For the third year in a row, “Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr. topped Forbes’ annual list of the “World’s Highest-Paid Actors.” From June 1, 2014 to June 1, 2015, Downey raked in $80 million before taxes and management fees, according to Forbes.
Downey’s earnings came largely from the Marvel Cinematic Universe — the highest-grossing franchise of all time — with the actor reprising his role as Iron Man in May’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and he’s set to co-star in next year’s “Captain America: Civil War.”
Trailing behind is Jackie Chan with his reported $50 million earnings. Chan starred in “Dragon Blade” in 2015, alongside John Cusack and Adrien Brody. In addition to being China’s biggest movie star, he’s also an accomplished entrepreneur who owns a line of his own merchandise, a Segway dealership and a cinema chain.
Closely following are Vin Diesel ($47 million), Bradley Cooper ($41.5 million), Adam Sandler ($41 million), Tom Cruise ($40 million) and Mark Wahlberg ($32 million). All five played lead roles in widely-released films this year — “Furious 7,” “American Sniper,” “Pixels,” “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” and “Ted 2” — though not all of their projects were particularly well received.
Rounding out the top 10 are Bollywood megastars Amitabh Bachchan ($33.5 million), Salman Khan ($33.5 million) and Akshay Kumar ($32.5 million). Their presence reinforces India’s position in the film market.
Other notable names that made the Forbes list include Will Smith ($26 million), Chris Pratt ($13 million), Channing Tatum ($29 million), Leonardo Dicaprio ($29 million). Comedians Seth Rogen ($17 million) and Jonah Hill ($16 million) are newcomers. Daniel Craig ($27 million) also made the cut.
A separate list of highest-paid actresses will be released at a later date.
See the full list ranking the 34 actors below:
1. Robert Downey, Jr. $80 million
2. Jackie Chan $50 million
3. Vin Diesel $47 million
4. Bradley Cooper $41.5 million
5. Adam Sandler $41 million
6. Tom Cruise $40 million
7. Amitabh Bachchan $33.5 million
7. Salman Khan $33.5 million (Tie)
9. Akshay Kumar $32.5 million
10. Mark Wahlberg $32 million
11. Dwayne Johnson $31.5 million
12. Johnny Depp $30 million
13. Leonardo Dicaprio $29 million
14. Channing Tatum $29 million
15. Chris Hemsworth $27 million
15. Daniel Craig $27 million (Tie)
17. Matthew McConaughey $26.5 million
18. Shah Rukh Khan $26 million
18. Will Smith $26 million (Tie)
20. Matt Damon $25 million
21. Hugh Jackman $23 million
22. Ben Affleck $19.5 million
22. Liam Neeson $19.5 million (Tie)
24. Chow Yun-fat $18 million
24. Russell Crowe $18 million (Tie)
26. Seth Rogen $17 million
27. George Clooney $16.5 million
28. Brad Pitt $16 million
28. Jonah Hill $16 million (Tie)
30. Will Ferrell $15 million
30. Ranbir Kapoor $15 million (Tie)
32. Chris Evans $13.5 million
33. Chris Pratt $13 million
33. Andy Lau $13 million (Tie)