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Highest paid actors of 2009
It was a good year for the top-earning men in Hollywood. Seven of our top 20 raked in more than $30 million. To figure out earnings we spoke to agents, managers, producers and lawyers to come up with estimated earnings between June 2008 and June 2009.
Harrison Ford
$65 million
After years of staying on the down low, Ford reemerged this year for Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones series that started in 1981. Ford’s earnings on the movie come exclusively from his share of the profits of the film, which earned $786 million at the worldwide box office.
Adam Sandler
$55 million
The former Saturday Night Live star has proved himself to be a solid hit maker with movies like this year’s Bedtime Stories and You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, which earned a combined $413 million at the box office. Up next: Funny People, directed by his former roommate Judd Apatow.
Will Smith
$45 million
Smith proved once again that he owns July 4 with last summer’s Hancock. Despite middling reviews, the film grossed $624 million at the worldwide box office. Smith’s status as a global superstar helped keep his downer film Seven Pounds from being a total disaster. The movie earned almost $100 million overseas.
Eddie Murphy
$40 million
Despite the failure of Meet Dave (the film made only $50 million at the worldwide box office), Murphy continues to earn big paychecks for his work in family comedies. That could change if his two upcoming movies, Imagine That and A Thousand Words, don’t perform.
Nicolas Cage
$40 million
The actor doesn’t earn the same size paychecks as some of the other men topping our list, but he works twice as hard. Cage currently has six films scheduled for release over the next two years. Part of the reason for his work ethic could be the fact that he owes millions to the IRS.
Tom Hanks
$35 million
Hanks is one of the few stars who still earns $20 million upfront paychecks for his work in movies like Angels & Demons, which has grossed $407 million for Sony at the worldwide box office. Hanks also makes a nice living producing hits like last year’s Mamma Mia.
Tom Cruise
$30 million
Cruise managed to avoid any embarrassing tabloid moments over the last 12 months, and his movie Valkyrie did better than expected, earning $200 million at the worldwide box office. But the thing that most helped Cruise rehab his image this year was his cameo as an obnoxious Hollywood executive in Tropic Thunder.
Jim Carrey
$28 million
The funny man took a big risk this year on his film Yes Man. In lieu of his $20 million upfront pay, Carrey became an investor in the movie taking one-third of the film’s profits. The unusual deal turned out to be a good one for Carrey. By the time the movie has earned all its money he’ll pocket $35 million.
Brad Pitt
$28 million
Pitt was nominated for an Oscar this year for his work in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and also earned some cold cash from the film, which brought in $333 million at the worldwide box office. Up next: hunting for Nazi scalps in Inglourious Basterds.
Johnny Depp
$27 million
Depp falls to 10th place on our list after earning $72 million last year. The reason: no new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. The fourth installment is scheduled for 2012. In the meantime, he’ll play John Dillinger in Public Enemies and the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland.
George Clooney
$25 million
The star hasn’t appeared in a blockbuster hit outside of the Ocean’s series since 2000’s The Perfect Storm. Instead, Clooney has opted for smaller films like last year’s ensemble movie Burn After Reading. Up next: Men Who Stare At Goats, which was one of the few films to find a buyer at the recent Cannes Film Festival.
Russell Crowe
Robert Downey Jr.
$20 million
Iron Man grossed $580 million at the worldwide box office, proving that despite his checkered history, Downey is still a draw in the right part. The film’s success allowed him to boost his asking price on Iron Man 2, helping the actor earn $20 million over the last 12 months.
Denzel Washington
$20 million
While starring in blockbusters like American Gangster and Inside Man, Washington has also been honing his skills behind the camera, directing 2007’s The Great Debaters. Coming up next: a remake of The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 and The Book Of Eli about a post-apocalyptic America.
Vince Vaughn
$14 million
The comedian continues to be a solid draw in movies like Four Christmases and Fred Clause, even if his films don’t set the box office on fire. He’s a producer on this fall’s Couple’s Retreat, a comedy that costars Jon Favreau and Jason Bateman.
Ben Stiller
$14 million
The actor had a hit with last summer’s Tropic Thunder, which grossed $188 million at the worldwide box office. Stiller was the star of the film and also the writer, director and producer. He also makes big bucks starring in comedies like Night At The Museum 2, which has so far earned $280 million at the worldwide box office.
Seth Rogen
$12 million
Rogen appeared in four movies over the last 12 months, including Pineapple Express and Monsters Vs. Aliens, in which he was the voice of B.O.B., a blob-like monster. Up next: Funny People, directed by his mentor Judd Apatow and starring Adam Sandler.
Matt Damon
$11 million
Damon makes the big bucks when he plays Jason Bourne in the action series, but brings in less for more serious movies. This year there was no Bourne, so his earnings are coming mostly from his work in the upcoming Nelson Mandela biopic starring Morgan Freeman and directed by Clint Eastwood.
