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Who Is The Highest Paid Actor In The World?
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is currently the highest paid male actor. The movie star made a whopping $USD89.4 million ($AUD132.3 million) in 2019.
Interestingly, though Dwayne Johnson only had to move up one slot from his number two spot on last year’s list, his 2018 rival for number one, George Clooney – who seems to have taken an indefinite break from movies – is now nowhere to be found on this list.
Of course, the names on these rankings change all of the time, and depend on the popularity of an actor’s film or TV show in a specific year. The Rock had two blockbusters this year, Jumanji: The Next Level and Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw.
Another example would be Emma Watson’s number six spot on Forbes’ 2017 list for her role in the much-awaited and top earning live action reboot of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Nevermind her appearance alongside Tom Hanks in the flop, The Red Circle).
TV’s Highest Paid Actors
It isn’t just films that rake in a lot of cash – long-running and wildly popular series have become highly lucrative as well. Ashton Kutcher was reportedly making $USD755,000 ($AUD1.1 million) per episode on Two and a Half Men, while Dexter’s Michael C. Hall was making $USD830,000 ($AUD1.2 million). A more recent example would be Kit Harington and Lena Headey, who made the most money out of all their Game of Thrones castmates with a whopping $USD500,000 salary per episode.
Then there’s The Simpsons’ Hank Azaria, who makes about $USD300,000 ($AUD444,000) per episode. While this might sound small compared to Ashton Kutcher’s or Kit Harington’s salaries, remember just how many Simpsons episodes there are!
The Gender Pay Gap
One long-standing issue surrounding actors’ pay in Hollywood is the gender pay gap. A stark example is how Mark Wahlberg was paid $USD1.5 million ($AUD2 million) for the film All the Money in the World, while his co-star Michelle Williams only took home $USD1,000 ($AUD1,480).
When the disappointing news broke, Williams said she was “paralysed in feelings of futility” and that the experience “simply reinforced my life-learned belief that equality is not an inalienable right and that women would always be working just as hard for less money while shouldering more responsibility at home”.
2019’s Top 20 Highest Paid Actors In The World
Based on Forbes’ lists of 2019’s top-earning male and female actors, we’ve put together all 20 here and highlighted some of their best moments this year and in the past. As expected, we’ve got a bunch of Avengers (who rake in a lot of money per movie), as well as stars of long-running TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy and The Big Bang Theory.
20. Ellen Pompeo
Total earnings: $USD22 million ($AUD32.5 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: As a fan of the show, Ellen made a guest appearance as a judge on season four of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars. She is also still the lead in Shonda Rhimes’ Grey’s Anatomy.
Biggest gig: Ellen Pompeo’s been on Forbes’ highest paid female actress list for several years now thanks to her tenure on Grey’s.
19. Charlize Theron
Total earnings: $USD23 million ($AUD34 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: This year, Charlize starred in Long Shot with Seth Rogen. She also served as executive producer of Netflix’s Murder Mystery. She has upcoming films this year too – she’ll voice Morticia Addams in the Addams Family animated film, and will play Megyn Kelly in Bombshell.
Biggest gig: Charlize’s highest-grossing film to date is Hancock.
18. Margot Robbie
Total earnings: $USD23.5 million ($AUD34.4 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Margot starred alongside Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Her other recent films include Terminal, Mary Queen of Scots, and Dreamland.
Biggest gig: Her highest-grossing film so far is Suicide Squad.
17. Elisabeth Moss
Total earnings: $USD24 million ($AUD35.5 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Most known these days for her role as June in the series The Handmaid’s Tale, Elisabeth was also in the 2019 films Us and The Kitchen.
Biggest gig: Her highest-grossing film to date is Us. She also earns $USD1 million per episode for The Handmaid’s Tale.
16. Kaley Cuoco
Total earnings: $USD25 million ($AUD37 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Kaley will voice Harley in the upcoming animated web show, Harley Quinn.
Highest paying gig: Along with Big Bang Theory castmates Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, Kaley was earning $USD1 million per episode.
15. Jennifer Aniston
Total earnings: $USD28 million ($AUD41 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: In 2018, she was the lead in Dumplin’. This year, she starred alongside Adam Sandler in Netflix’s Murder Mystery.
