Travis Clark
Warner Bros.
It's rare for actors to rake in huge salaries today, at least compared to the days when audiences were drawn to a movie primarily based on its leading star.
Years ago, if a certain actor's name was attached to a movie, it was almost a guaranteed success. Stars like Will Smith, Tom Cruise, and Jim Carrey were paid big bucks in the 1990s because they attracted a crowd.
For instance, Carrey was paid $20 million— a rarity today — for "The Cable Guy" in 1996, because it was expected that he could deliver a $20 million opening weekend at least.
Now, audiences are more attracted to a franchise than a star. Whether a movie has "Avengers" or "Star Wars" in its title is more important than if it has Robert Downey Jr. or Harrison Ford in its credits.
But some big name actors have the recognition and leverage to still strike gigantic deals, such as Vin Diesel for "The Fate of the Furious" ($20 million) and Daniel Craig for the next James Bond movie ($25 million).
Below are 16 of the highest paid movie roles of all time, ranked:
16. Emma Stone as Mia in "La La Land"
Summit Entertainment
$26 million
Source: Forbes
Stone topped Forbes' list of the world's highest paid actresses in 2017 with $26 million, most of that coming from her Oscar-winning role in the 2016 film "La La Land."
15. Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"
Warner Bros.
$29 million
Source: Slate
Schwarzenegger promised that he'd be back for a third Terminator movie under some pretty specific circumstances, including a $29.25 million "pay or play" fee, which he would receive even if the movie wasn't made.
14. Jim Carrey as Carl Allen in "Yes Man"
Warner Movies On Demand/Youtube
$30 million
Source: Forbes
Carrey reportedly exchanged his salary for "Yes Man" for an ownership stake in the movie, which paid off.
13. Tom Hanks as Captain John Miller in "Saving Private Ryan"
Paramount Pictures
$40 million
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Hanks has struck "act now, get paid later" deals on multiple films, in which he would receive a portion of the box office earnings. That got him at least $40 million for "Saving Private Ryan," but it's not his most lucrative deal.
12. Cameron Diaz as Elizabeth Halsey in "Bad Teacher"
'Bad Teacher'/Sony Pictures
$42 million
Source: Yahoo Finance
Diaz was paid a mere $1 million to get "Bad Teacher" produced, but received a portion of box office earnings, which secured her over $40 million for the movie. It's known as one of the most "legendary" deals in Hollywood history.
11. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in "The Avengers"
Marvel Studios
$50 million
Source: GQ
It should come as no surprise that Downey gets paid a lot for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he's confirmed that he got paid $50 million just for the first "Avengers" movie.
10. Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb in "Inception"
Warner Bros.
$50 million
Source: Forbes
DiCaprio earned at least $50 million for Christopher Nolan's 2010 film "Inception" just from box office earnings, but his deal also included home video and television sales. According to Forbes, he took a pay cut because the movie was so "risky," but he and Nolan agreed to split first dollar gross points.
9. Jack Nicholson as The Joker in "Batman"
AP Photo / Warner Bros.
$50 million
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Though Nicholson was paid $6 million up front for his role as the villainous Joker in the 1989 "Batman" film, he reportedly secured a lucrative deal that included box office earnings and merchandise sales from its sequels — that he didn't even appear in.
8. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"
Disney
$55 million
Source: Forbes
Forbes reported in 2010 that "On Stranger Tides" — the fourth "Pirates" movie released in 2011 — was the most expensive movies ever made, with production costs of over $410 million. A large portion of those costs were due to paying staff and actors. Depp alone made $55 million for the movie.
In 2011, Depp admitted that he was "overpaid" for the "Pirates" movies, for which he has reportedly made over $300 million combined.
7. Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump in "Forrest Gump"
Paramount
$60 million
Source: Entertainment Weekly
The box office hit "Forrest Gump" is another case in which Hanks opted for performance-based pay, in which he received an estimated $60 million.
6. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
Paramount via YouTube screengrab
$65 million
Source: Forbes
To get Ford back for a fourth "Indiana Jones" movie, Paramount agreed to a deal that split a large portion of the film's earnings between him, director Steven Spielberg, and producer George Lucas.
5. Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland"
Disney via YouTube
$68 million
Source: The Telegraph
According to the Telegraph, Depp earned 50 million pounds for "Alice in Wonderland," which is about $68 million in the US.
4. Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone in "Gravity"
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
$70 million
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Bullock was paid $20 million up front for "Gravity," which is an impressive number on its own. But her deal also included 15% of box office revenue, which got her at least $70 million.
3. Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol"
Paramount
$75 million
Source: Forbes
Cruise earned $75 million from the fourth "Mission: Impossible" movie, "Ghost Protocol," which allowed him to top Forbes' most powerful actors list in 2012.
2. Will Smith as Agent J in "Men in Black 3"
Sony Pictures / Wilson Webb
$100 million
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Will Smith's performance-based pay for the third "Men in Black" movie got him $100 million of its $624 million gross.