Christian Bale
$10 million
Bale got more ink for his abusive rant on the set of Terminator Salvation than for his acting this year, but he still managed to appear in several blockbusters, including The Dark Knight, which is the second highest-grossing film of all time behind Titanic. Up next: He plays federal agent Melvin Purvis hot on the trail of John Dillinger in Public Enemies.
Will Ferrell
10 million
The funnyman had a rough year. His movies Step Brothers and Semi-Pro under-performed his earlier hits like Blades Of Glory and Talladega Nights. Things got even worse last weekend when his big-budget remake of Land Of The Lost opened to only $18 million, putting it in third place behind The Hangover and Up.
SOURCE : FORBES
The highest paid comedians of 2009
Our ranking of the most valuable comedians is based on Forbes’ Star Currency survey. Conducted in fall 2008, the survey polled hundreds of entertainment industry professionals to rate 1,400 actors on critical financial metrics, such as their abilities to attract financing for films and drive box office revenues.
No 1. Adam Sandler
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 42
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 9.61 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 10
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No.12
Hollywood’s most desirable funnyman has a long track record of leading silly but profitable comedies, like Big Daddy, Happy Gilmore and The Waterboy. Sandler has also flexed his serious chops in 2002’s Punch Drunk Love and 2004’s Spanglish. His much anticipated Funny People, in which Sandler plays a successful Hollywood comedian diagnosed with cancer, should provide another opportunity to blend humor and humanity.
No 2. Will Ferrell
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 41
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 9.56 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 13
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 15
One of Hollywood’s hottest comedic talents, Ferrell is putting his touch on film, television (HBO’s Eastbound and Down) and the emerging world of Web video (Funnyordie.com). Ferrell recently took to the Broadway stage to satirize former President George W. Bush in a controversial one-man show.
No. 3. Ben Stiller(my fav.)
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 43
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 9.50 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 15
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 18
Born to comedian parents, Stiller broke into show business on Broadway and later produced well-regarded but little-watched comedy shows for MTV and Fox. He soon branched out into directing (Reality Bites, The Cable Guy), but developed into an economic force in Hollywood after taking starring roles in There’s Something About Mary and Meet the Parents. That film, along with its sequel, Meet the Fockers, grossed $850 million at box offices worldwide.
No. 4. Jim Carrey
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 47
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 9.42 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 16
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 19
Canadian comic won Hollywood stardom with 1994’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Carrey has since proven himself as a crowd-pleasing funnyman in sophomoric flicks like Dumb and Dumber and Liar Liar, and earned respect as a serious actor in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Man on the Moon. Controversial new flick I Love You, Philip Morris, starring Carrey and Ewan McGregor as prison lovers, premiered at Sundance in January but has yet to find a theatrical distributor.
No. 5. Vince Vaughn
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 39
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 8.39 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 28
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 32
Chicago-bred funnyman had his breakout role as a wannabe Hollywood player in 1996’s Swingers. Later took on dramatic roles in Psycho remake and Domestic Disturbance. His career has been reignited by collaborations with fellow Bankable comedian listers Ferrell and Stiller in Old School, Starsky and Hutch, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
No. 6. Steve Carell
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 46
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 8.05 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 31
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 36
Now one of Hollywood’s most desired comedic talents, Carell says he once considered a career as a mailman and attorney. Good thing he opted for comedy. Films led by the ex-Daily Show correspondent have garnered both nods from critics and huge box office revenues. Among his successes: 40 Year Old Virgin and Anchorman.
No. 7. Eddie Murphy
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 48
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 7.66 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 37
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 49
Murphy launched his career with a raunchy stand-up routine but has recently been collecting huge paychecks for his work on movies aimed at kids. His turn as oddball Donkey in Dreamworks’ Shrek series has helped generate $2.2 billion in world box office revenue. The SNL alum also carried successful comedies Dr. Doolittle and The Nutty Professor, as well as appeared in a dramatic role in 2006’s critically acclaimed Dreamgirls.
No. 8. Sacha Baron Cohen
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 37
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 7.64 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 38
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 50
The Cambridge-educated comedian got his start in university productions of Fiddler on the Roof. Baron Cohen’s career took off after creating the character Ali G, a moronic television interviewer, for a British sketch show. That personality inspired an HBO series, which in turn led to the hugely successful film Borat ($261 million worldwide gross), a faux documentary featuring Baron Cohen as an awkward Kazakhastani journalist touring the U.S. He stars as a flamboyant Austrian fashion reporter in the highly anticipated Bruno, which hits theaters in May 2009.
