The World's Highest-Paid Actors and Actresses

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24. Russell Crowe, $18 Million

Critics may not have loved "Noah" but it was the biggest opening ever as a leading man for Russell Crowe. The biblical blockbuster eventually grossed $362 million and helped Crowe earn a healthy paycheck.

24. Chow Yun-fat, $18 Million

Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat joins the Highest-Paid Actors list for the first time. Best known for his role in 2000’s "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon," he makes the ranking thanks to movies such as "From Vegas to Macau II."

22. Liam Neeson, $19.5 Million

At 63, Liam Neeson has managed to become a fully-fledged action star. The Irish star banked big bucks from 2014's "Taken."

22. Ben Affleck, $19.5 Million

Ben Affleck had a hit with 2014's "Gone Girl," grossing $368 million worldwide. Though his marital status is set to change as Affleck and Jennifer Garner divorce, some things stay the same: He's signed on to star as Batman in upcoming superhero flick "Suicide Squad."

21. Hugh Jackman, $23 Million

A triple threat who can sing and dance and is as comfortable hosting The Tony Awards as he is appearing on the big screen, Hugh Jackman is taking a break from his most famous role as Wolverine in X-Men, starring in "Chappie" and "Pan." He has also launched a line of fair trade coffee with Keurig.

20. Matt Damon, $25 Million

A mainstay on the Highest-Paid Actors ranking, Matt Damon maintains his status playing the lead in forthcoming sci-fi book adaptation "The Martian." He has also signed on to star in east-west co-production "The Great Wall" with fellow highly-paid actor, Andy Lau.

18. Will Smith, $26 Million

Will Smith has performed tepidly at the Box Office recently: "Focus" grossed $154 million worldwide on a $50 million budget. He still commands a decent paycheck and earns thanks to a healthy backlist.

18. Shah Rukh Khan, $26 Million

India's Leonardo DiCaprio earns from movies such as "Happy New Year" and "Fan," as well as lucrative endorsements including Pan Masala.

17. Matthew McConaughey, $26.5 Million

Once dismissed as an aging surfer fit only for romantic comedies, McConaughey is now one of the most respected actors in Hollywood thanks to the double punch of "Dallas Buyers Club" (for which he won an Oscar) and HBO's "True Detective." McConaughey's McConaissance continued this year with "Interstellar" and "The Sea of Trees."

15. Daniel Craig, $27 Million

A returnee to the Highest-Paid Actors list, Daniel Craig makes the ranking this year from his formidable Bond paycheck. Craig signed on to make two more films, including 2015's "Spectre."

 

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15. Chris Hemsworth, $27 Million

Despite earning millions, Hemsworth failed to make the $28 million cut off for the 2015 Celebrity 100 ranking of Highest-Earning entertainers. The "Thor" star stays busy making Marvel movies, including "Avengers: Age of Ultron." He's also reprising his role as Eric the Huntsman in forthcoming "The Huntsman," a dark Snow White spin-off.

13. Channing Tatum, $29 Million

Channing Tatum's star is on the rise. Best known for light teen flicks and action movies such as the "Jump Street" series, Tatum is now proving his mettle as a producer. Tatum's 2012 "Magic Mike" was a massive hit, grossing $167 million on a $7 million budget. He is producing and starring in "Magic Mike XXL", the hotly anticipated stripper sequel. Tatum is also branching out into less commercial fare, including the Coen brothers' forthcoming "Hail, Caeser!" and Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight."

13. Leonardo Dicaprio, $29 Million

"The Wolf of Wall Street" star is returning to the big screen in 2015 with the hotly-anticipated "The Revenant." The dark western, by "Birdman" director Alejandro González Iñárritu, is set to be an Oscar hopeful for the actor. Outside the multiplex, the fervent environmentalist is also partnering with Netflix on a set of conservation documentaries.

12. Johnny Depp, $30 Million

Johnny Depp is setting sail as Captain Jack Sparrow for the fifth time, in the forthcoming "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." The big budget blockbuster sees him reprise role as the beloved swashbuckler. Depp is first exploring more gritty territory in "Black Mass," the story of violent criminal Whitey Bulger who became an FBI informant. Depp apparently delayed production in 2013 when its makers were said to have balked at paying him a reported $23 million.

