While the highest-paid film actors can command multi-million-dollar salaries, actors can potentially earn substantially more by deferring all or part of their salary against a percentage of the film's gross, known within the industry as a "profit participation" deal.
Since not all salaries are made public, this is a non-definitive list of actors who have received $30 million or more as compensation for their services in a single production. Occasionally an actor's fee may cover multiple films, and they are included on the list if the films were filmed as a back-to-back production (for example, Keanu Reeves and the Matrix sequels). The figures are given at their nominal value, since earnings from profit-based deals are accumulated over many years, making it unfeasible to adjust for inflation.
Forbes publishes yearly lists of the highest-paid actors and actresses based on total earnings from 1 June the previous year to 1 June the current year.
Forbes publishes yearly lists of the highest-paid actors and actresses based on total earnings from 1 June the previous year to 1 June the current year.
Year | Actor | Earnings | Actress | Earnings | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Sylvester Stallone | $74 million | Jane Fonda | $13 million | [26] |
1988 | Sylvester Stallone | $63 million | — | — | [27] |
1989 | Eddie Murphy | $60 million | — | — | [28] |
1990 | Sylvester Stallone | $63 million | — | — | [29] |
1991 | Kevin Costner | $59 million | — | — | [30] |
1992 | Kevin Costner | $71 million | — | — | [31] |
1993 | Kevin Costner | $48 million | — | — | [32] |
1994 | Harrison Ford | $44 million | — | — | [33] |
1995 | Sylvester Stallone | $58 million | Roseanne Barr | $32 million | [34] |
1996 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | $74 million | Roseanne Barr | $40 million | [35] |
1997 | Tom Cruise | $82 million | Roseanne Barr | $55 million | [36] |
1998 | Harrison Ford | $58 million | Julia Roberts | $28 million | [37] |
1999 | Tom Hanks | $71.5 million | Julia Roberts | $50 million | [38] |
2000 | Bruce Willis | $70 million | Julia Roberts | $18.9 million | [39] |
2002 | Adam Sandler | $47 million | Cameron Diaz | $40 million | [40] |
2003 | Will Smith | $60 million | Jennifer Aniston | $35 million | [41] |
2004 | Jim Carrey | $66 million | Cameron Diaz | $32 million | [42] |
2005 | Will Ferrell | $40 million | Drew Barrymore | $22 million | [43] |
2006 | Tom Cruise | $67 million | Jodie Foster | $27 million | [44] |
2007 | Johnny Depp | $92 million | Nicole Kidman | $28 million | [45] |
2008 | Johnny Depp | $72 million | Cameron Diaz | $50 million | [46] |
2009 | Harrison Ford | $65 million | Angelina Jolie | $27 million | [47] [48] |
2010 | Johnny Depp | $75 million | Sandra Bullock | $56 million | [49] [50] |
2011 | Leonardo DiCaprio | $77 million | Angelina Jolie | $30 million | [51] [52] |
2012 | Tom Cruise | $75 million | Kristen Stewart | $34.5 million | [53] [54] |
2013 | Robert Downey Jr. | $75 million | Angelina Jolie | $33 million | [55] [56] |
2014 | Robert Downey Jr. | $75 million | Sandra Bullock | $51 million | [57] [58] |
2015 | Robert Downey Jr. | $80 million | Jennifer Lawrence | $52 million | [59] [60] |
2016 | Dwayne Johnson | $64.5 million | Jennifer Lawrence | $46 million | [61] |
2017 | Mark Wahlberg | $68 million | Emma Stone | $26 million | [62] |
2018 | George Clooney | $239 million [nb 1] | Scarlett Johansson | $40.5 million | [63] [64] |
2019 | Dwayne Johnson | $89.4 million | Scarlett Johansson | $56 million | [65] [66] |
2020 | Dwayne Johnson | $87.5 million | Sofía Vergara | $43 million | [67] [68] |
2021 | Dwayne Johnson | $270 million | Reese Witherspoon | $115 million | [69] |
2022 | Tyler Perry | $175 million | — | — | [70] |
2023 | Adam Sandler | $97 million | Margot Robbie | $78 million | [71] |
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