The amount of screen time does not always determine an actor’s checks in Hollywood. The modern-day top-earning stars serve as multimedia brands, which allows them to secure big payments because their fanbase enables studios and streaming platforms to use them as powerful marketing tools.
Changes in how actors receive compensation payments have become significant in the last few years. The beginning of streaming buyout deals raised the bar for sure. The profit-sharing arrangements between studios and actors provide dual payment options of opening fees together with backend profits, which works great for those who star in big box office performers.
Forbes’ list of 2024’s highest-paid actors represents the veterans in the industry. Even though 2024 can be a considerable breakthrough year at the box office for young actors like Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, and Zendaya, they failed to come close to the sums earned by seasoned stars.
10. Will Smith ($26 million)
The career of Will Smith in 2024 showed recovery from his infamous 2022 Oscars slap incident through professional growth. Although the comeback of the 56-year-old actor is still a topic of debate according to industry experts, his return to the genre that established his career delivered lucrative results.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die delivered the necessary commercial success for Smith by amassing worldwide earnings of over $404 million (according to Box Office Mojo). The successful outcome shows that Smith can still attract viewers to his initial action-comedy roles, which boosted his fame during earlier decades.
9. Adam Sandler ($26 million)
The successful business deal between Adam Sandler and Netflix continued his status as one of their most valuable performers during 2024. The platform provides broad creative opportunities, which include both industry blockbusters and artistic projects, along with some good paychecks.
In 2024, Sandler was seen in Spaceman, which provided viewers insight into his broader acting abilities beyond comedies. He also released his stand-up special, Love You, on Netflix, which earned millions of viewers.
8. Nicole Kidman ($31 million)
Across various streaming projects, Nicole Kidman managed to dominate television by reportedly earning more than $1 million per episode. The actress captured leading roles in multiple streaming projects throughout 2024, including The Perfect Couple on Netflix, the movie A Family Affair, Lioness on Paramount+, and the critically acclaimed Expats on Amazon.
The 57-year-old actress came up with two more theatrical releases. One was her much-talked-about movie Babygirl, where she plays a romantic role against her much younger co-star Harris Dickinson. She also had a voice role in Spellbound, which had a limited theatrical release and premiered on Netflix the same day.
According to Box Office Mojo, Babygirl grossed about $63.8 million worldwide, with a reported budget of $20 million, and such a portfolio, combining streaming and theatrical works, put Kidman on the 2024 list of highest-paid actresses.
7. George Clooney ($31 million)
George Clooney featured in two movies in 2024. One is the Ryan Reynolds starter, IF, where he voiced the Spaceman. The other one is the much talked about Wolfs, co-starring Brad Pitt. The latter was one of the most in-demand movies of the year for different streaming platforms before its release.
Wolfs was unlike any other Clooney film. The straight-to-streaming decision indicated the changing film industry patterns among established actors as the movie business keeps on changing drastically every year.
6. Brad Pitt ($32 million)
In 2024, Brad Pitt balanced streaming exclusives with theatrical releases. He appeared in Wolfs along with Clooney and also gave voice to the character of Keith in IF.
Through Plan B Entertainment, owned by Pitt, he sustained its track record of commercially successful and critically acclaimed projects. The company managed to distribute two significant hits during one year, including Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Nickel Boys, which received Best Picture recognition. Pitt also served as executive producer for two productions- Bob Marley: One Love and Outer Range.
5. Hugh Jackman ($50 million)
Hugh Jackman came back with his adamantium claws for good after 2017’s Logan. But it seems like it is difficult even for the actor to stay away from his fan-favorite role of Wolverine.
Jackman appeared in only one film, Deadpool & Wolverine, which became the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever and probably the most financially rewarding film of Jackman’s career. As per Box Office Mojo, the movie earned over $1.3 billion worldwide.
4. Jerry Seinfeld ($60 million)
Billionaire Jerry Seinfeld, even at the very respectable age of 70, does his stand-up comedy tours regularly while his namesake show earns 8-figure annual royalties even decades after its conclusion.
In 2024, the comedy legend took on triple duties to create Unfrosted, which showed his talent as a writer, director, and lead performer while making fun of the creation of Pop-Tarts. After the pandemic lockdowns, Netflix showed a desire to work from Seinfeld through an innovative project.
3. Kevin Hart ($81 million)
Few people have combined an unswerving work ethic without worrying much about platform as Kevin Hart did, earning $81 million in 2024. The 45-year-old comedian was seen in Borderlands, Lift, Amazon Prime original Die Hart 2: Die Harter, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, and Abbott Elementary.
Hart has also made millions with his brand partnerships in addition to other endeavors, like performing in more than 90 stand-up shows, Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady, and his weekly Gold Minds podcast for Spotify.
2. Ryan Reynolds ($85 million)
Ryan Reynolds starred in two movies in 2024- IF and Deadpool 3. He was also the lead producer and co-writer of Deadpool & Wolverine, with the movie grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide, becoming the year’s biggest hit. His involvement extended beyond roles to include producing marketing materials through his agency, Maximum Effort.
Reynolds contributed as an actor and a producer in John Krasinski’s IF. However, the movie didn’t do well in theaters. As per Box Office Mojo, IF earned about $190 million worldwide with a reported production budget of $110 million. Reynolds also produced a new season of the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham for Hulu, which was also part of the actor’s productive year.
1. Dwayne Johnson ($88 million)
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson maintains his position as the top-earning actor in Hollywood thanks to his historic fee-plus-buyout streaming deal. A reported agreement between Johnson and Amazon Prime Video for Red One earned him $50 million, which became the largest streaming-based paycheck in entertainment history.
Johnson’s remarkable financial year was further enhanced by an unprecedented deal between his Seven Bucks Productions and Disney for Moana 2. The movie surpassed $1 billion at the global box office, which would definitely have boosted his paycheck numbers, and the deal will let the actor make more movies and shows for Disney.
In 2024, financial success in Hollywood remained reserved for those who had more to offer than just acting. The combined earnings of about $254 million from Johnson, Reynolds, and Hart matched what the remaining seven top earners in the list accumulated collectively. As streaming platforms compete for subscribers while cinema reshapes itself, it will be interesting to see how stardom will affect the movie business in 2025.
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