Do you know that an A-list star can earn hundreds of millions of dollars from a movie role? It sounds crazy, but it’s true. Some movie stars take a profit participation deal instead of a huge salary, which might give them a much larger payday. In another word, they accepted risky profit-participation deals that rewarded them based on the movie’s success.
There is no doubt that the greater the success of the films, the more money these famous actors can earn. As a result, many A-list actors, such as Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, and Johnny Depp, became the highest-paid Hollywood actors of all time and now are living lavishly. So what is the exact figure of how much money these actors make from their famous roles? Or which role is the most expensive in the world?
Well, you do not have to go far to find the answers because below is a list of the highest-paid movie roles of all time. Keep scrolling down and enjoy!
#25 Emma Stone as Mia in “La La Land” – $26 million
Source: Summit Entertainment
With $26 million, Stone topped Forbes’ list of the highest-paid actresses in the world in 2017. The majority of that sum was earned from her Oscar-winning role in the 2016 film “La La Land.
#24 Ryan Reynolds in “Six Underground” – $27 million
Source: Getty Images
Reynolds earned $27 million from the Michael Bay-directed Netflix action movie which was about six billionaires who turn into vigilantes.
#23 Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator in “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” – $29 million
Source: Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Schwarzenegger promised that he’d be back for a third “Terminator” movie with a number of conditions. One of that is a $29.25 million “pay or play” fee he would receive even if the movie wasn’t made.
#22 Leonardo DiCaprio as Randall Mindy in “Don’t Look Up” – $30 million
Source: Netflix
For his role in Adam McKay‘s film “Don’t Look Up,” DiCaprio received $30 million, which also includes a streaming back-end buyout.
#21 Jim Carrey as Carl Allen in “Yes Man” – $30 million
Source: Warner Movies On Demand/Youtube
Carrey reportedly exchanged his salary ($30 million) for “Yes Man” for an ownership stake in the film, which paid off.
#20 Mark Wahlberg as Spenser in “Spenser Confidential” – $30 million
Source: Netflix
Wahlberg was paid $30 million for his role in Netflix’s action comedy “Spenser Confidential”. It’s Netflix’s third-biggest movie of all time with 85 million households watching in its first month (streamers count one view if an account watched at least two minutes of the movie).
#19 Will Smith as Daryl Ward in the “Bright” sequel – $35 million
Source: Netflix
A sequel to the popular 2017 Netflix series “Bright” is in the works and Will Smith is reportedly expected to earn $35 million for his role as Daryl Ward.
#18 Denzel Washington as Joe Deacon in “The Little Things” – $40 million
Source: Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Washington made $40 million for “The Little Things” after receiving a buyout after the series streamed on HBO Max the same day it hit theaters.
#17 Will Smith as Richard Williams in “King Richard” – $40 million
Source: Warner Bros. Television Distribution
In the movie “King Richard”, Smith played Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. This role earned him $40 million, including a back-end buyout because the movie will be hitting theaters and streaming on HBO Max simultaneously.
#16 Tom Hanks as Captain John Miller in “Saving Private Ryan” – $40 million
Source: Paramount Pictures
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. Though it’s not his most lucrative agreement, “Saving Private Ryan” grossed him at least $40 million.
#15 Cameron Diaz as Elizabeth Halsey in “Bad Teacher” – $42 million
Source: Sony Pictures
Diaz was paid only $1 million to produce “Bad Teacher,” but received a portion of box-office earnings, giving her approximately $40 million for the film. It’s become one of the most “legendary” deals in Hollywood history.
#14 Dwayne Johnson in “Red One” – $50 million
Source: Axelle Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
The Rock will receive $50 million for the upcoming Christmas action movie “Red One,” which Amazon Studios just acquired after a competitive bidding process. The payment includes a back-end buyout for the streaming movie.
#13 Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in “Knives Out” sequels – $50 million/ movie
Source: Lionsgate
According to THR, Daniel Craig might get “upward of $100 million” for the “Knives Out” sequels that Netflix acquired in a $469 million transaction. With a budget of $40 million, the first “Knives Out,” released by the studio Lionsgate, was a box office success, grossing over $300 million globally.
#12 Jack Nicholson as The Joker in “Batman” – $50 million
Source: Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Nicholson received $6 million up front for his portrayal of the evil Joker in the 1989 “Batman” movie. In addition, he is said to have negotiated a lucrative contract that includes box office and merchandising revenue from its sequels, for which he did not even appear.
#11 Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb in “Inception” – $50 million
Source: Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Just from box office receipts, DiCaprio made at least $50 million for Christopher Nolan‘s 2010 film “Inception,” but his contract also includes home video and television sales. According to Forbes, he got a pay cut because the movie was too “risky,” but he and Nolan agreed to split first-dollar gross points.
#10 Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” – $55 million
Source: Disney
According to a 2010 Forbes report, 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. A large part of that cost comes from paying staff and actors. And Depp alone made $55 million for the film. In 2011, Depp admitted that he was “overpaid” for the “Pirates” films, for which he has reportedly made over $300 million combined.
#9 Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump in “Forrest Gump” – $60 million
Source: Paramount Pictures
Another example of Hanks choosing for merit-based pay is “Forrest Gump,” for which he received an estimated $60 million.
#8 Adam Sandler in his Netflix movies – $62.5 million/movie
Source: Netflix
According to Forbes, Sandler signed a contract with Netflix in 2014 for four exclusive movies valued at an estimated $250 million, or $62.5 million each film. Netflix renewed the deal in 2017 for four more movies, and again last year.
#7 Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” – $65 million
Source: Paramount Pictures
In order for Ford to return to making a fourth “Indiana Jones” film, Paramount agreed to an agreement to split a large portion of the film’s revenue between himself, director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas.
#6 Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter in “Alice in Wonderland” – $68 million
Source: Disney
According to the Telegraph, Depp reportedly made $68 million in the US for “Alice in Wonderland,” or 50 million pounds, according to the Telegraph.
#5 Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone in “Gravity” – $70 million
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
For “Gravity,” Bullock received a $20 million advance payment. But her deal also included 15% of box office revenue, giving her at least $70 million.
#4 Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark (Iron Man) in “Avengers: Infinity War” – $75 million
Source: Marvel
For the 2018 film “Avengers: Infinity War,” Downey secured a deal in which he received backend earnings of $75 million, making him the highest-paid actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to GQ, he even made $50 million for the first “Avengers” film in 2012.
#3 Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” – $75 million
Source: Paramount Pictures
The fourth “Mission: Impossible” film, “Ghost Protocol,” brought Cruise $75 million, placing him at the top of Forbes’ list of the year’s standout actors.
#2 Keanu Reeves as Neo in “The Matrix” trilogy – $83.3 million/movie
Source: Warner Bros. Television Distribution
For all three “Matrix” films, Keanu Reeves earned a total of $250 million.
#1 Will Smith as Agent J in “Men in Black 3” – $100 million
Source: Sony Pictures
Will Smith received $100 million of the third “Men in Black” film’s $624 million worldwide revenue as part of his performance-based compensation.
