The world's 20 highest-paid actors, ranked

The highest-paid screen stars, ranked

Hollywood’s top talent can command seriously high salaries, and stars like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Scarlett Johansson make staggering sums for a single movie. Meanwhile, actors tied to streaming giants are increasingly flexing their financial muscle to land big paychecks.

Using data collated by Forbes, click or scroll on to discover the 20 highest-paid movie stars of 2025 (the last year with full data available) based on their earnings from recently released projects. 

All dollar amounts in US dollars. Earnings figures represent gross amounts before taxes and agent fees.

20. Cameron Diaz: $23 million

Cameron Diaz stepped out of the spotlight after releasing Annie in 2014, but was lured out of retirement by a reported $45 million two-movie deal with Netflix. The first movie, Back in Action, is one of the platform's most popular releases ever.

During her semi-retirement, Diaz authored several wellness books and co-founded an organic wine brand. She's worth an estimated $140 million today.

19. Jason Bateman: $25 million

Jason Bateman largely owes his place in the top 20 to his voice role in Disney's Zootopia 2. The sequel was one of the highest-grossing movies of 2025, generating $1.8 billion at the global box office and earning Bateman a bumper payday in the process.

With an estimated net worth of $60 million, Bateman doesn't just rely on movies to boost his fortune. In collaboration with Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, Bateman co-hosts the popular Smartless podcast, and distribution deals have seen the venture generate $200 million in recent years.

18. Jennifer Aniston: $26 million

Jennifer Aniston continues to rake it in from Friends, with the star earning around $5 million a year in residuals from the show. Meanwhile, she reportedly earns around $2 million in acting and producing fees for every episode of The Morning Show.

One of the world's most sought-after celebrity endorsers, Aniston makes around $10 million annually from her various deals, contributing to her estimated net worth of $320 million.

17. Tom Hardy: $28 million

The success of Paramount's Mobland likely accounts for a large chunk of Tom Hardy's earnings. The show was a huge hit with viewers, and a second season was quickly ordered. Hardy also starred in the Netflix action movie Havoc.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Hardy boasts an estimated fortune of $40 million.

=15. Chris Pratt: $29 million

Chris Pratt's earnings were boosted by his role in Netflix's The Electric State alongside Millie Bobby Brown (more on her later). He also starred in and executive-produced a new season of The Terminal List for Amazon Prime Video.

Worth an estimated $100 million, a sizeable slice of his fortune comes courtesy of his Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World paychecks.

=15. Leonardo DiCaprio: $29 million

While he didn't pick up an Oscar for his role in One Battle After Another, Leonardo DiCaprio nonetheless took home a handsome paycheck for his efforts.

DiCaprio remains one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and can regularly command lucrative backend deals, as well as significant upfront paydays for his work.

=13. Rob Mac: $30 million

It was a busy year for the star formerly known as Rob McElhenney. As well as changing his name, Mac brought a fourth season of Mythic Quest and a 17th season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to Apple TV+ and Netflix respectively.

Meanwhile, a new season of Welcome to Wrexham aired on FX, and Mac also sold a minority stake in the Welsh football team.

=13. George Clooney: $30 million

George Clooney earned an estimated $20 million for the 2025 Netflix movie Jay Kelly, when fees and back-end deals are taken into account. He also picked up around $6 million for his lauded Broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck.

The veteran star's estimated net worth today is $500 million. Away from the screen, a significant portion of his fortune comes from his Casamigos Tequila company, which he co-founded with two partners. In 2017, Casamigos was sold to Diageo for an eye-watering $1 billion, earning Clooney an estimated $150 million after taxes.

12. Daniel Craig: $32 million

The success of Knives Out in 2021 sparked a bidding war for its sequel. Netflix won the battle with a two-movie deal, earning director Rian Johnson and star Daniel Craig substantial paydays in the process. The third installment, Wake Up Dead Man, arrived on the streaming platform in 2025 after a limited theatrical release.

Broken down by movie, Craig is believed to have earned more for his Benoit Blanc role than he ever did playing James Bond. Today, he's estimated to be worth a cool $200 million.

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=10. Jason Momoa: $33 million

No stranger to franchise movies, Jason Momoa has found another lucrative stream in the shape of A Minecraft Movie, with a sequel to the hit flick set for release in 2027. Momoa also starred in the Apple TV+ series Chief of War.

Away from the screen, Momoa also plays guitar in the rock band Öof Tatatá, though his musical exploits likely haven't contributed significantly to his $50 million fortune.

