Entertainment & Culture1995–2024

Highest-Paid Actors

Hollywood’s annual earnings leaderboard tracks more than movie stardom: backend deals, streaming buyouts, franchise leverage and celebrity businesses all show up. The chart is messy by nature, which is exactly why the jumps are fun.

Source: Forbes annual highest-paid actors lists Annual pre-tax earnings reported by Forbes. Missing years and list methodology changes are interpolated for animation continuity. illustrative data Updated 2026-07-03

The race in numbers

11lead changes
29years covered
15contenders
Tom Cruiselongest reign — 12 yrs at #1

Final standings · 2024

  1. 1Dwayne Johnson$88.0M
  2. 2Ryan Reynolds$85.0M
  3. 3Adam Sandler$73.0M
  4. 4Tom Cruise$60.0M
  5. 5Will Smith$40.0M

Key moments