19 of the highest-paid movie roles of all time, from Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean to Marvel star Robert Downey Jr. – but which actor got paid US$100 million for a single film?

Mar 29 , 2021

Jack Nicholson in Batman, Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher, Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception and Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean – all roles put them among the highest paid actors of all time. Photos: Warner Bros; Sony Pictures; Disney

Action stars Will Smith, Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise rake in big bucks for playing tough guys, while Johnny Depp makes just as much playing oddballs

Actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Jim Carrey made the list by striking less conventional deals with film studios – but too few women make the list

These days it’s rare for actors to rake in enormous salaries – well at least compared to the days good old 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. For example Jim Carrey was paid US$20 million – a rarity today – for The Cable Guy in 1996, because it was expected that he could deliver at least US$20 million in its opening weekend.

Aside from acting, Tom Cruise is known for doing his own stunts. Photo: AFP

Now, audiences are often more attracted to a franchise than a star: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, for instance, has dominated the box office for the last decade, but some big name actors still have the recognition and leverage to strike gigantic deals, especially with Netflix.

Ryan Reynolds made US$27 million for his Netflix movie, Six Underground, according to Variety; and the trade publication has also reported that Will Smith is expected to earn US$35 million for the Bright sequel that’s in the works. So, just who are the best paid actors in the business? Here are 19 of the highest paid roles of all time, ranked:

19. Emma Stone as Mia in La La Land
Earnings: US$26 million

Emma Stone danced her way to US$26 million alongside Ryan Gosling in La La Land. Photo: Summit Entertainment

Stone topped Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid actresses in 2017, with US$26 million, most of that coming from her Oscar-winning role in the 2016 film La La Land.

18. Ryan Reynolds in Six Underground
Earnings: US$27 million

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