Until a few years back, Hollywood stars used to dominate the list of the worlds top earning actors. However, with the changing world order, that list now includes a few Bollywood as well as Chinese actors, and its surely going to raise some eye-brows.
The Avengers series of movies have a huge fan following in India and across the world, and one of the most popular stars in that franchise is Robert Downey Jr; the audience love him for his witty one-liners. Considering the commercial success of the Avengers, Robert Downey Jr has topped the Forbes magazine’s annual list of the highest paid actors in the world.
Robert Downey Jr made round $80m (£51m), thanks to a lucrative profit-share deal, beating Hollywood behemoths such as Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper and Tom Cruise.
Now that may not surprise some of you. But what if I tell you that this year Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar made more money than Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp? And even Jackie Chan (Chinese superstar) figured in that top 10.
Yes, that’s what the Forbes list indicates.
The inclusion of Asian actors did come as a surprise to many, because Chinese and Indian movies rarely feature among the highest-grossing films across the globe. However, what many don’t realize is that even the big Indian stars have profit sharing deals with the studios. Indian stars earn a cut of each film’s ticketing revenue, which can add up to big numbers.
Hong Kong-based martial arts star Jackie Chan’s popularity is unmatched in east Asia. He made his money from movies, as well as merchandise tie-ins and a cinema chain which runs under his name. Jackie Chan also benefited from several East-West co-productions/collaborations (having a close relationship with the Chinese government also helps).
Many were also surprised to see Vin Diesel’s name in the list, but that’s what a successful movie (Fast & Furious) can do to your bank balance.
The World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2015 (Forbes list)
1. Robert Downey Jr: $80m
2. Jackie Chan: $50m
3. Vin Diesel: $47m
4. Bradley Cooper: $41.5m
5. Adam Sandler: $41m
6. Tom Cruise: $40m
7. Amitabh Bachchan: $33.5m
7. Salman Khan: $33.5m
9. Akshay Kumar: $32.5m
10. Mark Wahlberg: $32m
11. Dwayne Johnson: $31.5m
12. Johnny Depp: $30m
13. Leonardo DiCaprio: $29m
14. Channing Tatum: $29m
15. Chris Hemsworth: $27m
15. Daniel Craig: $27m
Stay tuned for the worlds’ top earning female actors.
