Forbes [1]'s annual list of the highest-paid actors in the world has been unveiled, and some faces on the list might surprise you. Last year, Mile 22 star Mark Wahlberg [2] clinched the top spot, raking in a cool $68 million for his turns in films like Daddy's Home 2 and Transformers: The Last Night. In 2018, however, Wahlberg didn't even crack the top 10. So, which well-paid stars picked up salaries that will likely make your jaw hit the floor, especially when compared to the figures brought in by the world's highest-earning actresses [3]? (The actors' list tallied $748.5 million, compared to the list of female stars, which totaled $186 million.) Keep scrolling to see what stars like George Clooney [4], Dwayne Johnson, and more earned over the last year as you reflect on Hollywood's gender pay gap problem [5].
George Clooney
Despite not appearing in a Hollywood blockbuster in quite some time, George Clooney [7]'s tequila business with pal Rande Gerber, Casamigos Tequila, was bought by British liquor conglomerate Diageo or $700 million up front, with the potential for an extra $300 million over the next decade. In other words, Clooney pulled in a pretax paycheck of $239 million between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson might not have a wildly successful tequila company, but he's still doing pretty damn well for himself. The Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actor banked $124 million over the last year. Although he's also a spokesman for companies like Under Armour, he credits social media with allowing him to negotiate for seven-figure paychecks. "Social media has become the most critical element of marketing a movie for me," Johnson told Forbes [8]. "I have established a social media equity with an audience around the world that there's a value in what I'm delivering to them."
Robert Downey Jr.
Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. took home $81 million, demanding an estimated $15 million up front for Spider-Man: Homecomeing and more than twice that for AVengers: Infinity War.
Chris Hemsworth
Close behind his Infinity War costar is Chris Hemsworth, who made $64.5 million. The salary was his career best thanks to a big Marvel payday.
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan pops up in the fifth spot with a $45.5 million pay day. He's easily China's top actor, and starred in six films in 2017 (which is on top of plenty of lucrative endorsement deals and owning a movie theatre chain).
Will Smith
If you still cringe when you think about Netflix's Bright [9], you're definitely not alone. But among those decidedly not upset about the critical disaster? Star Will Smith [10], who picked up an estimated $20 million for the sci-fi bomb. With his role as the Genie in Disney's live-action Aladdin [11], Smith wound up with $42 million in the bank.
Akshay Kumar
The 50-year-old Indian actor signed on to three movies in 2017 and two in 2018, keeping his cash flow at a steady $40.5 million. Since he's one of Bollywood's leading men, he also mints tons of profits from endorsement deals with brands like Tata and Eveready.
Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler [12] not only performs at live comedy gigs that earn him six figures per appearance, but also signed a pretty sweet Netflix deal a few years back. He continues to reap the benefits of the comedies he writes, directs, and stars in for the streaming service, which went towards his $39.5 million paycheck this year.
Salman Khan
As another one of Bollywood's heavy hitter, Salman Khan made $38.5 million by producing and starring in hits like Tiger Zinda Hai.
Chris Evans
Did you really think Captain America wouldn't make the cut? Chris Evans took home $34 million in Marvel-fuelled dollars over the last year.