Adam Sandler has beaten Margot Robbie and Tom Cruise. Forbes has compiled the top 10 highest paid actors of 2023

2023-й was marked in the world of cinema as the year of Barbenheimer — «Barbie» and «Oppenheimer» were released in theaters at the same time, and despite the fact that Warner Bros led the box office with $1.4 billion, the work of Universal won the advantage among the nominations for «Oscar». At the same time, the top position in the Forbes rating of the highest paid actors of the year Adam Sandler, who had nothing to do with any of the films, unexpectedly took the top spot — but was noted for his rather lucrative contracts with Netflix.

Back in 2014, Sandler signed a $250 million deal with the streaming service for four films, and subsequently starred in a total of eight Netflix movies and produced several more through his company Happy Madison (many of his older comedies are also licensed for the platform’s catalog) In total, Netflix subscribers have spent more than 500 million hours watching Sandler’s films.

«There is no such thing as «too much Sandler» there is no such thing as too much Sandler», — said one of Netflix’s CEOs, Ted Sarandos, in 2020.

Netflix has rewarded the prolific comedian with not only one of the most lucrative contracts in the entertainment industry, but also with enormous creative freedom. Sandler’s three films released in 2023 included «Murder Mystery 2» starring Jennifer Aniston (who ranks 6th in the ranking), «You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah» starring his wife and daughters, and the animated film «Leo».

With 44 comedy appearances in the US, Sandler earned $73 million last year.

In total, the top ten highest-paid Hollywood stars together earned $449 million in 2023. Below you can find the full list:

1. Adam Sandler — $73 million

In the first three months after its release, «Murder Mystery 2» received 173 million hours of viewing worldwide and hit the Netflix top 10 in 90 different countries. In general, the actor had a very busy year and made more than 40 stand-up comedy tours in 2023.

2. Margot Robbie — $59 million

The cultural phenomenon sparked by Barbie gained momentum last July and hasn’t stopped, bringing box office receipts to a 2023 record $1.45 billion and earning untold millions through licenses and partnerships. As a producer and actress, Robbie received approximately 12.5% of the total revenue, which Forbes estimates at over $60 million.

3. Tom Cruise — $45 million

The 61-year-old action star not only defies conventional wisdom when it comes to his shocking stunt work but also changes the norms of how an actor gets paid. Cruise is one of the last movie stars, if not the last, to receive a percentage of box office and other revenues from the day the movie is released, even before the studio gets its money back. In 2023, he made money from the last movie in the series «Mission impossible» and continued to generate revenue from broadcasts «Top Gun: Maverick» 2022.

4. Ryan Gosling — $43 million

The role «just Ken» was enough for a nomination for «Oscar» and one of the biggest paydays of Gosling’s career. As an added bonus, his poignant song «I’m just Ken» has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify (by the way, it can be heard live at the «Oscar» ceremony).

5. Matt Damon — $43 million

Many Hollywood creators are rooting for the success of Affleck and Damon’s new Artists Equity studio, given its promise to share movie profits with crew members. Their first project, «Air», was sold to Amazon before it was even put into production for about $130 million. Interestingly, 53-year-old Damon received only $4 million for his supporting role in «Oppenheimer»The company’s share of the movie’s profits is $3.5 million, far below its usual rate of a small share of the film’s profits.

6. Jennifer Aniston — $42 million

Earnings from «Friends» guaranteed the actress a comfortable life for the rest of her life, but Aniston, 54, continues to act in both television and movies. She earns $2 million for acting and producing each episode of «The Morning Show» Apple TV+. «Murder Mystery 2» and promoting the brands Uber Eats, Pvolve Fitness, Vital Proteins, as well as her own hair care line LolaVie also contributed.

7. Leonardo DiCaprio — $41 million

The 49-year-old actor may not have received enough attention from the Academy for «Killers of the Flower Moon» but he received a decent salary for his role.

8. Jason Statham — $41 million

In 2023, Statham initiated three big-budget franchises — «Fast X», «Meg 2: The Trench» and «The Expendables 4», and also took part in Guy Ricci’s spy tale «Operation Fortune: The Art of Victory» and «Beekeeper».

9. Ben Affleck — $38 million

Affleck, 51, is the CEO of the startup studio Artists Equity and directed and co-wrote «Air», which grossed $90 million at the box office before moving to Amazon Prime Video.

10. Denzel Washington — $24 million

The third part of the franchise «The Equalizer» was released in 2023, and all three entries exceeded $190 million at the box office for one reason: Denzel Washington. Additionally, the two-time «Oscar» winner’s robust back catalog also ensures a steady stream of cash every year.