No. 9. Jack Black
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 39
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 7.60 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 40
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 53
Show biz lifer made a few bucks as a teenager starring in a 1982 Activision videogame commercial. His breakout role came 18 years later as pompous record store clerk in High Fidelity with John Cusack. During a 2009 Oscars presentation, Black joked that he made much more money for animated work (Kung Fu Panda, Shark Talk) than live action flicks (King Kong, Tropic Thunder).
No. 10. Robin Williams
Age (as of April 10, 2009): 57
Star Currency Cumulative Score: 7.45 (out of 10)
Star Currency Ranking (Among Actors): No. 65
Star Currency Ranking (Among All Actors/Actresses): No. 48
Williams launched his career as a wacky alien in NBC’s Mork & Mindy in the 1970s. He later honed his comedy chops as a stand-up and went on to star in big-grossing comedies: The Birdcage ($185 million worldwide gross) and Mrs. Doubtfire ($219 million). He won acclaim for his dramatic work, as well, including an Oscar in 1998 for his role as a sympathetic but tormented psychologist in Good Will Hunting.
SOURCE : FORBES
The fifteen highest paid men of hollywood in 2009
George Lucas
$170 million
With the latest Indiana Jones movie, Lucas continued his streak of poorly reviewed but high-earning sequels to his most famous films from the ’70s and ’80s. Lucas also earns big from a deal with Hasbro that gives him a large royalty on all Star Wars toys.
Steven Spielberg
$150 million
The director had a tough time finding a new home for his DreamWorks studio but finally landed at Disney. He did better personally, earning $150 million between June 2008 and June 2009 partially thanks to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Jerry Bruckheimer
$100 million
Bruckheimer earns millions producing the Pirates of the Caribbean series for Disney. Even without a pirate movie last year, he still managed to come in third thanks to his hit TV shows like CSI and Cold Case.
Jerry Seinfeld
$85 million
The comedian still earns millions from the syndication of Seinfeld more than a decade after the show went off the air. He’s back on the road with a stand-up act, and last year he starred in a Microsoft ad opposite Bill Gates.
Dr. Phil McGraw
$80 million
Despite a 25% drop in ratings, Dr. Phil still brings in the big bucks thanks to his syndication fees, books and speeches. A series of shows with octomom Nadya Suleman helped bring his show some extra buzz.
Tyler Perry
$75 million
The producer/writer/director star continued his hot streak with two new movies: Madea Goes to Jail and The Family That Preys. His deal with distributor Lionsgate allows Perry to keep much of the money from his films. Perry also had a surprise cameo in this summer’s Star Trek reboot.
Dick Wolf
$75 million
Despite being embroiled in a lawsuit with NBC, Wolf still managed to earn millions from his successful Law & Order franchise. The original show is poised to tie Gunsmoke as the longest-running prime-time drama in television history.
Simon Cowell
$75 million
Idol‘s meanest judge is also its richest. Cowell continues to earn big paydays for his work on the show. He also rakes it in as the creator of both America and Britain’s Got Talent and his record label reps all show winners.
Bruce Springsteen
$70 million
At 59 the Boss still rocks. His latest tour earned $166 million from 1.6 million tickets sold. He capped off his tour by playing the halftime show at the Super Bowl. Springsteen has been an outspoken critic of the pending Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, saying the deal will be bad for fans.
Howard Stern
$70 million
Stern continues to earn $100 million annually from his Sirius Satellite Radio deal (minus show production costs) despite his protestations that he’ll quit at the end of his five-year contract. Last year the shock jock married his longtime girlfriend Beth Ostrosky.
Harrison Ford
$65 million
The actor stepped back into the spotlight last year with the fourth installment of Indiana Jones. Strapping back on the whip might have been tough work for 67-year-old Ford, but he was well compensated with a hefty chunk of the film’s profits.
Kenny Chesney
$65 million
Despite lukewarm sales of his latest album, Chesney made the list with a monster tour selling one million tickets in 2008. Endorsements deals with Corona and MasterCard don’t hurt either. Chesney can often be seen tailgating with fans before shows.
James Patterson
$60 million
The prolific writer released nine new novels between June 2008 and June 2009 in addition to a videogame based on his Women’s Murder Club series and his first biography, Against Medical Advice, about a man with a mysterious medical condition.
Adam Sandler
$55 million
Sandler’s humor may be lowbrow, but he’s one of the few actors in Hollywood who can still command upward of $15 million to appear in a movie. His two most recent films, Bedtime Stories and You Don’t Mess With The Zohan earned a collective $413 million at the worldwide box office.
Larry David
$55 million
David has made a name for himself as a curmudgeon through his HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm (heading into its 10th season) and his recent turn in Woody Allen’s Whatever Works. But he still gets the bulk of his money from Seinfeld syndication.
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