The Highest Paid Actors

Did your favorite actor make the list of the highest paid actors?

Vin Diesel
WikiCommons

Photo by Gage Skidmore via WikiCommons

Vin Diesel

Being a famous movie star seems like a pretty sweet gig. It’s a job where you get to spend your days pretending to be someone you’re not, and you’re rewarded with legions of adoring fans and showered with invites to glamorous red carpet events and fancy Hollywood shindigs. What could be better than that, you ask? The biggest perk of life has got to be the ridiculous amounts of cash that you can make once you’ve made it as a bona fide film star. Sure, it’s a long road to go from struggling actor to marquee celebrity, but the monetary reward for reaching the top sure seems to be worth the wait. 

 

It should come as no surprise that the film industry in particular is big business. The North American box office took in over $11 billion in revenue in 2016—a number that shattered the previous record. And when you add in all the other global movie markets that number jumps all the way up to $38 billion. Ticket sales don’t lie, and the large amount of money generated within industry means big paydays for its leading men and women. Even though there has been a lot of conversation regarding television as the new go-to medium for entertainment, Hollywood doesn’t seem to be listening. In fact, approximately 735 movies received traditional theatrical releases in 2016.

 

Show business has changed drastically in the era of streaming platforms and social media, so who are the modern movie stars bringing home the most cash? You might be surprised to see who is the highest paid actor in Hollywood, bringing home the big bucks. Thanks to these numbers compiled by Forbes, we get an inside look at just how much our favorite celebrities are earning these days. See below for the full list, and try remember that movie stars are just like us—except for their astronomical paychecks.

 

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

The Rock

Jackie Chan

This is Jackie Chan.

Tom Cruise

Top Cruise

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp is an actor. This is what he looks like as of 2016.

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck Deflategate Rant

Melissa McCarthy

'Ghostbusters' cast

Matt Damon

The Bourne Ultimatum

Vin Diesel

Very fast, so furious, et al

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