The Highest Paid Actor Each Year for the Last Two Decades

Movie stars have been fascinating audiences of all backgrounds and ages ever since Hollywood’s Golden Age, making news with their scandals, turning heads with their peculiar sense of fashion, securing invites to the most prestigious events in every corner of the globe, and most of all, immortalizing their names by leaving behind a legacy for future generations.

Amid all the glitz and glamor, though, one can’t help but wonder whether their colossal paychecks are well-deserved, even if they certainly need them to maintain their lavish lifestyle and throw parties in their opulent mansions. Whether they’re Oscar winners or not, how much do actors and actresses really make, and how accurate are those public numbers?

Jane Fonda may have earned $13 million in 1987, but Sylvester Stallone made a whopping $74 million in comparison. Similarly, Scarlett Johansson secured $56 million in 2019 — while Dwayne Johnson was paid $89.4 million. That is to say, gender pay disparity is, sadly, still ongoing in every industry, and even more so in Hollywood, where the highest-paid actresses make less than 30 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, according to Forbes.

Which explains why, over the last two decades, the highest paid actors were and continue to be men. These are the actors who had the highest net earnings each year from 2003 to 2023, and evidently, not a single actress made the cut. All of the following data comes from reports by Forbes each year.

21 2003 — Will Smith ($60 million)

The rapper, actor, and producer Will Smith may have broken to stardom in the beloved 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but he has shown his acting range in a variety of movie genres, from portraying heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali in the biopic Ali to a vigilante superhero in Hancock and the Genie in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin.

His net worth is $350 million, and in 2022, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor as Serena and Venus’ father and mentor in King Richard.

Technically, Keanu Reeves Made More Than Smith

In 2002, Smith produced the buddy cop action-comedy Showtime, starring Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy, which, incidentally, wasn’t well received, but he also reprised his role of Agent J in the hit science-fiction comedy Men in Black II, which grossed $441.8 million.

The following year, he returned as Detective Lowrey in another blockbuster, Bad Boys II, which made $273.3 million and earned him 20% of the gross, per Celebrity Net Worth. Not to mention that he also produced the crime drama Ride or Die, featuring Duane Martin and Vivica Fox.

On another note, since The Matrix sequels were filmed back-to-back, technically and cumulatively, Keanu Reeves made more than Smith in 2003 (by a lot), as shown below:

20 2004 — Jim Carrey ($66 million)

The Canadian-American actor and comedian Jim Carrey has a net worth of $180 million and achieved stardom through his uninhibited talent in ’90s comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Liar Liar.

He also earned Golden Globe Awards for the psychological dramedy The Truman Show, and the biographical comedy, Man on the Moon, proving that he’s not one to be typecast. Celebrity Net Worth confirms that between 1994 and 2008 alone, Carrey made $200 million from salaries and bonuses.

Carrey’s Two Wildly Successful Films in One Year

In 2003, Carrey produced and starred in Bruce Almighty, a fantasy comedy where he played a TV reporter who becomes God for a week; it made a staggering $484.6 million against a budget of $81 million.

Riding off that success, in 2004, he starred opposite Kate Winslet in the art-house science-fiction romance Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which won Best Original Screenplay, and also played the wicked Count Olaf in the dark family comedy Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events — that fan-favorite adaptation garnered $211.5 million and four Oscar nominations.

19 2005 — Will Ferrell ($40 million)

Emmy-awarded actor, comedian, writer, and producer Will Ferrell is another high-earning celebrity who is mostly known for his comedic roles, having shot to fame on Saturday Night Live in the ’90s. His 2003 comedy Elf, for which he received a salary of $17 million, is an enduring classic that is still revisited and broadcast every Christmas.

Ferrell’s current net worth is $160 million; his earnings aren’t only from the entertainment field, though, but also from investments in sports and real estate.

Related: Recent Will Ferrell Movies That Are Just as Funny as His Classics

Will Ferrell’s Peak Comedy Era

Ferrell was in top comedic form during the early 2000s. He had 11 acting credits in 2004 and 2005, the most lucrative of which were as Ron Burgundy in the satirical comedies, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Anchorman: The Adventure Continues; Phil Weston in the sports comedy, Kicking and Screaming; Jack Wyatt / Darrin Stephens in the fantasy comedy, Bewitched; Chazz Reinhold in the star-studded romantic comedy, Wedding Crashers; and Franz Liebkind in the musical comedy, The Producers.

