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Ever wondered who is the highest-paid actor ever? Well then, wonder no more, for this list will definitely have all the answers. So, get ready, set, and scroll down to learn which Hollywood actors have made it to our highest-paid actors’ lineup.

But, before you do, let’s talk a bit more about what makes an actor into a very, exclusively, tremendously successful one. For starters, there are obvious things like talent, charisma, and tons of hard work. However, we do also think that circumstances and luck do also play a huge part in their fame! Saying this, we’re not trying to diminish their amazing efforts and all that it takes to become a famous actor, but rather are wishing to emphasize the fact that sometimes your destiny is really written in the stars. Like, can you imagine Brad Pitt as a carpenter? Or Emma Stone working as a primary school teacher? Hilarious, right? Now, while those are the things that turn you famous, becoming highly successful money-wise is also the work of your agents and making some risky decisions. Turns out, most of these actors in our highest-paid actors of all time list didn’t get their riches for being paid upfront but rather chose to get a percentage from the movie’s revenue. And good for them!

So, ready to meet the highest-paid actors in the world? If so, scroll down below and check them out. As of right now, the actors in our list aren’t ranked in any particular order, so if you’d like, give your favorites a vote and see them rise to the top of this lineup!

#1

Bruce Willis As Malcolm Crowe In "The Sixth Sense" Earned $115 Million

Bruce Willis As Malcolm Crowe In "The Sixth Sense" Earned $115 Million

When Bruce Willis decided to take the lead character role in "The Sixth Sense," the actor secured a very lucrative contract. He agreed to a $20 million payment for the role of Dr. Malcolm Crowe as well as 17% of the movie's worldwide box office revenue and additional rights to its home video sales. These numbers sum up to $115 million in earnings for Willis from just one movie.

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Lindilou
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A brilliant film and a brilliant actor. I wish him and his family well.

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    #2

    Keanu Reeves As Neo In "The Matrix" Trilogy Earned $250 Million ($83.3 Million Per Movie)

    Keanu Reeves As Neo In "The Matrix" Trilogy Earned $250 Million ($83.3 Million Per Movie)

    The total pay for Keanu Reeves' three "Matrix" movies was $250 million.

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    Lindilou
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lovely guy and great actor. The series lost its way in the third Matrix movie, unfortunately.

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    #3

    Tom Cruise Earned $100 Million For "Top Gun: Maverick"

    Tom Cruise Earned $100 Million For "Top Gun: Maverick"

    The sequel to Top Gun released more than three decades after the original, surpassed US$1.37 billion at the global box office in August. Tom Cruise's actual remuneration was US$13 million when he first signed on. That sum increased by agreeing to a deal guaranteeing the actor/producer receives a portion of the blockbuster's overall proceeds from ticket sales and streaming earnings.

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    #4

    Robert Downey Jr. As Iron Man In "Avengers: Infinity War" Earned $75 Million

    Robert Downey Jr. As Iron Man In "Avengers: Infinity War" Earned $75 Million

    For the 2018 film "Avengers: Infinity War," Downey secured a deal in which he received backend earnings totaling $75 million, making him the highest-paid actor in the MCU. In 2012, he earned $50 million for the first "Avengers" film.

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    #5

    Will Smith As Agent J In "Men In Black 3" Earned $100 Million

    Will Smith As Agent J In "Men In Black 3" Earned $100 Million

    Will Smith received $100 million of the third "Men in Black" film's $624 million worldwide gross as part of his performance-based compensation.

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    El Cucuy
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Josh Brolin as a young Agent K was a brilliant example of one actor playing a younger version of another. Flawless look and performance by Brolin.

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    #6

    Robert Downey Jr. As Tony Stark In "Iron Man 3" Earned $75 Million

    Robert Downey Jr. As Tony Stark In "Iron Man 3" Earned $75 Million

    Please refrain from yelling into the nearest abyss, but RDJ reportedly earned $75 million for Iron Man 3.

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    #7

    Sandra Bullock As Dr. Ryan Stone In "Gravity" Earned $70 Million

    Sandra Bullock As Dr. Ryan Stone In "Gravity" Earned $70 Million

    For "Gravity," Bullock received a $20 million advance payment, which is a significant sum in itself. She received at least $70 million from her agreement, which also included a 15% share of box office earnings.

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    #8

    Tom Cruise As Ethan Hunt In "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" Earned $75 Million

    Tom Cruise As Ethan Hunt In "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" Earned $75 Million

    The fourth "Mission: Impossible" film, "Ghost Protocol," brought Cruise $75 million in revenue, propelling him to the top of Forbes' list of the year's most prominent performers.

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    #9

    Johnny Depp As The Mad Hatter In "Alice In Wonderland" Earned $68 Million

    Johnny Depp As The Mad Hatter In "Alice In Wonderland" Earned $68 Million

    Depp reportedly made $68 million for playing Mad Hatter "Alice in Wonderland."

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    #10

    Tom Hanks As Forrest Gump In "Forrest Gump" Earned $60 Million

    Tom Hanks As Forrest Gump In "Forrest Gump" Earned $60 Million

    Hanks chose performance-based pay for "Forrest Gump." All in all, he received an estimated $60 million.

