Julia Roberts made $3 million for 4 days of work on 'Mother's Day'

Cast member Julia Roberts arrives for the "August: Osage County" screening at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, September 9, 2013. REUTERS/Mark Blinch (CANADA - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT) - RTX13EVR

Julia Roberts earned $3 million for “Mother’s Day” for a supporting role that required her to shoot for only four days, Variety has learned.

That means her rate — of $750,000 a day — still puts her among the top-earning actresses in Hollywood. But it’s nowhere near the record (for a woman) $20 million she received at the peak of her career for 2000’s “Erin Brockovich,” a legal story that grossed $250 million worldwide based on the sheer power of its star.

“Mother’s Day” opened with a disappointing $8.3 million over the weekend. It’s a reminder that Roberts’ days as an A-list star who could carry a movie on her own could be over — as evidenced by other recent misfires like “The Secrets in Their Eyes” and “Mirror Mirror.” But many of her celebrity peers (George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford) are also struggling to carry films outside sequels based on pre-existing franchises.

“Mothers Day’s” ticket sales were hurt by terrible reviews, although it could continue to do business through next weekend (when moms will be celebrating the holiday with their kids).

The romantic comedy mashup directed by Garry Marshall features a sprawling cast from Jennifer Aniston to Kate Hudson that pop up in a series of vignettes. Roberts plays Miranda, a famous home shopping network star who sports an Anna Wintour-like wig.

Roberts has appeared in only a handful of movies in the last five years. Her next project, “Money Monster,” opens later this month and co-stars Clooney.

Roberts helped turn Marshall’s 2010 “Valentine’s Day” into a surprise hit, where she was paid $3 million for six minutes of screen time. That movie started the conceit of tracing a number of characters in a romantic comedy on steroids, and grossed $110 million at the domestic box office for Warner Bros. The 2011 follow-up “New Year’s Eve,” which didn’t include Roberts, made $55 million.

Open Road Films released “Mother’s Day.”