Highest paying gig: Along with David Schwimmer, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry, Jen was paid a cool $USD1 million per episode by the time Friends was in its 10th season.
Fun fact: Did you know that Friends eventually surpassed Seinfeld as the world’s most expensive show? We can already hear Jerry Seinfeld going “This is unbelievable!”
14. Nicole Kidman
Total earnings: $USD34 million ($AUD50 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: In 2018, Nicole was in the films Boy Erased and Aquaman. She also stars in and co-produces the HBO series Big Little Lies.
Biggest gig: Nicole’s highest-grossing film remains to be the 1995 flick Batman Forever. She reportedly makes $USD1 million per episode on Big Little Lies.
13. Reese Witherspoon
Total earnings: $USD35 million ($AUD51.8 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Reese was in Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time in 2018. She also stars in and co-produces Big Little Lies.
Highest paying gig: Just like her castmate and co-producer Nicole Kidman, Reese makes $USD1 million per episode for Big Little Lies.
12. Will Smith
Total earnings: $USD35 million ($AUD51.8 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Aladdin
Biggest gig: Despite those horrible first images of genie that were released online, Aladdin has become Will Smith’s highest-grossing film!
11. Paul Rudd
Total earnings: $USD41 million ($AUD60.7 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Paul Rudd was in two Marvel flicks in the past year and a half – Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Endgame.
Biggest gig: Avengers: Endgame grossed $USD2.796 billion worldwide.
10. Chris Evans
Total earnings: $USD43.5 million ($AUD64 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Chris Evans was in two Marvel films – Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Biggest gig: Avengers: Endgame.
9. Sofia Vergara
Total earnings: $USD44.1 million ($AUD65 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: She is most known for playing Gloria on Modern Family.
Highest paying gig: Sofia reportedly earned $USD500,000 per episode on Modern Family.
8. Scarlett Johansson
Total earnings: $USD56 million ($AUD82.9 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Scarlett was in two Marvel films – Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Biggest gig: Avengers: Endgame.
7. Bradley Cooper
Total earnings: $USD57 million ($AUD84 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Bradley did the voice of Rocket Raccoon in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He also directed and starred in A Star Is Born.
Biggest gig: Avengers: Endgame.
6. Adam Sandler
Total earnings: $USD57 million ($AUD84 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Adam Sandler did the voice of Dracula in Hotel Transylvania 3. He also starred in Netflix’s Murder Mystery.
Biggest gig: His highest-grossing film worldwide is Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.
5. Jackie Chan
Total earnings: $USD58 million ($AUD85.8 million)
2019 appearance: Jackie was in the Chinese historical fantasy comedy The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang.
Biggest gig: His voice work for Kung Fu Panda 2.
4. Akshay Kumar
Total earnings: $USD65 million ($AUD96 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: In 2018, Akshay was in the comedy-drama Pad Man. In 2019, he did two films – Kesari and Mission Mangal.
Biggest gig: 2.0 is Kumar’s biggest grossing film to date.
3. Robert Downey, Jr.
Total earnings: $USD66 million ($AUD97.7 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: He was in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home as Tony Stark.
Biggest gig: Avengers: Endgame.
Fun fact: You might think the guy who plays Tony Stark – the superhero who jump-started the billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe – is the highest paid actor of all time, but actually it’s Nick Fury himself. Samuel L. Jackson has reportedly earned $USD7,096.4 billion for 79 films. That is a lot of money.
2. Chris Hemsworth
Total earnings: $USD76.4 million ($AUD113 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: Aside from playing Thor in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Chris Hemsworth also appeared in Men in Black: International next to Thor: Ragnarok co-star Tessa Thompson.
Biggest gig: Avengers: Endgame.
1. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Total earnings: $USD89.4 million ($AUD132 million)
2018 to 2019 appearances: The Rock was in the new Jumanji, as well as Fast and the Furious’ Hobbs & Shaw.
Biggest gig: His highest-grossing film worldwide is Furious 7. He was also paid $USD700,000 per episode on HBO’s Ballers.