Forbes: Hollywood’s 10 Highest Paid Actors Of 2014
Published on July 22, 2014. Updated April 4, 2017Hollywood favors disposable actors these days for a variety of reasons: They are interchangeable, easily replaced and don’t have the clout to demand a pay hike. Movies cost a lot of money to make, especially action ones, so going with an actor who is more disposable can save Hollywood bigwigs a lot of money. Some actors, however, have proved that they are anything but interchangeable. They have the skill and the influence to demand as much as they want because the success of the films is more or less dependent on their involvement. Forbes list for the highest paid actors of 2014 has been released and you can check it out here!
10. Mark Wahlberg
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $32 Million
Mark Wahlberg’s 2012 film “Ted” is still generating income for the actor. The raunchy comedy had a budget of $50 million and went on to earn $550 million in theatres. This year, he starred in “Lone Survivor,” which had a budget of $40 million and went on to make $150 million at the global box office. Wahlberg also has a successful career as a TV producer. His company produced “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire” and is set to back the football comedy “Ballers.”
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com9. Will Smith
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $32 Million
Will Smith is incredibly successful thanks in part to his large fan base. Studio execs still pay the Oscar-nominated actor the big bucks to star in blockbuster films because, even when they are critical failures, they still do well commercially because of Smith’s legions of fans. His last movie “After Earth” did not fare well at the box office in the U.S.; however, overseas, it brought in $183 million. Right now, Smith is working on a big screen version of “Annie,” which he is producing with Jay Z.
Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com8. Christian Bale
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $35 Million
Christian Bale may have made a name for himself playing Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” film series, as well as a lot of money, but he has proven that he is capable of generating money on smaller, prestige films like “American Hustle,” which earned him an Oscar nod for Best Actor. Bale’s next starring role will be as Moses in Ridley Scott’s biblical epic “Exodus,” which is slated for release in December 2014.
Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com7. Ben Affleck
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $35 Million
Ben Affleck received a lot of flack from Batman and Superman fans last year when he accepted the role of Batman in the 2016 “Man of Steel” sequel “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice;” however, in spite of any criticism, we think that he will probably get the last laugh. The Oscar-winning director and producer is set to make a lot of money from his involvement in the film itself and any sequels that may proliferate as a result.
CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com6. Liam Neeson
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $36 Million
Liam Neeson may be close to retirement age; however, his career isn’t at all close to winding down. He has reportedly been offered $20 million to reprise his role as a former CIA hitman in “Taken 3.” The first two films, which had small budgets, did surprisingly well at the box office. “Taken” was able to recoup its budget in one weekend and then its sequel – which had a budget of $45 million – took home an impressive $140 million.
Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com5. Chris Hemsworth
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $37 Million
Chris Hemsworth is doing pretty well for himself, mostly because of his involvement in the highly lucrative “Thor” films. The first “Thor” film did exceptionally well. It made a reported $449.3 million at the box office and had a budget of $150 million; however, its sequel “Thor: The Dark World” managed to outperform its predecessor. At the box office, it brought in $644.8 million and had a budget of $170 million.
Photo Works / Shutterstock.com4. Leonardo DiCaprio
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $39 Million
Leonardo DiCaprio has proven himself to be indispensible to studio execs. He is still able to command $15 million and up for films that studios rarely make and his involvement in these films are what make them successful at the box office. “The Great Gatsby” and the “The Wolf of Wall Street” weren’t expected to do especially well; however, they ended up being surprise hits, earning a combined $743 million at the global box office.
Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com3. Bradley Cooper
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $46 Million
Bradley Cooper has established himself as an actor who is capable of carrying both blockbuster and prestige films. While he earned millions from “The Hangover” franchise, he has also earned a considerable amount from smaller films like “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle,” both of which earned him Oscar nominations. Cooper will be lending his voice to Rocket Raccoon in the upcoming Marvel film “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com2. Dwayne Johnson
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $52 Million
This former wrestler ranks second on Forbes list for highest paid actors because of his work in “G.I. Joe” and the “Fast and Furious” franchise. He recently signed on to play to play the lead roles in big action films like “Hercules” and “San Andreas.” Dwayne Johnson has also branched into television. He took a stab at reality TV with “The Hero” and now he has a role on the HBO series “Ballers” and he is also on of the show’s executive producers.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com1. Robert Downey Jr.
Estimated Earnings for 2014: $75 Million
Downey has proven himself to be an indispensible actor. He reigns as the highest paid actor in Hollywood thanks to his involvement in the “Iron Man” and “Avengers” films, which have earned almost $4 billion at the global box office. The Oscar-nominated actor gets whatever he demands. He allegedly was hesitant about starring in the upcoming “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” so he was given a big pay hike to get on board.
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com