In this article we are going to list the 15 highest paid actors and actresses in the world. Click to skip ahead and jump to the 5 highest paid actors and actresses in the world.
We all have our favorite actors and actresses, and more than a few of us are admittedly jealous of the lavish lifestyle they lead and the success of the career path they’ve chosen. After all, if you’re a successful actor today, you get to travel the world in style, shoot for a few months, earn tens of millions of dollars and then spend the next several months living in ultimate luxury without a care in the world. This is of course in addition to the millions of adoring fans you have and the fame that comes with a successful career in the film and TV industry.
These are some of the reasons many people attempt to break in to the industry, though there is no doubt that most of them love the profession and love to act, which is the only thing they can imagine doing. And this passion is quite necessary as before being able to break through in the industry, many people have to take on menial jobs and struggle to make ends meet even as they attempt to find the role that will propel them from relative obscurity into stardom and financial independence.
Even TV shows have now become extremely glamorous and have budgets that can rival or even surpass big budget movies, and we do have some stellar TV shows on right now, including my current favorite TV show on HBO, Succession. These TV shows have seen extremely high salaries being paid to their top cast who can earn tens of millions of dollars over the course of a season. And this isn’t really an exception or a new trend; back in the 1990s, the Friends stars each earned over $1 million per episode of the show, while the star of Everybody Loves Raymond, Ray Romano, would earn even more. And even now, especially for female actresses, TV shows tend to help them earn as much as the biggest movie stars do, and there are several TV show actresses in the top 10 highest earning female actresses, including the highest earning female actress.
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Generally, the list of highest paid actors and actresses in the world is dominated by actors as the biggest movies earn hundreds of millions of dollars, and nowadays, often break the $1 billion barrier too, which used to be seen as insurmountable just over a decade ago. This allows film studios to pay staggering amounts of money to their top actors and actresses, which is why Robert Downey Jr., arguably the face of the Marvel franchise, earned $50 million for his appearance in the latest Avengers movie, since these movies tend to break all sorts of records and the last part of the Avengers series became the highest grossing movie in history. Unfortunately, over the last several months, the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the world, causing nearly 64 million infections and around 1.5 million deaths, and most countries recovered to some extent only for the second wave to begin devastating the world again. This has led to total or partial lockdowns across the world, of which the movie theaters were one of the biggest victims, as non-essentials businesses were closed down and movie theaters were one of the first to go, and in the second waves, they were again closed down in a lot of countries. Even where they are now open, many people are extremely reluctant to go to the theater, which is why many major blockbusters have either been delayed or released directly on TV, which has undoubtedly significantly affected the revenues and profits of the film studios.
Luckily for actors, Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) has never been hotter than it has in 2020, as people across the world spent their lockdown binge-watching movies and shows on Netflix. Netflix has become more and more involved in the production of major films and TV shows, and is open to paying top dollar to attract the best possible cast. The company has also made deals with several actors to guarantee their contributions for multiple films, again paying out hundreds of millions of dollars. In fact, of the top highest paid actors in the world, the company paid out over $140 million in just the past year. This comes as Netflix not only attempts to increase viewers but also to enter into the prestige movies niche, aiming to make films which earn nominations at the Academy Awards. You may also be interested in taking a look at the 25 best movies on Netflix now.
No matter how rich celebrities are, they can still not rival the net worth of the biggest business owners in the world. This is why while actors make may make over $50 million a year, that is really just a bit of change for the top 20 richest people in the world, whose net worth can fluctuate by a few billion in a space of a few weeks, or even a few weeks in extreme circumstances. The net worth of Elon Musk for example has increased by around $100 billion in 2020 alone, a number even the richest celebrities are nowhere close to earning. To rank the highest earning actors and actresses in the world, we have used the latest lists by Forbes and amalgamated the separate lists of actors and actresses to come up with our rankings. It’s unfortunate that even now, the top 10 actresses are paid significantly less than the top 10 men, and there is just one woman in the top 10 and none in the top 5. Here’s to hoping that the gap decreases in the coming years, but till then let’s take a look at the people taking Hollywood by storm, starting with number 15:
15. Meryl Streep
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 24
She is arguably the greatest actress in history and her awards collection shows the same. She is showing no signs of stopping at all, with her major earnings coming from Little Women, The Prom and Let Them All Talk.
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14. Melissa McCarthy
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 25
The comedian turned actress has starred in two films, one of which is on Netflix to account for her earnings for the year and a place on the list.
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13. Gal Gadot
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 31.5
She gained fame from her role in Wonder Woman and starred in the sequel as well, which has been delayed due to the pandemic. In addition, she earned a hefty sum from starring in the Red Notice with Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson, both of whom also feature on this list.
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12. Angelina Jolie
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 35.5
One of the most famous actresses in the world, Angelina Jolie doesn’t have many endorsements, and most of her money comes from acting in the Marvel movie The Eternals.
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11. Jackie Chan
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 40
The most lovable star from China has been one of the most famous actors in the world for decades, especially known for performing his own, incredibly dangerous stunts in movies. He has taken part in five films in just one years, while endorsements also make up a major part of his earnings.
Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com
10. Adam Sandler
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 41
He may not be the box office draw he once was but his four film $250 million deal signed 6 years ago ensures he’s always hovering somewhere in this list.
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9. Sofia Vergara
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 43
The highest earning actress is only able to make the 9th position on the list of highest paid actors and actresses in the world, who just concluded her run on Modern Family before becoming a judge on America’s Got Talent. She also supplements her earnings with a lot of endorsements.
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8. Will Smith
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 44.5
Will Smith seems to be involved in many things at one, which each contribute a part to his incredible earnings, from starring in a movie about Venus and Serena’s father, to a series on Snapchat and of course, his Instagram account, where he has over 50 million followers.
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7. Lin-Manuel Miranda
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 45.5
This is the first time Lin-Manuel Miranda has earned a spot in the list of highest paid actors and actresses in the world, mainly due to selling the rights to his Broadway musical, the supremely popular Hamilton to Disney. The fact that the pandemic has ensured the closure of Broadway for most of 2020 has ensured he doesn’t place even higher in this list.
Pixabay/Public Domain
6. Akshay Kumar
Total earnings in 2020 (in millions of dollars): 48.5
Akshay Kumar has acted in well over a hundred movies during the course of his career, and has become a legend in Bollywood, able to command the highest fees and a reputation as a fitness fanatic as well. This legendary reputation has allowed him to make most of his earnings from endorsements, as he endorses a ton of products, in addition to his work on his first television series, working on The End for Amazon Prime.
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Disclosure: No positions. 15 highest paid actors and actresses in the world is originally published on Insider Monkey.