11. Dwayne Johnson, $31.5 Million

With 2015's earthquake disaster film "San Andreas," Dwayne Johnson has proved he is an out-and-out action hero. The movie, carried on The Rock's sizable shoulders, grossed an impressive $385 million at the global box office. Once a wrestling star, Johnson is now moving from the ring to the small screen. He is executive producing and starring in HBO comedy "Ballers," about a group of football players.

10. Mark Wahlberg, $32 Million

Mark Wahlberg is banking off the back of 2015's teddy bear comedy "Ted 2," which grossed a reasonable $168 million. His 2012 "Ted," which followed the trials of a crass talking teddy bear, grossed $549 million on a $50 million budget. Wahlberg returns as the main character, John, while screenwriter and executive producer Seth MacFarlane voices the coarse soft toy. Wahlberg's paycheck is supplemented with roles in 2014's flop "The Gambler," which grossed just $39 million on a $24 million budget, and "Transformers: Age of Extinction," which performed far better. His company produced the "Entourage" movie; it's latest HBO offering is Dwayne Johnson's football comedy "Ballers."

9. Akshay Kumar, $32.5 Million

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has appeared in some 150 movies since his 1992 breakthrough in "Khiladi." He is one of Bollywood's busiest leading men, filming an average of four movies a year. Kumar earns top rupee for roles in 2014 movies such as "Holiday" and "Entertainment." Kumar bolsters his earnings hosting Indian reality TV show "Dare 2 Dance" and endorsing products that align with his action hero status: Honda motorcycles, a range of white vests and a brand of steel pipes, among others.

7. Salman Khan, $33.5 Million

One of India's biggest star, Salman Khan has appeared in some 80 movies since his 1989 breakout role "Maine Pyar Kiya." Khan continues to produce and star in films, earning well for roles in flicks such as 2014's "Kick." He also appears on the small screen hosting reality show "Bigg Boss," the Indian version of "Big Brother." Khan's Being Human clothing line clocked $30 million in 2014 revenue, with proceeds going to his foundation. He makes bank endorsing other brands including Thums Up (India's Coca-Cola) and Suzuki. Bollywood's bad boy has long been trailed by controversy: In 2006 he was convicted of poaching an endangered gazelle on a 1998 hunting trip, while in May 2015 Khan was sentenced to five years in prison for a 2002 hit-and-run car incident which killed a homeless man. Mumbai's High Court has suspended his sentence while he appeals his conviction.

7. Amitabh Bachchan, $33.5 Million

Bollywood stalwart Amitabh Bachchan has starred in more than 150 movies in his 50 year career. He continues to earn top rupee for his roles in flicks such 2014's "Bhoothnath Returns." Though Indian movies gross far less than U.S. films at the box office, they recoup costs by selling satellite rights to TV channels. But unlike the U.S., where first dollar gross deals are a thing of the past, Bollywood stars such as Bachchan continue to earn a cut of each film's ticketing revenue. Bachchan bolsters his earnings as the longstanding host of India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" ("Kaun Banega Crorepati"), which aired its eighth season in 2014.

6. Tom Cruise, $40 Million

Tom Cruise has defined the role of agent Ethan Hunt in the "Mission: Impossible" movies and has been able to maneuver himself into earning a ton based on how the blockbusters perform at the box office. He earned an estimated $40 million in profit from 2012's "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol", which grossed $694.7 million at global ticketing booths. Cruise owes this year's paycheck to his upfront fees for 2015′s "Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation" and last year's action flick "Edge of Tomorrow."

 

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5. Adam Sandler, $41 Million

Though it has been a while since Adam Sandler had an out-and-out multiplex hit, he continues to command top dollar for bloated budget movies such as 2015's "Pixels." Sandler, whose films have traditionally been popular with on-demand and DVD-watching couch potatoes, this year signed on to make four films exclusively for Netflix. The deal saves on costly distribution and delivers Sandler's comedies directly to his target audiences, though Sandler has already come under fire for allegedly racist depictions on the set of mock Western "The Ridiculous 6."

