Recently, Forbes released the annual list of the highest paid actors world wide. Though we know that these actors make a lot of money, it’s still shocking to see exactly how much more. We’re not even exaggerating when we say that these actors make more in a year, than most will make in a lifetime. So who are these highly paid actors? Most you probably already know, others you’ve probably never heard off. Either way, it’s still impressive to witness the sheer amount of money, one individual can make in a year. So without further fuss, here are 25 World’s Highest Paid Actors in 2015 Whose Annual Salaries Will Blow You Away.
25
Russell Crowe, $18 million
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
Born in New Zealand, Russell Crowe is most famous for his role as the Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator. Last year, Crowe, who is also a successful film producer and musician, acted in Noah (directed by Aronofsky) and The Water Diviner (directed by himself).
24
Chow Yun-fat, $18 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Commonly known as Chow Yun-fat, Donald Chow Yun-fat is a popular Hong Kong actor. He mainly plays in dramatic films and has won three Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor and two Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor in Taiwan. In 2014, Chow was the second-highest earning actor in Hong Kong.
23
Liam Neeson, $19.5 million
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
Born in Northern Ireland in 1952, Liam Neeson has starred in numerous films including Excalibur, Schindler’s List, The Bounty, Star Wars Episode I, Love Actually, several Batman films etc. In 2014, Neeson made an appearance in seven films (e.g. the Nut Job or A Walk Among The Tombstones) that earned him almost $20 million.
22
Ben Affleck, $19.5 million
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
A popular American actor, film director, screenwriter and producer, Ben Affleck gained fame when he won the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting (1997). He has starred in several high-profile films including Armageddon (1998), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001) and Changing Lanes (2002). His most recent endeavor is currently the role of Batman in the upcoming movie Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
21
Hugh Jackman, $23 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Born in 1968, Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor and producer. Best known for his roles in the X-Men film series, action-horror film Van Helsing (2004), magic-themed drama The Prestige (2006), epic historical romantic drama Australia (2008) and the thriller Prisoners (2013), Jackman made $23 million last year.
20
Matt Damon, $25 million
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
A prominent American actor, screenwriter and producer, Damon was ranked one of the top-40 highest-grossing actors of all time according to Forbes. In 2007, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named the Sexiest Man Alive by the People magazine. This year, Damon is the 20th highest paid actor in the world.
19
Will Smith, $26 million
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
The winner of four Grammy Awards and nominee for four Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, Smith is best known for his legendary roles in Bad Boys and Men In Black series. In 2007, Newsweek called him “the most powerful actor in Hollywood” while Forbes ranked him as the most bankable star worldwide.
18
Shah Rukh Khan, $26 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Known as SRK, King of Bollywood or King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan is an Indian film actor, producer and television personality. With an estimated net worth of up to $600 million, Khan is one of the richest actors in the world. Los Angeles Times even described him as the world´s biggest movie star. Last year, he earned $26 million.
17
Matthew McConaughey, $26.5 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
McConaughey is best known for his roles in romantic comedies such as The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch or Fool’s Gold but he also acted in other genres films including the black comedy The Wolf of Wall Street, the sci-fi film Interstellar and the drama Dallas Buyers Club which earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
16
Daniel Craig, $27 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Daniel Craig is an English actor who achieved international fame when chosen as the sixth actor to play the role of James Bond 007 in the official film series, taking over from Pierce Brosnan in 2005. Since then, Craig has starred in three Bond movies. His third Bond film, Skyfall, (2012) is the twelfth highest-grossing film of all time.
15
Chris Hemsworth, $27 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Another Australian actor that made it to the list, Chris Hemsworth is best known for his roles in the Australian TV series Home and Away (2004) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). He has also appeared in Star Trek. Last year, he earned $27 million, which made him the 15th highest paid actor worldwide.
14
Channing Tatum, $29 million
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
Tatum is an American actor, film producer, dancer and model. Although some of the films he starred in received negative reviews from critics, most of them were very successful commercially. Step Up, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Magic Mike, 21 and 22 Jump Street and The Vow are films that made him one of the most popular Hollywood actors.
13
Leonardo DiCaprio, $29 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Leonardo DiCaprio began his career as early as in 1989 (when he was 15) but it was not until his unforgettable role in James Cameron´s Titanic (1997) when he achieved international fame and credit. Since then, he has appeared in numerous films of all kinds of genres such as the adventure film The Man in the Iron Mask, the crime drama Catch Me If You Can, the western Django Unchained and the black comedy The Wolf of Wall Street.