1. Keanu Reeves as Neo in "The Matrix" trilogy
Warner Bros.
$250 million (combined)
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Between all three "Matrix" films, Keanu Reeves' combined pay was $250 million.
It's rare for actors to rake in huge salaries today, at least compared to the days when audiences were drawn to a movie primarily based on its leading star.
Years ago, if a certain actor's name was attached to a movie, it was almost a guaranteed success. Stars like Will Smith, Tom Cruise, and Jim Carrey were paid big bucks in the 1990s because they attracted a crowd.
For instance, Carrey was paid $20 million— a rarity today — for "The Cable Guy" in 1996, because it was expected that he could deliver a $20 million opening weekend at least.
Now, audiences are more attracted to a franchise than a star. Whether a movie has "Avengers" or "Star Wars" in its title is more important than if it has Robert Downey Jr. or Harrison Ford in its credits.
But some big name actors have the recognition and leverage to still strike gigantic deals, such as Vin Diesel for "The Fate of the Furious" ($20 million) and Daniel Craig for the next James Bond movie ($25 million).
Below are 16 of the highest paid movie roles of all time, ranked:
$26 million
Source: Forbes
Stone topped Forbes' list of the world's highest paid actresses in 2017 with $26 million, most of that coming from her Oscar-winning role in the 2016 film "La La Land."
15. Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"
$29 million
Source: Slate
Schwarzenegger promised that he'd be back for a third Terminator movie under some pretty specific circumstances, including a $29.25 million "pay or play" fee, which he would receive even if the movie wasn't made.
14. Jim Carrey as Carl Allen in "Yes Man"
$30 million
Source: Forbes
Carrey reportedly exchanged his salary for "Yes Man" for an ownership stake in the movie, which paid off.
13. Tom Hanks as Captain John Miller in "Saving Private Ryan"
$40 million
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Hanks has struck "act now, get paid later" deals on multiple films, in which he would receive a portion of the box office earnings. That got him at least $40 million for "Saving Private Ryan," but it's not his most lucrative deal.
12. Cameron Diaz as Elizabeth Halsey in "Bad Teacher"
$42 million
Source: Yahoo Finance
Diaz was paid a mere $1 million to get "Bad Teacher" produced, but received a portion of box office earnings, which secured her over $40 million for the movie. It's known as one of the most "legendary" deals in Hollywood history.
11. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in "The Avengers"
$50 million
Source: GQ
It should come as no surprise that Downey gets paid a lot for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he's confirmed that he got paid $50 million just for the first "Avengers" movie.
10. Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb in "Inception"
$50 million
Source: Forbes
DiCaprio earned at least $50 million for Christopher Nolan's 2010 film "Inception" just from box office earnings, but his deal also included home video and television sales. According to Forbes, he took a pay cut because the movie was so "risky," but he and Nolan agreed to split first dollar gross points.
9. Jack Nicholson as The Joker in "Batman"
$50 million
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Though Nicholson was paid $6 million up front for his role as the villainous Joker in the 1989 "Batman" film, he reportedly secured a lucrative deal that included box office earnings and merchandise sales from its sequels — that he didn't even appear in.
8. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"
$55 million
Source: Forbes
Forbes reported in 2010 that "On Stranger Tides" — the fourth "Pirates" movie released in 2011 — was the most expensive movies ever made, with production costs of over $410 million. A large portion of those costs were due to paying staff and actors. Depp alone made $55 million for the movie.
In 2011, Depp admitted that he was "overpaid" for the "Pirates" movies, for which he has reportedly made over $300 million combined.
7. Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump in "Forrest Gump"
$60 million
Source: Entertainment Weekly
The box office hit "Forrest Gump" is another case in which Hanks opted for performance-based pay, in which he received an estimated $60 million.
6. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
$65 million
Source: Forbes
To get Ford back for a fourth "Indiana Jones" movie, Paramount agreed to a deal that split a large portion of the film's earnings between him, director Steven Spielberg, and producer George Lucas.
5. Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland"
$68 million
Source: The Telegraph
According to the Telegraph, Depp earned 50 million pounds for "Alice in Wonderland," which is about $68 million in the US.
4. Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone in "Gravity"
$70 million
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Bullock was paid $20 million up front for "Gravity," which is an impressive number on its own. But her deal also included 15% of box office revenue, which got her at least $70 million.
3. Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol"
$75 million
Source: Forbes
Cruise earned $75 million from the fourth "Mission: Impossible" movie, "Ghost Protocol," which allowed him to top Forbes' most powerful actors list in 2012.
2. Will Smith as Agent J in "Men in Black 3"
$100 million
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Will Smith's performance-based pay for the third "Men in Black" movie got him $100 million of its $624 million gross.
1. Keanu Reeves as Neo in "The Matrix" trilogy
$250 million (combined)
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Between all three "Matrix" films, Keanu Reeves' combined pay was $250 million.
