United Kingdom, July 27 -- Sean Astin had to "sell [his] house" because his Lord of the Rings pay was so low.

The 55-year-old actor played Samwise Gamgee in the hit fantasy trilogy but despite the global success of the movies, he admitted he didn't negotiate a fee that reflected the exposure they brought.

He told The Guardian newspaper: "I was not prepared for that level of visibility and access.

"And there was a disconnect between the attention that I was getting and how much money we had. It was not a lot of money! In fact, I had to sell my house because I negotiated such a small amount on the trilogy."

However, he stressed he is "very comfortable financially now".

Andy Serkis is currently shooting The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt f...