The highest-paid actors for a single role all made a few pretty pennies for playing one character. Hollywood is one of the most lucrative industries in the US. With millions of dollars poured into the production of a movie, it is only natural that actors are some of the best paid individuals in the country. A $20 million paycheck per movie is no longer a big surprise, but some actors manage to cash in a lot more than that. We would like to present you with a list we have compiled of the top 8 highest paid actors for a single role. The following figures refer to the amount of money an actor cashed in for playing one single part. Let’s take a look at the countdown.
No.8 Highest-Paid Actor for a Single Role: Jack Nicholson
Paid: $60 million (Joker)
Jack Nicholson may not have played the title role in the 1989 Batman, but he did end up as the actor who made the most from the movie. He accepted an initial paycheck of only $6 million, as opposed to his standard $10 million, but he struck a deal to also receive a percentage of the sales, which increased his earnings to a staggering $60 million.
No.7 Highest-Paid Actor for a Single Role: Harrison Ford
Paid: $65 million (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
The fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series ended up being a flop at the box office, but we are assuming that Harrison Ford is not too disappointed with the paycheck he got.
No.6 Highest-Paid Actor for a Single Role: Tom Hanks
Paid: $70 million (Forrest Gump)
Few movies will make such an impact in cinematic history as Forrest Gump, so it is only befitting that Tom Hanks features on our countdown. His initial paycheck for the role was a “mere” $10 million, but he gave half of it back when the movie was exceeding its budget in return for a percentage of sales. It turned out to be a great move, as Hanks ended up making a total of $70 million. And he also won an Academy Award for his role.
No.5 Highest-Paid Actor for a Single Role: Tom Cruise
Paid: $100 million (War of the Worlds)
While War of the Worlds is not exactly one of Tom Cruise’s most memorable movies, it did end making him quite a decent earning. The actor received a neat percentage out of the gross sales, raising his paycheck to $100 million.
No.4 Highest-Paid Actor for a Single Role: Bruce Willis
Paid: $120 million (The Sixth Sense)
Bruce Willis’ role in The Sixth Sense was one of the most unusual and highly unexpected parts he played in his entire career. But it was all worth it in the end, when he made a staggering $120 million, the highest amount of money any actor had made for a single role at that time.
No.3 Highest-Paid Actor for a Single Role: Johnny Depp
Paid: $185 million (Pirates of the Caribbean (I, II, III, and IV)
The beloved character of pirate Jack Sparrow earned Johnny Deep a spot in our highest paid actors top ten. With talks about a fifth installment on the way, Johnny Deep’s earnings from the role could increase even more.
No.2 Highest-Paid Actor for a Single Role: Keanu Reeves
Paid: $262 million (The Matrix I, II, and III)
The reason Keanu Reeves made so much money with the Matrix movies is that he did not receive only a salary for the 3 installments, but also a percentage of the sales. For the second movie in the trilogy alone, Reeves cashed in a whopping $126 million, making him the highest paid actor for a single movie.
No.1 Highest-Paid Actor for a Single Role: Tom Cruise
Paid: $290 million (Mission: Impossible I, II, III, and IV)
Admittedly, it did take Tom Cruise four movies to amass an impressive $290 million, but he did play the same role in the four installments of Mission: Impossible. The role of Agent Ethan Hunt made Mr. Cruise the highest paid actor in Hollywood for one single part.
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