4. Bradley Cooper, $41.5 Million

Bradley Cooper ranks highly thanks to his ability to balance popcorn cheese such as "Aloha" with Oscar-worthy fare including "American Sniper." Cooper produced and starred in the latter, which was directed by Clint Eastwood after Steven Spielberg passed on the military epic. The only hangover from the bro trilogy Cooper hit the big time with is his production company, which he runs with "Hangover" director Todd Phillips.

3. Vin Diesel, $47 Million

Vin Diesel sped his way to the best annual paycheck of his career this year thanks to his role as Dominic Toretto in Universal's "Fast and Furious" franchise. The latest installment of multicultural car crusades, "Furious 7," grossed $1.5 billion at the box office, 77% of that from overseas. With 93 million Facebook fans, the hugely popular Diesel has become a leading man to be reckoned with. "The whole point [of Fast and the Furious] was to diversify Hollywood," Diesel told Forbes.

2. Jackie Chan, $50 Million

China's biggest movie star got a boost from back-end participation on "Dragon Blade," which featured him in a starring role alongside Adrien Brody and John Cusack (the film grossed $120 million in China), and enough brand extensions to make Jay Z jealous. His empire includes a line of Chan-branded merchandise, a Segway dealership and an eponymous cinema chain. Later this year, he'll voice a character in "Kung Fu Panda 3" and star opposite Johnny Knoxville in "Skiptrace," an east-west coproduction that counts Chan as an investor. "I don't want to follow everyone," Chan told Forbes.

1. Robert Downey Jr., $80 Million

Iron Man Robert Downey Jr.'s earnings continue to skyrocket thanks to his roles in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and the forthcoming "Captain America: Civil War," for which he is commanding a reported $40 million. Downey made more than any other actor for the third year in a row and recorded his highest ever annual payday. A large portion of his $80 million paycheck comes from the backend of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which grossed $1.4 billion at the box office. Though Marvel has been accused of penny pinching when it comes to paying its stars, Downey has leveraged his Iron Man role into a bulletproof position in which the Disney-owned studio must give him a favorable deal on any movie the character appears in.

 

[lamontbdc]

dam 40 million for the new Capetian Mercia Movie....he cashing the fuck out

i didn't expect to see Thor making that much money

 

[Mister B.]

Damn. Some of the people you think that should be higher is lacking....I mean, by their standards. $_____million ain't lacking by no means to do a flick.

 

[CracceR]

damn 41 million for bradley cooper

dude still a kinda new actor and he aint that good

 

[BangEm_Bart]

White privilege is real

 

[Trollio]

White privilege is real

 

[Los216]

Adam Sandler is woat

 

[MR.CJ]

Boooooooo

 

[atribecalledgabi]

I didn't think that many americans would be in the top 10 outside your staple tom cruises and other action dudes. Gotdamn @ 80 mil a movie

 

[MARIO_DRO]

AINT NOOOOOWAY DENZEL AINT ON THAT LIST... HELL, PINKY FROM NEXT FRIDAY SHOULD BE ON THERE... NIGGA IN LIKE 77 MOVIES

 

[Colin$mackabi$h]

Shout out to Will and chan.

 

[jono]

most of those dudes like bradley cooper and Thor aren't worth the money, GI Joe either

 

[marc123]

RDJ cakin' off Iron Man...

 

[CracceR]

White privilege is real

so the rock, will smith, vin diesel, jackie chan and all these other chinese and bollywood actors are white?

 

[S2J]

Vin Diesel def the most shocking. He's terrible

 

[yung$]

Is this pee movie or th overall gross they made per year for movies endorsement etc

 

[BangEm_Bart]

White privilege is real

so the rock, will smith, vin diesel, jackie chan and all these other chinese and bollywood actors are white?

Slim margin of minorities when it comes to American films. Bollywood is India and they're one of the richest countries in the world so of course they're gonna pay their actors high. This is in terms of America. Denzel and Sam should be on that list.

 

[CracceR]

White privilege is real

so the rock, will smith, vin diesel, jackie chan and all these other chinese and bollywood actors are white?

Slim margin of minorities when it comes to American films. Bollywood is India and they're one of the richest countries in the world so of course they're gonna pay their actors high. This is in terms of America. Denzel and Sam should be on that list.

deniro shoulda been on the list too

whats kinda tough tho is that theres not one woman on the list ayee

and this is only 2015, so maybe denzel or sam j was on the list in 2014