Who Were the Highest Paid Actors of 2013?
Now the year’s almost over, it’s time to look back and see just how well paid being a Hollywood star can be. You might be surprised at some of the names on this list – read on and find out who took home the most money.
10. Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson might be a quiet one as far as celebrity gossip is concerned, but that hasn’t stopped him from raking in a cool $32 million this year. He’s managed to rebrand himself as an action hero thanks to films like Taken and Taken 2 and by choosing to work in low cost, high return films such as The Grey, he’s an actor to make every accountant happy too.
9. Denzel Washington
Washington had so much faith in the film that he agreed to a cut in pay in exchange for a per cent of the profits, a decision that proved to be very wise after the film made an impressive $162 million from a budget of less than a sixth of that.
8. Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise became a bit of a laughing stock after his jumping on Oprah’s sofa and strange YouTube rants, but he’s the one laughing all the way to the bank after earning $35 million. Still at the top of his game, this year’s Jack Reacher showed why he’s one of Hollywood’s biggest A-listers. The film about an ex-military sniper barely broke even in the States but was a massive hit worldwide, bringing in almost four times its budget of $60 million.
7. Adam Sandler
Top of the Forbes list of most overpaid actors, Adam Sandler also made it into the top ten highest paid at number seven after he earned $37 million, despite the lacklustre performance of Jack and Jill and That’s My Boy. However, although it was one of the worst films of the year, Grown Ups 2 was a big enough hit to justify Sandler’s price tag and Hotel Transylvania, which saw Sandler voice Count Dracula, was his biggest hit so far, taking a whopping $347 million at the box office.
6. Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio continues to go from strength to strength, with the $39 million he banked this year. Having built a reputation for himself as a heavyweight actor, you can almost guarantee going into a DiCaprio movie that he’s going to die, a pattern he certainly continued with The Great Gatsby. Initially, critics were sceptical that the movie would do well, but when it took over $250 million at the box office, it became director Baz Luhrmann’s most successful venture ever.
5. Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson has more than proven that he’s successfully made the transition from wrestling to movie star, with an income of $46 million. He’s starred in one of the most successful films of the year, Fast & Furious 6, which took over $500 million in its first fortnight, and his appearance in GI Joe: Retaliation did a great deal to lift the mediocre franchise into something more interesting. Now turning his hand to television with The Hero in which everyday people are challenged to become real heroes, is there any media Johnson can’t conquer?
4. Mark Wahlberg
Former rapper turned actor, Mark Wahlberg has had a great year, earning $52 million. He’s starred in hit after hit and showed his versatility over the years by starring in a wide range of genres from comedy to action to horror. He’s even picked up two Academy Award nominations along the way.
2014 is likely to be even bigger and better for Wahlberg now that he’s starring in the next instalment of Transformers, one of the summer blockbusters on the way.
3. Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman is another multi-talented actor, although he’s probably best known for his portrayal of Wolverine in the long-running X-Men franchise. His portrayal of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables saw him earn an Academy Award nomination for the film which took him a cool $438 million.
Jackman took home a tidy $55 million this year. In addition to his acting career, he is also head of the Laughing Man coffee and tea company, which gives all its profit to charity.
2. Channing Tatum
The man who put in what had to be the cameo performance of the year, Channing Tatum is on our list at a very impressive number two for his $60 million pay packet this year. Not only is he a pretty face, Tatum is a savvy businessman, having helped to finance Magic Mike, the semi-autobiographical movie inspired by Tatum’s work as a male stripper. When the small budget flick made it big at the box office, Tatum and director Steven Soderbergh both netted millions of dollars as a consequence and now Tatum is looking to capitalise on the movie’s success with a Broadway musical, theme bar in New Orleans and sequel.
1. Robert Downey Jnr
The only actor considered indispensable when it came to ensemble movie Avengers Assemble, Robert Downey Jnr was able to command the highest pay packet for the third highest-grossing film of all time, propelling him to number one on this list with an annual income of $75 million. Having agreed to play Tony Stark for at least another two Avengers movies, Downey Jnr is likely to feature highly in this list for some years to come.
What do you think? Were these actors worth their money? Did any of the names on this list surprise you?
