Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actors of 2024: Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson Tops The List
Hollywood’s top actors are making more money than ever according to Forbes’ analysis, thanks to big movie deals, streaming partnerships, and their ability to promote their own work. While blockbuster hits still matter, stars who can turn their fans into paying customers are earning the highest paychecks.
Dwayne Johnson takes the top spot with $88 million in earnings. His massive paycheck came from his role in Red One, a deal that reportedly earned him $50 million, making it the biggest single-movie payday ever. He also benefited from the success of Moana 2, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Right behind him is Ryan Reynolds, who made $85 million in 2024. He was the producer, co-writer, and star of Deadpool & Wolverine, the biggest live-action film of the year, earning over $1.3 billion at the box office.
Coming in third is Kevin Hart, who brought in $81 million. His non-stop work ethic included movies, TV shows, stand-up specials, and even a roast of Tom Brady. Hart’s ability to stay in the spotlight keeps his earnings high.
The Rest of the Top 20
- Jerry Seinfeld – $60 million: Stand-up comedy and ongoing earnings from Seinfeld keep his bank account full.
- Hugh Jackman – $50 million: Returning as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine proved extremely lucrative.
- Brad Pitt – $32 million: His film Wolfs, co-starring George Clooney, skipped theaters for a huge Apple deal.
- George Clooney – $31 million: Clooney also cashed in on Wolfs and remains a sought-after actor.
- Nicole Kidman – $31 million: She continues to dominate TV miniseries, with multiple hit shows in 2024.
- Adam Sandler – $26 million: His Netflix partnership ensures consistent high paychecks.
- Will Smith – $26 million: Bad Boys: Ride or Die helped him regain his Hollywood status.
- Mariska Hargitay – $25 million ($29 million gross) Earned from her long-running role in Law & Order: SVU, where she gets $750,000 per episode, plus syndication profits.
- Channing Tatum – $24 million ($28 million gross) Made big money from a streaming buyout of Fly Me to the Moon and starred in Blink Twice, along with a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine.
- Jason Statham – $24 million ($25 million gross Commanded over $20 million for his action hit The Beekeeper, continuing his streak of box office success.
- Mark Wahlberg – $23 million ($31 million gross) Earned from Netflix’s The Union and independent film Arthur the King, alongside his business ventures.
- Matt Damon – $23 million ($30 million gross) His studio Artists Equity sold The Instigators to AppleTV+, earning him a major payout with equity in the film.
- John Cena – $23 million ($30 million gross) Made millions from WWE and starring in streaming comedies like Argylle, Ricky Stanicky, and Jackpot!.
- Denzel Washington – $23 million ($27 million gross) Played the villain in Gladiator II, earning a hefty paycheck, along with residuals from his past hits.
- Jake Gyllenhaal – $22 million ($26 million gross) Led Amazon’s Road House remake and AppleTV+’s Presumed Innocent series, securing big streaming deals.
- Scarlett Johansson – $21 million ($25 million gross)Co-starred in Fly Me to the Moon and voiced the lead in Transformers One, adding to her earnings.
- Joaquin Phoenix – $19 million ($22 million gross) Earned his biggest paycheck yet for Joker: Folie à Deux, despite its poor box office performance.
The list shows how Hollywood is changing. Many stars now make huge sums from streaming platforms rather than traditional box office hits. Stars like Brad Pitt and George Clooney skipped theaters in favor of guaranteed paydays from Apple, Amazon, and Netflix.
Interestingly, most of the highest-paid actors are over 50 years old. Younger stars like Sydney Sweeney and Timothée Chalamet are rising in popularity, but they haven’t reached the top earnings yet. The industry still favors veteran actors with proven box office success.
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