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    #11

    Daniel Craig As Benoit Blanc In "Knives Out" Sequels Will Earn $100 Million ($50 Million Per Movie)

    Daniel Craig As Benoit Blanc In "Knives Out" Sequels Will Earn $100 Million ($50 Million Per Movie)

    Daniel Craig might get "upward of $100 million" for the "Knives Out" sequels that Netflix acquired in a $469 million transaction. With a $40 million budget, Lionsgate's first "Knives Out" was a box office success, grossing more than $300 million globally.

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    Diego, Laura
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm looking forward to seeing this. Was it as funny as the previous movie?

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    #12

    Johnny Depp As Jack Sparrow In "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" Earned $55 Million

    Johnny Depp As Jack Sparrow In "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" Earned $55 Million

    The fourth "Pirates" film, "On Stranger Tides," which came out in 2011, was one of the most costly films ever filmed, with a production budget of nearly $410 million. Paying employees and performers accounted for a sizable amount of those expenses. For the movie, Depp brought in $55 million alone.

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    #13

    Jack Nicholson As The Joker In "Batman" Earned $50 Million

    Jack Nicholson As The Joker In "Batman" Earned $50 Million

    Despite receiving a $6 million advance for his portrayal of the evil Joker in the 1989 "Batman" movie, Nicholson reportedly negotiated a lucrative contract that included box office receipts and merchandise sales from its follow-ups, which he didn't even appear in.

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    Diego, Laura
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've never been able to get through this movie , I always fall asleep. Don't know why.

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    #14

    Harrison Ford As Indiana Jones In "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" Earned $65 Million

    Harrison Ford As Indiana Jones In "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" Earned $65 Million

    Ford, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas all received a sizable percentage of the proceeds from the fourth "Indiana Jones" movie, thanks to a contract Ford and Paramount reached.

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    #15

    Adam Sandler In His Netflix Movies Earned $250 Million For Four Movies ($62.5 Million Per Movie)

    Adam Sandler In His Netflix Movies Earned $250 Million For Four Movies ($62.5 Million Per Movie)

    Sandler signed a deal with Netflix in 2014 for four exclusive movies valued at an estimated $250 million, or $62.5 million for each film. The agreement was once again extended to Netflix last year for an additional four films.

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    #16

    Leonardo Dicaprio As Dom Cobb In "Inception" Earned $50 Million

    Leonardo Dicaprio As Dom Cobb In "Inception" Earned $50 Million

    DiCaprio made at least $50 million from box office receipts for Christopher Nolan's 2010 movie "Inception," but his contract also covered home video and television sales. Because the film was so "risky," he reportedly took a pay reduction, but he and Nolan agreed to divide the first dollar gross points.

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    Diego, Laura
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The concepts of this movie, still haven't found anything to compare with it the visual effects. Stunning.

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    #17

    Cameron Diaz As Elizabeth Halsey In "Bad Teacher" Earned $42 Million

    Cameron Diaz As Elizabeth Halsey In "Bad Teacher" Earned $42 Million

    The "Bad Teacher" production cost Diaz just $1 million, but she received a cut of the box office receipts, giving her approximately $40 million for the film. It is known as one of Hollywood's most "legendary" agreements.

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    #18

    Tom Hanks As Captain John Miller In "Saving Private Ryan" Earned $40 Million

    Tom Hanks As Captain John Miller In "Saving Private Ryan" Earned $40 Million

    Hanks has signed "act now, get paid later" contracts for a number of movies, wherein he will receive a percentage of the box office receipts. Although "Saving Private Ryan" brought him at least $40 million, this wasn't his most lucrative contract.

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    #19

    Dwayne Johnson In "Red One" Will Earn $50 Million

    Dwayne Johnson In "Red One" Will Earn $50 Million

    Johnson will receive $50 million for the upcoming action holiday film "Red One," which Amazon Studios recently acquired after a competitive bidding process. 

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    #20

    Denzel Washington As Joe Deacon In "The Little Things" Earned $40 Million

    Denzel Washington As Joe Deacon In "The Little Things" Earned $40 Million

    After receiving a back-end buyout when "The Little Things" aired on HBO Max the same day it opened in theaters, Washington earned $40 million.

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    Diego, Laura
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Always ,love the work Mr. Denzel Washington does. He can make a bad movie, better.

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    #21

    Millie Bobby Brown As Enola Holmes In "Enola Holmes 2" Earned $10 Million

    Millie Bobby Brown As Enola Holmes In "Enola Holmes 2" Earned $10 Million

    MBB earned $10 million for Enola Holmes 2, which is less than some of the stars on this list but more than any other actor under the age of 20 has ever received up front.

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    #22

    Vin Diesel As Dominic Toretto In "Fast X" Will Earn $20 Million

    Vin Diesel As Dominic Toretto In "Fast X" Will Earn $20 Million

    The "Fast and Furious" franchise's leading man will earn a cool $20 million for his starring and producing roles in the upcoming film.