12
Johnny Depp, $30 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Another Hollywood icon, Johnny Depp is generally regarded as one of the world´s biggest movie stars. Films featuring Depp have grossed over $3.1 billion at the United States box office and over $7.6 billion worldwide. In 2012, he was listed by the Guinness World Records as the highest paid actor, with earnings of $75 million. In the past 12 months, he made “only” $30 million, which currently makes him No.12 in the ranking.
11
Dwayne Johnson, $31.5 million
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
Also known by his ring name The Rock, Dwayne Johnson is an American and Canadian actor, producer, and professional wrestler. He gained mainstream fame in the World Wrestling Federation in 1996 and three years later, he also began his acting career. For his first leading role in The Scorpion King (2002), he was paid US $5.5 million, a world record for an actor in his first starring role.
10
Mark Wahlberg, $32 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Mark Wahlberg is an American actor, producer, businessman and former model and rapper. Originally, Wahlberg tried to win renown as a musician but he later transitioned to acting. He is now best known for his roles in films such as the science fiction Planet of the Apes, the crime drama The Departed, the comedy The Other Guys, the sports drama The Fighter, and the sci-fi action film Transformers: Age of Extinction.
9
Akshay Kumar, $32.5 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
One of a few Bollywood representatives in the list, Akshay Kumar is an Indian actor, producer, stuntman and martial artist. Featured in more than a hundred Hindi films, Kumar is one of the most famous and successful actors in the history of the Indian cinema. In 2013, the net box-office collection of his films was reported to have crossed US$300 million, making him the first and the only Bollywood actor to do so.
8
Salman Khan, $33.5 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Referred to in the media as “The Tiger of Bollywood”, “Blockbuster Khan” or “Box-office King”, Salman Khan is another Indian actor, producer and celebrity. Known for his philanthropy but also tumultuous personal life and a negligent driving case in which he killed one person, Khan has starred in the highest-grossing Bollywood films of nine separate years which is a Bollywood record.
7
Amitabh Bachchan, $33.5 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Amitabh Bachchan is the oldest of the Bollywood actors listed in the ranking. Featured in almost 200 Indian films, Bachchan has won numerous major awards in his exceptionally long career, including three National Film Awards as Best Actor. In 2013, he even made his Hollywood debut in the epic drama The Great Gatsby, in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character.
6
Tom Cruise, $40 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
One of the biggest movie stars ever, Tom Cruise has starred in many blockbusters such as Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, Rain Man, Minority Report, The Last Samurai, War of the Worlds and many others. A holder of three Golden Globe Awards, Cruise was the Hollywood´s highest paid actor in 2012. In the past year, he earned $40 million, which currently puts him in sixth place.
5
Adam Sandler, $41 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Sandler is a popular American actor, comedian, screenwriter, entrepreneur, film producer, and musician. Featured in films that combined have grossed over $2 billion at the box office, he is best known for his comedic roles in films such as Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer and Big Daddy. He has also appeared in more dramatic roles in movies like Punch-Drunk Love, Spanglish, and Reign Over Me.
4
Bradley Cooper, $41.5 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Cooper first gained recognition in the spy-action television show Alias and the television drama Jack & Bobby. He later appeared in supporting roles in the romantic comedies Wedding Crashers (2005), Yes Man (2008), and He’s Just Not That Into You (2009). His breakthrough role came with the comedy franchise The Hangover trilogy (2009–13) that earned him international fame.
3
Vin Diesel, $47 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Born as Mark Sinclair but better known by his stage name Vin Diesel, Diesel is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his portrayals of Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious film series and Richard B. Riddick in The Chronicles of Riddick trilogy. Between June 2014 and June 2015, Diesel earned $47 million, which made him the third highest paid actor of the year.
2
Jackie Chan, $50 million
Source: en.wikipedia.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org
One of the most famous non-American Hollywood actors of all time, Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer. Featured in more than 150 films, he is notable for his acrobatic fighting style and original stunts. A devoted philanthropist, Chan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With the help of highly profitable franchises such as Dragon Blade, Chan made $50 million in the past 12 months.
1
Robert Downey Jr., $80 million
Source and image: en.wikipedia.org
Making his screen debut as early as age five, Robert Downey Jr. is an American actor best known for his iconic role in the Iron Man series. Three of the films starring Downey Jr. (The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Iron Man 3) each earned over $1 billion. He has topped the Forbes list of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors for three consecutive years.