Hollywood’s highest-paid actors have consistently proven that star power still translates into massive paydays. While most actors spend decades earning millions across several movies, a select few have earned record-breaking salaries for just one movie. With today’s film industry being driven by franchises, marketing, and global appeal, the right star actor can single-handedly secure a movie’s success.
Big studios are aware of this, and they are willing to pay enormous salaries for it. Over the years, the highest salaries in Hollywood have often been earned from unforgettable projects. Often, these actors not only negotiated upfront salaries but also secured backend profits that significantly increased their earnings. Whether through profit participation or massive streaming deals, these highest-paid actors turned one movie into a career-defining fortune.
10. Jack Nicholson
Although now retired, Jack Nicholson was one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. By the time Nicholson would be cast as Jack Napier/The Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, he had received nine Oscar nominations and had won two. As such, it’s no surprise he demanded a hefty salary for the movie. Jack Nicholson was reportedly paid a salary of $6 million and earned an additional $54 million from the backend profit percentage, bringing his total earnings from the movie to $60 million.
9. Harrison Ford
With a career spanning over five decades, Harrison Ford is regarded as a cultural icon in the entertainment industry. Having starred in many films, the Academy Award-nominated actor is often associated with his role in the Indiana Jones film series. Unsurprisingly, his salary from the franchise made him one of the highest-paid actors in the world. However, it was his salary in the fourth installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, that put him on this list. Harrison Ford reportedly received a $65 million upfront salary for the movie.
8. Tom Hanks
To date, Robert Zemeckis’ 1994 comedy-drama Forrest Gump remains one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. Interestingly, Tom Hanks wasn’t the first actor considered for the role. Although Hanks’ upfront salary isn’t available to the public, Tom Hanks received $70 million for his role. This includes his gross salary and profit participation. Besides having been nominated twice and having won an Oscar before landing the role, Tom Hanks’ performance as Forrest Gump earned him his third nomination and second Oscar win.
7. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock had been named the highest-paid actress in 2010. So, she was no stranger to earning high salaries. However, Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 sci-fi thriller Gravity made history for the actress, as her single largest earnings from a movie. By the time she was cast as astronaut Dr. Ryan Stone in Gravity, Bullock was already an Oscar winner, having won Best Actress for her performance in the 2009 biological sports drama The Blind Side. For Gravity, Sandra Bullock received an upfront salary of $20 million, with additional backend profits of $50 million, totaling $70 million in earnings from the film.
6. Robert Downey Jr.
With the success of his run as Iron Man, it’s unsurprising that Robert Downey Jr. would be on a list of the highest-paid actors from a single movie, especially because of his influence in the MCU. Robert Downey Jr.’s highest salary from a movie is $75 million. However, unlike the other listed actors before him, Downey Jr. has earned the salary twice. He was first paid $75 million for his role in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and received the same amount again the following year for Avengers: Endgame. His $75 million earnings include his negotiated salary and backend profits.
5. Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness might not be a famous name to today’s movie audiences, but for true Star Wars fans, the actor was the first to portray Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi in the franchise. By the time the first installment of Star Wars premiered in 1977, the English actor had already received three Academy Award nominations and a win for his performance in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Alec Guinness was reportedly paid $150,000 upfront salary and 2.25% of the film’s backend grosses. This ultimately led to $95 million in earnings from just the 1977 Star Wars movie alone.
4. Will Smith
Will Smith has been involved in several movie franchises throughout his career. Although he hadn’t received any Academy Award nominations when the first installment of the Men in Black film series began in 1997, Smith was one of Hollywood’s bankable actors. With the success of the first two installments, Will Smith returned for the third and his last involvement in the series in Men in Black 3. Although he was paid $20 million and 10% of Men in Black 2’s Box Office gross earnings, he negotiated for a higher payday in Men in Black 3. Will Smith reportedly earned $100 million to reprise his role in Men in Black 3. To date, the 2012 sequel remains his highest-paid salary for a single movie.
3. Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise’s biggest payday from a single movie is $100 million. Although he seemingly ties with Will Smith, Cruise is ranked higher because his first $100 million pay came almost a decade before Smith’s. In Steven Spielberg’s 2005 sci-fi action thriller War of the Worlds, Tom Cruise earned $100 million from 20% of the film’s back-end gross earnings. Additionally, in the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise reportedly received $13 million and a percentage of the film’s backend gross earnings. His payday was reportedly around $100 million.
2. Bruce Willis
For over two decades, Bruce Willis dominated the movie scene as one of Hollywood’s bankable stars. Although he had earned a reputation for his role as John McClane in the Die Hard franchise, it was his role as Malcolm Crowe in The Sixth Sense that earned him his biggest paycheck. While his salary for the film was around $14 million, Bruce Willis negotiated for backend earnings, which increased his paycheck to $100 million.
1. Keanu Reeves
While he has had a versatile career, Keanu Reeves is famous for his action roles. One that often stands out, before his stint in the John Wick franchise, was as Neo in The Matrix film series. With the first installment, Reeves negotiated a $10 million salary and 10% of the movie’s gross earnings. However, with its success, sequels were inevitable.
To reprise his role in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Keanu Reeves was paid an upfront $15 million for each film and 15% of each of its gross Box Office earnings. With both films released in the same year and grossing a total of over $1.1 billion, Keanu Reeves reportedly walked away with about $156,000,000, placing him on top of the list of highest-paid actors in cinema history.
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