A lot of people dreamed of being a celebrity. They love the glitz and glamor of being in the spotlight. And with a multi-million dollar paycheck for every movie project, it is easy to see why acting is one of the world’s most popular professions.
If you are wondering who among the most famous stars in Hollywood got the biggest paycheck for a movie role in history, then you came to the right place. Here is the top ten list of the highest-paid roles in a movie in history.
#10. Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” – worth $55 million
In 2010, Forbes reported that the fourth installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie franchise belonged to the list of movies with the most expensive production costs when it reached more than $410 million. A chunk of it went to the salaries of the actors, particularly Johnny Depp.
According to reports, Depp was given $55 million to reprise his legendary role of Captain Jack Sparrow. In an interview published in 2011, Depp confessed that he could get more than $300 million from the “Pirates” franchise.
#9. Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump” – worth $60 million
The hit comedy-drama “Forrest Gump” became a worldwide hit in 1994, and it remained one of the most important films in history. No wonder Hanks became part of the list of the highest-paid movie actors when he received an estimated amount of $60 million after playing the titular role.
#8. Adam Sandler in all his Netflix films – worth a total of $250 million
In 2014, Sandler signed on a deal with the popular entertainment streaming giant to appear in four exclusive films. The deal is reportedly worth $250 million, or roughly about $62.5 million per film. Netflix reportedly renewed the deal several times.
#7. Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” – worth $65 million
To convince Ford to reprise his legendary role as Indiana Jones, Paramount reportedly agreed to share a massive amount from the box-office earnings of the fourth installment of the “Indiana Jones” franchise. He has estimated earnings of $65 million for that film alone.
#6. Johnny Depp in “Alice in Wonderland” – worth $68 million
Aside from his “Pirates” stint, Depp had another high-paying job when Walt Disney Pictures tapped him to play the role of the Madhatter in Tim Button’s “Alice in Wonderland.” The film studio released the film worldwide in 2010.
#5. Sandra Bullock in “Gravity” – worth $70 million
To get her to sign up for the role of Dr. Ryan Stone, Bullock was paid by Warner Bros. a $20 million paycheck upfront. But the deal also allowed the Oscar-winning actress to get a 15% share from the overall box-office profits of the sci-fi movie, which is why she got at least $70 million.
#4. Robert Downy Jr. in “Avengers: Infinity War” – worth $75 million
Downey is definitely the highest-paid celebrity in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor managed to negotiate a deal where he will earn the backend profits of the 2018 installment of the “Avengers” saga.
#3. Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” – worth $75 million
Cruise reprised his well-loved role as the IMF spy agent Ethan Hunt in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise in 2011. In the film saga’s fourth installment, the actor earned $75 million, making him the number one most powerful actor in Forbes’ 2012 list.
#2. Keanu Reeves in “The Matrix” trilogy – worth $250 million ($83.3 million per film)
Perhaps Reeves’ most iconic role to date is the cybercriminal and computer programming expert Neo in “The Matrix.” It earned him at least $250 million for all three films.
#1. Will Smith in “Men in Black 3” – worth $100 million
Will Smith starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the original “Men in Black” trilogy. He led the list of the highest-paid actors in a movie of all time when he got $100 million for the third film. It topped all the other films that he made in the past.
