Around the time Jim Carrey was paid $20 million to star in the CABLE GUY birthed the era of quotes. From then on actors were able to set the bar very high in terms of how much they got per movie. Recently with the decline in revenue studios no longer can keep signing the big checks. Higher production costs have led to a shrinkage in profit margins. Also fewer movies are being greenlit which leads to a  decrease in available jobs. Now actors essentially have to take what they can get or leave it.

A recent LA Times article brings up some great examples of this recent trend. Check it out: Hollywood Gets Tightfisted in Deals