=10. Jack Black: $33 million

Like Jason Momoa, Jack Black also profited handsomely from A Minecraft Movie, continuing a run of success across child-friendly franchise movies spanning Kung Fu Panda to Jumanji. He also starred in the Anaconda reboot alongside Paul Rudd.

With Minecraft and Jumanji sequels in the works, Black's estimated $80 million fortune is all set to grow in 2027.

9. Reese Witherspoon: $34 million

Like co-star Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon picked up around $20 million in acting and producing fees for the fourth season of The Morning Show. She also starred in Amazon Prime Video's You're Cordially Invited, alongside Will Ferrell.

The star is one of the richest women in Hollywood, with an estimated $300 million fortune. In 2021, she sold a majority stake in her $900 million-valued production company Hello Sunshine. She recently repurchased a controlling stake and continues to produce projects for the company.

=7. John Cena: $35 million

John Cena is becoming a streaming mainstay, and in 2025 he secured substantial paydays for Amazon Prime Video's Heads of State and HBO Max's Peacemaker.

Cena’s estimated net worth is $80 million. He first rose to fame as a wrestler, joining WWE in 2001 and quickly establishing himself as one of the sport's most popular competitors. He retired from wrestling in 2025 to focus on acting – an endeavor that's already proven to be a serious moneymaker.

=7. Millie Bobby Brown: $35 million

At 22 years old, Millie Bobby Brown is the youngest actress ever to appear on the Forbes Highest-Paid Actors list. She's also one of the first stars to build a career almost exclusively on streaming platforms, and 2025's The Electric State and the final season of Stranger Things make up the bulk of her earnings.

Off-screen, she's launched a beauty brand and set up her own production company.

6. Denzel Washington: $42 million

Denzel Washington earned $42 million in 2025, primarily for his role in his fifth Spike Lee collaboration, Highest 2 Lowest. He also profited from royalty checks on his decades-spanning back catalog of hit movies.

The veteran star, known for iconic roles in Training Day and Malcolm X, has an estimated net worth of $300 million. He's also enjoyed success as a director and producer, helming films such as Antwone Fisher and Fences.

5. Scarlett Johansson: $50 million

Scarlett Johansson landed a bumper paycheck in 2025, earning $20 million up front and a large slice of profits for Jurassic World: Rebirth. The movie was one of the year's biggest box office hits.

In total, the actress is worth an estimated $165 million, with the bulk of her fortune derived from her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she's banked up to $75 million from her MCU stint.

=3. Brad Pitt: $54 million

Brad Pitt banked a plump $54 million in 2025, thanks to his role in the Apple TV+ sports drama F1. The star agreed a gross participation deal with the streamer, handing him a substantial share of the movie's box office receipts.

Pitt's estimated fortune is $400 million, mostly earned through his acting career. He also profits from his Plan B Entertainment production company, founded in 2001. The company's films, including World War Z, 12 Years a Slave, and more recently Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, have earned over $3 billion at the box office.

=3. Tom Cruise: $54 million

Playing Ethan Hunt for the final time in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning was extremely lucrative for Tom Cruise. The star had a rare first-dollar participation deal, earning him a significant chunk of the movie's $600 million receipts.

Cruise has ruled the box office for decades, starring in some of the highest-earning movies of all time. The star had a similar first-dollar deal in place for 2022's Top Gun: Maverick. The movie earned around $1.5 billion worldwide, reportedly earning Cruise around $200 million.

2. Mark Wahlberg: $58 million

Mark Wahlberg has made a profitable habit of fronting streaming platform movies, and 2025 was no exception, with starring roles in Apple TV's The Family Plan 2 and Amazon Prime Video's Play Dirty.

Wahlberg, famed for roles in The Departed and Ted, has an estimated net worth of $400 million. The versatile star has worn many hats over the years, including rapper, model, actor, and entrepreneur. Away from showbiz, his money-spinning ventures include the F45 Fitness gym chain and his Wahlburgers fast-food franchise.

1. Adam Sandler: $60 million

Adam Sandler earned $60 million in 2025 thanks to his multi-year, multi-million-dollar content-creation deal with Netflix. He produced and starred in the long-awaited Happy Gilmore 2 and earned an additional payday for his role in Jay Kelly.

The actor and comedian’s estimated net worth is an incredible $500 million. Since rising to fame on Saturday Night Live, he's become one of comedy's most bankable stars.

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