This year's top 5 highest-paid actors
Ranking first is Johnny Depp was the highest-paid actor in
Hollywood, with an earning a total of $75 million. His ability to almost
guarantee a big box office (even Public Enemies earned $214 million) means
studios are willing to pay whatever it takes to get a bit of the Depp magic.
Between June 2009 and June 2010.
Ranking second is Ben Stiller with $53 million. The comedian
earns big bucks for films like Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
and the upcoming third installment in the Meet the Parents franchise because
those films pay out at the box office. But Stiller has also started doing
smaller, more personal films. This year's Greenberg, about a lonely man rapidly
approaching middle age, earned only $6 million.
Ranking third is Tom Hanks. Between June 2009 and June 2010
the actor earned $45 million. Much of that came from movies like Angels &
Demons and the upcoming Larry Crowne, which co-stars Julia Roberts. But Hanks
also earns from films and TV shows he produces. He was behind HBO's recent
mini-series The Pacific and produced 2009's Where The Wild Things Are.
Ranking fourth is Adam Sandler with earnings of $40 million.
His most recent film, Grown Ups, started slow but is now Sandler's
third-highest-grossing film of all time at the box office with $230 million in
ticket sales worldwide. The fact that his humor can bring in fans over time, in
the U.S. and abroad, means studios are willing to pay him a hefty salary.
Ranking fifth is Leonardo DiCaprio with $28 million. The
star went through a period with underperforming films like Body of Lies and
Blood Diamond, making it increasingly difficult for DiCaprio to justify his
large payday.
