity in their respective fields.
The Rock made the transition to film in 2002' 'The Scorpion King', which was a spinoff of 'The Mummy' franchise. The film was released in theaters on April 19, 2002 and was a box-office success as it garnered $180.6 million at the box office on a $60 million budget.
McGregor's 'Road House', on the other hand, recently premiered on Amazon Prime Video and amassed over 50 million views over it's first two weekends on the platform. The film was a success as it set a new record for as the streamer's most viewed produced film.
![Tweet regarding the success of 'Road House' [Image courtesy: @TheNotoriousMMA - X]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/04/8b859-17127744221787-1920.jpg?w=500)