It’s baffling how Nicole Kidman, who played the witch Samantha in Bewitched, only earned $12 million against Ferrell’s $20 million.

18 2006 — Tom Cruise ($67 million)

With an astounding net worth of $600 million, Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s highest paid icons; he has garnered three Golden Globe Awards and is particularly known for his action roles. Some of his early blockbusters that made him famous include Top Gun in 1986, Rain Man in 1988, and A Few Good Men in 1992.

The Third Film of Cruise’s Blockbuster Action Franchise

Thanks to the science-fiction thriller that scored $603.9 million at the box office, War of the Worlds, Cruise’s net income (different from net earnings) in 2005 amounted to $100 million. He also produced the romantic tragicomedy Elizabethtown that year, which grossed $52 million.

Moreover, playing Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible III and producing it in 2006 was quite profitable, since the blockbuster spy film grossed $399.4 million and earned him $75 million, though his net earnings for 2006 ended up a bit lower, at $67 million.

17 2007 — Johnny Depp ($92 million)

Thanks to his advertising deals with luxury brands and quirky acting credits, Johnny Depp’s net worth once peaked at $900 million, but he is presently only worth $150 million. Still, he is sure to continue earning a sizable sum regularly from his projects as an actor, producer, director, screenwriter, and musician, but also from his investments in restaurants and wine brands.

Depp Is a Highly Profitable Pirate

One of Depp’s most popular characters is that of the irreverent but lovable pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Per Boss Hunting, while The Curse of the Black Pearl earned him $10 million in 2003, Dead Man’s Chest, which grossed a phenomenal $1.066 billion in 2006, garnered him a total of $60 million from his base salary and on the backend.

As for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, released in May 2007, it grossed $963.4 million at the box office and made him $55 million.

16 2008 — Johnny Depp ($72 million)

Johnny Depp kept capitalizing on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but he also made another fruitful collaboration with Tim Burton in 2007 as the titular vengeful barber in the Victorian musical slasher Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, opposite Helena Bonham Carter.

Depp Goes From a Pirate to a Psychopathic Barber

The film not only earned him $50 million, but also an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe Award, and an MTV Movie Award. Evidently, that growing success and his other sources of income helped him remain the highest-paid actor for two consecutive years.

15 2009 — Harrison Ford ($65 million)

No matter how many projects he takes part in, Harrison Ford will always be celebrated for two iconic film franchises: Star Wars and Indiana Jones, not to mention a handful of action flicks like Air Force One and The Fugitive. His net worth in 2024 is about $300 million.

Ford Revived an Iconic Action Hero

Depp would have also been the highest-paid actor in 2009 — if it weren’t for Ford, who reprised his role of the titular brash archaeologist and adventurer in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The series’ long-awaited fourth installment broke the box office in 2008 with $790.7 million, against a budget of $185 million.

Ford also starred in the 2009 crime drama, Crossing Over, as ICE Special Agent Max Brogan. In comparison, the most paid actress that year was Angelina Jolie, with $27 million, less than half of Ford’s earnings.

14 2010 — Johnny Depp ($75 million)

Depp was still on a roll in 2009, consenting to a cameo in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in the wake of Heath Ledger’s passing, and playing John Dillinger in the biographical crime drama, Public Enemies, which grossed $214.1 million and earned him $20 million.

Depp Had a Few Roles, Including the Mad Hatter

That wasn’t what secured him the big bucks in 2010, though. He reportedly received $40 million (some sources claim it was $50 million) just for appearing for a few minutes as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland.

Additionally, the actor earned a Golden Globe nomination and a Teen Choice Award for portraying Frank Tupelo/Alexander Pearce in the romantic thriller The Tourist, opposite Angelina Jolie.

13 2011 — Leonardo DiCaprio ($77 million)

Leonardo DiCaprio has been active in the industry since 1989, and didn’t achieve international fame until the tragic romances Romeo + Juliet in 1996 and Titanic in 1997. Despite receiving multiple nominations spanning several genres, he only won an Oscar in 2016 for the survival drama The Revenant. Today, his net worth is estimated at about $300 million.

DiCaprio Worked With Big Name Directors Scorsese and Nolan

In 2010, DiCaprio portrayed Edward Daniels in Scorsese’s psychological thriller Shutter Island, and Dom Cobb in the mind-bending action film Inception, which made $294.8 million and $839 million at the box office, respectively.

Per Cheat Sheet, the actor took a massive pay cut for the latter film against the promise that he would split future box-office earnings with the director, Christopher Nolan. And that is how he ended up with $50 million from Inception alone.

In 2011, DiCaprio played FBI director J. Edgar Hoover in the biographical drama J. Edgar, which was scored, produced, and directed by the iconic Clint Eastwood. The movie made $84.9 million and earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination, but he reportedly only agreed to take $2 million instead of his usual $20 million talent fee.

That same year, Depp earned $35 million from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, bringing his net income to $55 million.

12 2012 — Tom Cruise ($75 million)

While Kristen Stewart made $34.5 million from the Twilight movies in 2012, Cruise earned more than double that amount from acting in and producing Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in 2011 and the action thriller Jack Reacher in 2012.

Cruise Has Come a Long Way Since Top Gun

The former garnered $694.7 million at the box office, while the latter made $218.3 million. It certainly paid to be both the male lead and the producer; quite an achievement and a long way from Top Gun’s mere $2-million paycheck.

11 2013 — Robert Downey Jr. ($75 million)

With a net worth of $300 million, the actor, producer, and singer Robert Downey Jr. made his acting debut at the age of five and has certainly cashed in some big bucks in both talent fees and on the backend from his blockbuster Marvel superhero movies as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

His career was affected by legal and personal issues in the past, but he managed to secure many awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Oppenheimer and Ally McBeal, Best Actor for Sherlock Holmes, and Actor of the Year for Chaplin.

Downey Jr.’s Big Comeback

Thanks to The Avengers, the actor’s total income amounted to $50 million dollars in 2012 ($10 million base and $40 million backend bonus), while Iron Man 3 secured him $75 million in 2013; it was a long way from his first $500,000 for the first Iron Man installment. Meanwhile, Jolie made $33 million that same year.

10 2014 — Robert Downey Jr. ($75 million)

In 2014, Sandra Bullock was the highest-paid actress with $51 million, while for the second year in a row, Downey Jr. was the highest paid actor, even though it was mostly still due to earnings from Iron Man 3.

Still Raking In Earnings From Iron Man 3

That year, he played Chicago lawyer Hank Palmer in the critically acclaimed legal drama The Judge, of which he was also the executive producer, as well as the minor role of Marvin in the road dramedy Chef. Those movies may not have skyrocketed his earnings, but they did make $84.4 million and $46 million at the box office, respectively.

9 2015 — Robert Downey Jr. ($80 million)

Written and directed by Joss Whedon, produced by Marvel Studios, and distributed by Disney, the sequel to The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, further cemented Downey Jr.’s importance in the MCU and increased his earnings by $5 million. The movie itself made a staggering $1.403 billion.

Meanwhile, with her $52 million, Jennifer Lawrence wasn’t exactly kicking back as the reigning queen of Hollywood in 2015, as she made sure to denounce unequal pay in the industry, joining a list of actresses like Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, and Cate Blanchett.

The Age of Superheroes Was Good to Downey Jr.

Downey Jr. kept amassing earnings from the franchise, with the appearances in the Avengers films and other movies in the MCU franchise rewarding him well. He made $40 million from Captain America: Civil War alone in 2016.

8 2016 — Dwayne Johnson ($64.5 million)

Dwayne Johnson is another reigning Hollywood star with several entries on this list and a net worth of $800 million, partly due to his 30-40% stake in Teremana Tequila, a multi-billion dollar business.

The former wrestler garnered millions of international fans through a variety of genres, from fantasy, to action, to comedy; he went from making $5.5 million for The Scorpion King to $15 million for Walking Tall.

The Beginning of The Rock’s Massive Hollywood Earnings

Johnson reportedly made $15 million in base fee for playing Luke Hobbs in the action hit Furious 7, which broke the box office with a whopping $1.515 billion. He also cashed $14 million as CIA agent Bob Stone in the hilarious buddy action comedy Central Intelligence, alongside Kevin Hart.

And finally, he received $21 million for voicing Maui in the successful Disney animation, Moana, plus $1 million for social media endorsement, according to Parade.

