Share

The Rock smashes Iron Man to become top earning actor

Los Angeles - Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has been named the highest-paid actor.

The 44-year-old former wrestler has surged up Forbes magazine's annual list after commanding $64.5m between June 2015-June 2016, doubling his earnings from last year, and jumping up from 11th place.

A large amount of his earnings comes from roles in San Andreas HBO series Ballers and the Fast & Furious franchise, as well as upfront fees from Fast 8 and Baywatch.

Dwayne hopes his position will be an inspiration to others.

He tweeted: 

Jackie Chan again took second spot with $61m, thanks to his popularity at the Chinese box office, while 'The Martian' star Matt Damon's $55m earnings saw him take third place.

Tom Cruise, with $53m, and $48m-earning Johnny Depp rounded out the top five.

Rounding out the top 10

Robert Downey Jr., who had topped the list for the last three years, slipped to joint eighth position with earnings of $33m, tying with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan.

Actor-and-director Ben Affleck placed seventh with $43 million, one place and $8m ahead of Vin Diesel. Akshay Kumar completed the top 10.

The figures were very different from the respective highest-paid actresses list, which was released earlier this week.

That was topped by Jennifer Lawrence, who earned $46m, putting her below the five top-earning male stars.

Combined, the top 10 men on the list earned $457m - more than double the top 10 women's $205m pay.

A total of 18 actors brought in more than $20m, whereas just four actresses did.

The top 10 list

1. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson - $64.5m
2. Jackie Chan - $61m
3. Matt Damon - $55m
4. Tom Cruise - $53m
5. Johnny Depp - $48m 
6. Ben Affleck - $43m
7. Vin Diesel - $35m
8. Shah Rukh Khan - $33m
8. Robert Downey Jr. - $33m
10. Akshay Kumar - $31.5m


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE