Iron Man‘s Robert Downey Jr. has been named Hollywood’s highest paid actor with a $75 million dollar take, according to Forbes.com.
Downey Jr. has proved he is a major player in the movie business winning pole position on the trade rags List of Top Earning Actors for the second year in a row.
The Iron Man and Avengers star is a heavy drawcard for cinema crowds who have flooded the global box-office with nearly $4 billion in ticket sales to watch Downey Jr. in the Marvel films.
According to Forbes, the cinematic success means the action star won’t have his pay cheque skimmed anytime soon.
“Disney, which owns Marvel, wants to keep that gravy train going for as long as it can and like it or not, that means paying Downey whatever he demands,” writes Forbes analyst, Dorothy Pomerantz.
“The actor coyly held out during negotiations for the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron and secured more money than ever upfront for the film. The movie is sure to be a huge hit and he’ll earn even more on the back end.”
Of the top ten highest paid actors there were some obvious faces, like Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith, but there were also a few surprises, including one Aussie.
Check out whose pay grade made the cut.
Robert Downey Jr.: $75 million Most of RDJ’s big bucks this year came from Iron Man 3 which was the highest-grossing movie of 2013 with $1.2 billion in box office sales. His Iron Man character has been the linchpin behind Marvel’s Avengers franchise, with The Avengers film becoming the third highest grossing film of all time.
Dwayne Johnson: $52 million The Rock has shed his wrestling persona and become a bona fide movie star with leading man potential. His roles in G.I. Joe and Fast and Furious and his move into TV with HBO’s new comedy Ballers has all added up to a $50 million plus pay day.
Bradley Cooper: $46 million Bradley Cooper and his dreamy baby blues have come in at third position for this year’s Forbes pole. His involvement with the money-spinning Hangover franchise has made Bradley a household name and given him enough pulling power to work on smaller more dramatic films, like The Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, both of which earned him Oscar nominations.
Leonardo DiCaprio: $39 million Arguably the best actor in the world, sans gold statue, Leonardo DiCaprio actually took a pay cut to do the Wolf of Wall Street in a gamble that well and truly paid off. The Scorsese film raked in almost $400 million at the global box office adding to Leo’s other cinematic success of 2013 after The Great Gatsby’s $351 million haul. Somebody give this man an Oscar already!
Chris Hemsworth: $37 million When Chris Hemsworth’s seriously ripped biceps aren’t cradling his super cute kids, India Rose, two, and three-month old twin boys Tristan and Sasha, they are being put to good use making mega bucks as the hammer-wielding Thor for Marvel’s Avengers franchise. And the only Aussie on the list isn’t interested in being typecast as a sexy superhero as he is due to star in tech thriller Cyber, rumoured to be written and directed by acclaimed director, Michael Mann.
Liam Neeson: $36 million Liam Neeson has Taken (pun intended) out the number five spot on the list with Taken 3 set to start filming in the near future.
Ben Affleck: $35 million Despite the internet call to dump Ben Affleck as D.C. Comic’s new Batman the actor has collected a huge pay cheque for his upcoming reprisal of the role. Warner Bros. has reportedly lined up multiple films for the franchise which mean Ben will be making bank for some time to come.
Christian Bale: $35 million Over the past year Christian Bale has put away the Batsuit and slipped back into the company of true thespians with an Oscar nod for American Hustle and a role lined up to play Moses in Ridley Scott’s new biblical epic.
Will Smith: $32 million Will Smith is a top salary earning staple. While some of his films, including his latest action offering After Earth, might fail to entice US audiences but Smith’s cinematic resume means overseas audiences still flock to see the star with global revenue reeling in $183 million.
Mark Wahlberg: $32 million Mark Wahlberg is one Hollywood heavyweight who has endless money making potential. The Ted star is currently enjoying a lucrative career as an actor – appearing in comedy, action and drama flicks – but also earns big bucks as a producer with a string of hit TV dramas as well as backing the highly anticipated Entourage movie.
