Forbes has released its list of the highest paid actors. The earning period was May 2011 to May 2012. To determine who the highest-paid actors in Hollywood are, Forbes considered upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work. They talked to manager, agents, lawyers and other in-the-know folks to come up with their estimates. They did not deduct for things like agent fees or the expenses related to being a celebrity.
You might want to jot down your picks for highest paid and compare your choices with the Forbes List. There are a few surprises:
Tom Cruise is number one on the list with earnings of $75 million. His career declined after his marriage to Katie Homes five years ago. After several tough years, this was a good year for Tom with his latest Mission Impossible film grossing $700 million at the box office. Tom recently announced his split with his wife. We'll have to see the career impact of his divorce.
The number two spot marked a tie between Adam Sandler and Leonardo Di Caprio, both earning $37 million.
Leonardo Di Caprio is one of the few actors who can demand a $20 million paycheck for serious, adult films. His film J. Edgar, directed by Clint Eastwood, wasn't a great financial success nor did it win Oscar approval. Up next for actor: a 3-D version of The Great Gatsby.
Adam Sandler makes a different kind of movie entirely. Fans seem to love Sandler movies, although critics consistently give them a thumbs down. His 2011 movie Jack and Jill, in which he played a man and his twin sister, earned $180 million (not quite enough to cover the film's production budget and advertising costs) and ten Razzie awards.
Coming in at number four with earnings of $36 million is Dwayne Johnson, the Rock. He helped 2011's Fast and Furious become the franchise's highest-grossing film. Thanks in large part to Johnson, the second Journey to the Center of the Earth out-earned its predecessor a few months later. In the spring, Johnson will star in the sequel to G.I. Joe. Paramont is releasing the film in 3-D hoping to gain financially from the move.
Comedian Ben Stiller takes the number five spot earning $33 million. His Meet the Parents and Night at the Museum films bring in tons of money and his animated franchise, Madagascar, has grossed $1.6 billion at the global box office. his next film is The Watch.
It surprises me that Johnny Depp only earned $30 million last year. The only actor with three films that crossed the billion dollar threshold, Depp can stand some failures like his film Dark Shadows. His next film is The Lone Ranger where he'll play sidekick Tonto. Like Tom Cruise, Depp is ending a long-term relationship, but his earning potential remains sky-high.
My man Will Smith ties with Depp for numbers 6/7 with earnings of $30 million. His summer release of Men inBlack 3 has grossed $600 million so far. His next film venture is a sci-fi flick After Earth and son Jayden of The Karate Kid fame will join Dad in the effort.
Moving in at the number eight spot is Mark Wahlberg with earning of $27 million. Wahlberg is normally in serious tough guy roles like Micky Ward in The Fighter. He's had successful genre films like last January's Contraband. Now he's proving he can do funny. His recent comedy, Ted, is a surprise box office hit earning $54 million opening weekend.
Twilight stars Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson come in at numbers 9/10, both earning $26.5 million.
Taylor Lautner made Forbes Celebrity 100, but Pattinson didn't. Lautner film The Abduction marketed well giving him additional publicity. The final Twilight film Breaking Dawn-Part 2 will be released soon and is expected to be another box office success for its stars.
Robert Pattinson has not been successful in his films outside of the Twilight Saga. His release of Remember Me didn't grab an audience, but his last film Water for Elephants made a profit due its low production costs. We'll have to see how he fares in real "life after Twilight".
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