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    #23

    Emma Stone As Mia In "La La Land" Earned $26 Million

    Emma Stone As Mia In "La La Land" Earned $26 Million

    With $26 million, Stone came out on top of Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid actresses in 2017. The majority of that money came from her Oscar-winning performance in the 2016 movie "La La Land."

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    2x4b523p
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I tried to watch this movie several times and never made it past 15 mins. Will never understand the hype.

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    #24

    Will Smith As Richard Williams In "King Richard" Earned $40 Million

    Will Smith As Richard Williams In "King Richard" Earned $40 Million

    For his part as Richard Williams, the father of tennis phenoms Venus and Serena Williams, Smith will receive $40 million. Because the film will be released in cinemas and streamed on HBO Max at the same time later this year, it contains a back-end buyout.

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    #25

    Leonardo Dicaprio As Randall Mindy In "Don't Look Up" Earned $30 Million

    Leonardo Dicaprio As Randall Mindy In "Don't Look Up" Earned $30 Million

    DiCaprio received $30 million for his part in the star-studded film "Don't Look Up" from Netflix and director Adam McKay, which also includes a streaming back-end buyout.

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    Lindilou
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I thought this was a brilliant film but Leo is an eco hypocrite with his private jet.

    #26

    Ryan Reynolds In "Six Underground" Earned $27 Million

    Ryan Reynolds In "Six Underground" Earned $27 Million

    A very nice deal, if you were to ask us!

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    #27

    Jim Carrey As The Cable Guy In "The Cable Guy" Earned $20 Million

    Jim Carrey As The Cable Guy In "The Cable Guy" Earned $20 Million

    In 1996, Jim Carrey earned $20 million for his performance in The Cable Guy, which "stunned Hollywood".

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    #28

    Will Ferrell And Ryan Reynolds In "Spirited" Earned $20 Million Each

    Will Ferrell And Ryan Reynolds In "Spirited" Earned $20 Million Each

    The two comedians earned handsomely for this updated version of "A Christmas Carol."

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    #29

    Chris Hemsworth As Tyler Rake In "Extraction 2" Will Earn $20 Million

    Chris Hemsworth As Tyler Rake In "Extraction 2" Will Earn $20 Million

    The "Thor" actor will switch over to his Netflix franchise to work on the follow-up to the wildly successful action film from 2020 in which he portrays a mercenary.

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    #30

    Leonardo Dicaprio As Ernest Burkhart In "Killers Of The Flower Moon" Will Earn $30 Million

    Leonardo Dicaprio As Ernest Burkhart In "Killers Of The Flower Moon" Will Earn $30 Million

    The upcoming Martin Scorsese movie, which is scheduled for release by Apple in 2023, will pay DiCaprio handsomely.

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    #31

    Mark Wahlberg As Spenser In "Spenser Confidential" Earned $30 Million

    Mark Wahlberg As Spenser In "Spenser Confidential" Earned $30 Million

    With 85 million households viewing "Spenser Confidential," the third-largest movie ever released on Netflix, Wahlberg received $30 million for the action comedy (the streamer counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a movie).

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    #32

    Arnold Schwarzenegger As The Terminator In "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" Earned $29 Million

    Arnold Schwarzenegger As The Terminator In "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" Earned $29 Million

    In order to keep his word, Schwarzenegger stipulated a number of conditions, including a $29.25 million "pay or play" fee that would be paid even if the third Terminator movie didn't materialize.

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    Mimi M
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wonder if he had fun making that - it kind of looks like fun.

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    #33

    Ryan Gosling As Six In "The Gray Man" Earned $20 Million

    Ryan Gosling As Six In "The Gray Man" Earned $20 Million

    Ryan Gosling received $20 million from Netflix for The Gray Man, which is far more than the $12.5 million he will receive for Barbie.

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    #34

    Tom Hardy As Eddie Brock In "Venom 3" Will Earn $20 Million

    Tom Hardy As Eddie Brock In "Venom 3" Will Earn $20 Million

    Hardy receives a high salary for being the face of the Marvel franchise.

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    #35

    Will Smith As Peter In "Emancipation" Earned $35 Million

    Will Smith As Peter In "Emancipation" Earned $35 Million

    Apple demonstrated its willingness to pay actors who feature in its films millions of dollars when it agreed to pay $35 million to Smith for the slave drama "Emancipation," which was released this month.

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    #36

    Jim Carrey As Carl Allen In "Yes Man" Earned $30 Million

    Jim Carrey As Carl Allen In "Yes Man" Earned $30 Million

    According to rumors, Carrey traded his "Yes Man" salary for a profit-sharing interest in the film.

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    #37

    Dwayne Johnson As Black Adam In "Black Adam" Earned $22.5 Million

    Dwayne Johnson As Black Adam In "Black Adam" Earned $22.5 Million

    Simply put, The Rock can't stop making money. For Black Adam, he also made a MASSIVE sum of $22.5 million.

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    #38

    Brad Pitt In His Upcoming Formula One Movie Will Earn $30 Million

    Brad Pitt In His Upcoming Formula One Movie Will Earn $30 Million

    Brad Pitt continues to earn star-level salaries. He is reportedly earning $30 million for his next Formula One film, which is one of the biggest salaries of 2022.

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