7 2017 — Mark Wahlberg ($68 million)

For being an actor, producer, musician, singer, songwriter, score composer, and brand ambassador, it’s no wonder Mark Wahlberg’s net worth is $400 million. His accolades include a BAFTA Award and nominations for several Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Primetime Emmys. Per Celebrity Net Worth, the international burger chain that he owns with his brothers, Donnie and Paul, generates over $100 million in yearly revenues.

Wahlberg Hit His Stride With Big Blockbusters

Wahlberg acted in five movies in 2016 and 2017, the most profitable of which were definitely the sci-fi action blockbuster Transformers: The Last Knight, and the family comedy that he also executive-produced, Daddy’s Home 2.

The first movie made $605.4 million and earned him $40 million, while his revenues from the latter are estimated between $15 to $17 million from acting alone, per Wonder Wall.

6 2018 — George Clooney ($239 million)

The actor, brand ambassador, producer, screenwriter, entrepreneur, and activist George Clooney has surely come a long way from a net worth of $500,000 in 1993 to $500 million in 2023. He has won two Oscars, one BAFTA, and four Golden Globes, and his most memorable acting credits include ER where he got started, as well as One Fine Day, Batman & Robin, Ocean’s Eleven, The Descendants, and Gravity.

Clooney’s Tequila Has Been Wildly Successful

It’s important to note that Clooney’s jaw-dropping paycheck that year is mainly from the sale of Casamigos tequila, the ultra-premium company he founded with Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman. He was seen on screen in 2016 as Baird Whitlock in Hail, Caesar!, a dark comedy, and Lee Gates in Money Monster, a crime thriller opposite Julia Roberts.

Otherwise, he co-wrote, co-produced, and directed the dark crime comedy Suburbicon in 2017, which flopped at the box office.

On another note, Downey Jr.’s total income in 2018 was over $75 million, thanks to Avengers: Infinity War, making him the highest earner in net income when you don’t count tequila.

5 2019 — Dwayne Johnson ($89.4 million)

Johnson performed and co-produced two movies in 2018, the sci-fi adventure flick Rampage, which grossed $428 million, and the action thriller Skyscraper, which made $304.9 million and for which he received an extra 30% in profit, per Business Insider.

The Rock In the Midst of Reigning Over Hollywood

In the first half of 2019, he was the executive producer of the biographical sports dramedy Fighting with My Family, appearing briefly as The Rock. He also cameoed as Black Adam in the DC Comics superhero flick Shazam!, which he also executive-produced and which grossed $367.7 million.

4 2020 — Dwayne Johnson ($87.5 million)

In the second half of 2019, Johnson returned as Luke Hobbs in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, which earned him $20 million and, as expected, broke the box office with $760.7 million.

Jumanji Was a Runaway Hit for Johnson

He also produced and starred in the fantasy adventure flick, Jumanji: The Next Level, for which his base salary was $23.5 million; the movie was a massive hit and praised by critics, scoring $801.7 million. Meanwhile, for co-producing and hosting the NBC sports competition reality show, The Titan Games, he reportedly made $450,000 per episode.

3 2021 — Dwayne Johnson ($270 million)

The actor’s earnings skyrocketed in 2021, mostly due to his tequila company. He had a voice cameo in the action-comedy film, Free Guy, then portrayed Frank Wolff in the fantasy adventure flick, Jungle Cruise, bringing home $22 million, while his co-star, Emily Blunt, apparently only made $9 million.

Tequila Is a Profitable Business For Johnson, Too

Next came the Netflix action-comedy Red Notice, which he co-produced and in which he played the conman John Hartley, earning a talent fee of $20 million.

2 2022 — Tyler Perry ($175 million)

The controversial and sassy actor, filmmaker, and playwright Tyler Perry wrote and produced several plays in the 1990s and early 2000s. He partnered with Oprah Winfrey Network and appeared in hits like Star Trek (2009), Gone Girl (2014), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016), and Don’t Look Up (2021). His work has cumulatively grossed $660 million, and his current net worth is a mind-blowing $1 billion.

Related: 15 Least Controversial Movie Stars of All Time

Tyler Perry Is a Hollywood Mainstay

Besides his profits from the Madea franchise and Tyler Perry Studios, Perry cashed in more big bucks in 2022 from two Netflix movies. He wrote, executive-produced, starred in and directed the comedy A Madea Homecoming, and wrote, co-produced, and directed the drama A Jazzman’s Blues, which earned six nominations.