Everyone is aware that Hollywood movie stars receive some of the highest salaries in the world. However, not all actors exhibit the same level of talent, and when pulling power is taken into account, some can earn significantly more than others. Which actor, according to Variety’s estimates, earned the most money in 2022 as the year draws to a close?
List of Top 10 Highest-Paid Actors in the World
1. Tom Cruise
The sequel to Top Gun, which was released, more than three decades after the original, surpassed US$1.37 billion at the global box office in August, according to Collider. However, according to Insider, Cruise’s original remuneration was a “mere” US$13 million when he first signed on.
According to British media, the 60-year-old increased that sum by agreeing to a deal that guarantees the actor/producer receives a portion of the blockbuster’s overall proceeds from ticket sales and streaming earnings. Thus, earning almost ten times as much as he did at the beginning, Cruise’s pre-film earnings in 2022 add up to a staggering US$100 million, making him the highest-paid actor of the year.
2. Will Smith
When Smith memorably smacked Chris Rock on national television at the Oscars earlier this year, many fans and critics questioned whether the 54-year-old actor’s film career would ever be the same. His most recent film, Emancipation, reportedly earned generally favorable reviews and could be his ticket back to Hollywood, according to the BBC. His role in the 1860s-set movie, which follows a slave’s life, reportedly received US$35 million in compensation.
3. Leonardo Dicaprio
Over the years, DiCaprio has received some sizable paychecks thanks to his critically praised roles in movies including Shutter Island (2010), Django Unchained (2012), and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019). Robert De Niro is the star of the 48-year-latest old’s movie, Killers of the Flower Moon, which he received $30 million for and which Martin Scorsese wrote the screenplay for. According to History.com, the historical drama is based on the Osage tribe killings from the 1920s, which is famed for being the FBI’s first significant homicide case.
4. Brad Pitt
Pitt’s income stream has continuously been above average throughout his lengthy career in the field. The 58-year-old actor-producer has agreed to an exclusive agreement of US$30 million for his most recent project following Bullet Train. According to Deadline, Pitt would portray a seasoned Formula One driver in an imaginary movie produced by Apple Studios. The yet-to-be-announced title will also star seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and is based on a script penned by Top Gun: Maverick’s Ehren Kruger.
5. Dwayne ‘The Rock Johnson
This star with several hyphens went from being a tough wrestler to becoming one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. To play DC Comics’ Black Adam, the actor received a substantial US$22.5 million salary for his first superhero role. According to Insider, the 50-year-old earns additional millions by marketing the movie on social media using his Instagram account, which has 350 million followers on its own.
6. Will Ferrell
Although comedian Ferrell is most known for his humorous parts, the 55-year-old Californian has amassed a substantial net worth, as seen by his US$20 million Spirited paycheck. As a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2002, Ferrell originally gained recognition in the mid-1990s.
Since then, he has been in several comedic movies. In 2007, he and his writing partner Adam McKay launched the humor website Funny or Die. The “Frat Pack,” a group of top Hollywood comedy actors that came to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is thought to include Ferrell.
7. Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth was still a budding actor when he initially joined the Marvel family to portray Thor, but the 39-year-old has seen his compensation soar in the following ten years from US$122,000 to a stunning US$18 million for the most recent installment, according to The Indian Express.
The fact that Netflix paid the dashing Australian $20 million for his Extraction 2 movie shows how in demand he is. Before starting a film career in Hollywood, he gained notoriety for his role as Kim Hyde in the Australian television series Home and Away (2004–2007).
8. Vin Diesel
Fans of the action mega-franchise Fast and Furious will be happy to learn that there will be an additional installment (the 11th), with Vin Diesel earning US$20 million for his returned part. Diesel started his career in 1990, but it took him a while to gain notice. In 1995, he wrote, directed, and performed in the short film Multi-Facial, and the following year, he released his debut movie, Strays (1997).
Diesel played the role of Groot in six superhero movies, starting with Guardians of the Galaxy. He now voices Groot and Groot II in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) (2014). He established the production business One Race Films, where he also worked as a producer or executive producer for his star-driven projects. Additionally, Diesel established the video game studio Tigon and the record label Racetrack Records.
9. Tom Hardy
Hardy, who gained notoriety for his early parts in movies like RocknRolla (2008) and Inception (2010), struck it rich when he was cast as the star of Marvel’s Venom franchise. The Disney-produced character was re-signed by the British actor, 45, for the film’s third installment, reportedly earning him $20 million.
In the eight-part historical fiction series Taboo (2017) on BBC One and FX, he created, co-produced, and played the lead role. He also provided narration for the All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur docuseries on Amazon in 2020. Hardy has performed on stages in both the UK and the US.
10. Joaquin Phoenix
Warner Bros. hired the 48-year-old American actor to portray Arthur Fleck, a wounded villain best known as the Joker from DC Comics. He reportedly received US$4.5 million from Variety for the 2019 movie, but he has since demonstrated his value as it went on to gross over US$1 billion at the box office, which accounts for his new US$20 million salary for the Joker 2, in which he will co-star with Lady Gaga.
