Forbes Magazine's Best Paid Actors

07/23/08

SHOW THUMBNAILS

Photo by Gareth Cattermole, Getty ImagesWill Smith leads the pack of Hollywood's best-paid actors, banking an estimated $80 million over the course of the year. Frequently called the hardest-working man in Hollywood, Smith has proved that no matter the genre -- be it sci-fi thriller
(I Am Legend) or sappy drama (The Pursuit of Happyness) -- he can deliver an audience.

Photo by Jon Furniss, WireImageThe former "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" star also set a theatrical record this year. Thanks to the commercial success of this summer's anti-superhero flick Hancock, Smith is the first actor in Hollywood history to have eight straight movies eclipse $100 million at the box office.

Photo by Gilbert Garrigue, WireImageComing in second on the list is Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp, an actor who is known to vacillate between commercial work and artier fare. He still managed to pull down $72 million this year.

Photo by Steve Granitz, WireImageIn this case, the bold-faced star followed up his three turns as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney's $2.76 billion "Pirates" franchise with the Stephen Sondheim serial-killer musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Though the latter hardly set box office records, it did earn Depp an Oscar nomination.

Photo by Kevin Mazur, WireImageWith $55 million, Eddie Murphy comes in third among Tinseltown's top earners, thanks to a slew of family-friendly hits. The long-reigning master of disguise continues to prove his range on- screen, playing notable roles in everything from animated flicks (Shrek the Third) to goofball comedies (Norbit) to musicals (Dreamgirls). The latter earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Photo by Frazer Harrison, Getty ImagesThen there's "Austin Powers" star Mike Myers, who is tied for third on this list with earnings of $55 million, due in large part to the success of the hit animated franchise "Shrek."

Photo by Gregg DeGuire, WireImageBut when it comes to live-action fare, the comedy chameleon's ride has been far less smooth in recent years. Despite a stellar cast (including Justin Timberlake and Jessica Alba) and plenty of promotion, Myers' summer comedy The Love Guru failed to deliver at the box office. To date, the Paramount flick has generated only $31.8 million domestically.

Photo by Jeff Vespa, WireImageTitanic's Leonardo DiCaprio rounds out the top five, raking in $45 million during the year. He's the unique movie star who can get $20 million for work in R-rated adult dramas, which, because of viewer age restrictions, have limited ability to generate big box office numbers.

Photo by Vera Anderson, WireImageThough his flicks are rarely blockbusters, DiCaprio's work can create a sizable amount of Academy Award season buzz. In fact, three of his last five flicks -- Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed -- were nominated for Best Picture. The latter took home the Oscar.

145 comments

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  • thats wat i call money! i aint mad at ya... his movies are worth every penny tho keep doin wat u do
    report abuseYahoo! Movies User posted July 30, 2008, 11:11 am PDT
  • Will u've got the will man.Am glad hardwork pays.can i borrow ..........,pls?
    report abuseYahoo! Movies User posted July 31, 2008, 4:11 am PDT
  • that is ridiculous for a poor actor in will smith just tells ya how pathetic you can be and still make money.
    report abuseShane posted July 31, 2008, 7:22 pm PDT
  • will is totally awesome!!!!!
    report abuseYahoo! Movies User posted July 31, 2008, 9:24 pm PDT
  • He sends his feeling and emotions on the screen to the viewers. Bravo.
    report abuseFirefly posted August 5, 2008, 10:07 pm PDT
  • will smith is indeed the man.
    report abuseYahoo! Movies User posted August 6, 2008, 3:22 am PDT
  • Will is a very talented actor !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Good for him
    report abuseDarlene posted August 11, 2008, 12:52 pm PDT
  • omg! Will Smith is my fave actor! He basically plays any role well and I do mean extremely well. I know no one who has had any summer movie hits like him. And rake in millions of dollars. He's banking and I aint mad at him! Keep doing ya thang.
    report abuseKenTerraJ posted August 11, 2008, 12:56 pm PDT
  • oh yeah! will smith is the man. but havent u guys noticed that lately all his movies are about the same thing! aliens! come on he can do so much better. MIB 4 life.
    report abuseAnastasia R posted August 11, 2008, 1:23 pm PDT
  • will is a beast and you all kno it!!!!!!!!!!!!whoever doesnt like him is a retard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
    report abuseYahoo! Movies User posted August 11, 2008, 4:18 pm PDT
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