Hollywood's Best-Paid Actors

Tinseltown's leading ladies may generate more tabloid ink, but when it comes to blockbuster paychecks, Hollywood is still a man's town.
In an era where risk-averse studio executives have declared men the more reliable movie stars--and the more desirable moviegoers--perhaps it's no surprise that they are also the medium's top earners. The reality: Hollywood's 10 best-paid actors out-earned Hollywood's 10 best-paid actresses 2-to-1 over the course of the year.
Collectively, the big screen's leading men took home an estimated $487 million between June 1, 2007, and June 1, 2008, compared with the leading ladies' haul of $244.5 million.
In Pictures: Hollywood's Best-Paid Actors
Will Smith leads the pack of Hollywood's best-paid actors, banking an estimated $80 million over the course of the year. Frequently called the hardest-working man in Hollywood, Smith has proved that no matter the genre--be it sci-fi thriller (Warner Bros.' I Am Legend) or sappy drama (Sony's The Pursuit of Happyness)--he can deliver an audience.
The former Fresh Prince of Bel Air star also set a theatrical record this year. Thanks to the commercial success of this summer's anti-superhero flick Hancock, Smith is the first actor in Hollywood history to have eight straight movies eclipse $100 million at the box office.
Coming in second on the list is Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp, an actor who is known to vacillate between commercial work and artier fare. He still managed to pull down $72 million this year.
In this case, the bold-faced star followed up his three turns as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney's $2.76 billion Pirates franchise with the Stephen Sondheim serial-killer musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Though the latter hardly set box office records, it did earn Depp an Oscar nomination.
With $55 million, Eddie Murphy comes in third among Tinseltown's top earners, thanks to a slew of family-friendly hits. The long-reigning master of disguise continues to prove his range on-screen, playing notable roles in everything from animated flicks (DreamWorks' Shrek) to goofball comedies (DreamWorks' Norbit) to musical remakes (DreamWorks' Dreamgirls). The latter earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Then there's Austin Powers star Mike Myers, who is tied for third on this list with earnings of $55 million, due in large part to the success of the hit animated franchise Shrek.
But when it comes to live-action fare, the comedy chameleon's ride has been far less smooth in recent years. Despite a stellar cast (including Justin Timberlake and Jessica Alba) and plenty of promotion, Myers' summer comedy The Love Guru failed to deliver at the box office. To date, the Paramount flick has generated only $31.8 million domestically.
Titanic's Leonardo DiCaprio rounds out the top five, raking in $45 million during the year. He's the unique movie star who can get $20 million for work in R-rated adult dramas, which, because of viewer age restrictions, have limited ability to generate big box office numbers.
Though his flicks are rarely blockbusters, DiCaprio's work can create a sizable amount of Academy Award season buzz. In fact, three of his last five flicks-- Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed--were nominated for Best Picture. The latter took home the Oscar.
Reported by Dorothy Pomerantz, Evan Hessel and Peter C. Beller.






Johnny Depp
$72 million
He became an unlikely mainstream star with his boozy turn as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Last year he found time to star in his pal Tim Burton's movie version of Sweeney Todd, which grossed $154 million at the global box office. He earned his Best Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the demon barber of Fleet Street.

Eddie Murphy
$55 million
The publicity-shy star turns out profitable family films in which he plays almost every role. Despite horrendous reviews, last year's Norbit grossed $160 million. Now in theaters: Meet Dave, in which he plays an alien.

Leonardo DiCaprio
$45 million
He's the unique movie star who can get $20 million for work in R-rated adult dramas. His films (rarely blockbusters) attract attention during awards season. Three of his last five were nominated for Best Picture.

Bruce Willis
$41 million
This year Willis proved there's a market for old action heroes. He resurrected blue-collar cop John McClane in Live Free or Die Hard, and it grossed $380 million. Coming next year: sci-fi thriller The Surrogates.

Ben Stiller
$40 million
Last year's The Heartbreak Kid was one of Stiller's worst-performing films, bringing in only $37 million in the U.S. That didn't prevent big salaries for the forthcoming Night at the Museum 2 and Tropic Thunder.

Nicolas Cage
$38 million
Cage filled theaters with Disney's surprise hit sequel to National Treasure, Book of Secrets. It grossed $450 million worldwide. He also produced and acted in a gangster film, Bangkok Dangerous.