The 25 Largest Movie Paydays In Hollywood History

There was a time when paying an actor $1 million for a single movie seemed almost obscene.

Elizabeth Taylor was the first actor to command a $1 million salary when she signed on to play the title role in what became 1963's "Cleopatra." Marlon Brando soon became the first male actor to cross the same threshold, earning $1.25 million for 1962's "Mutiny on the Bounty."

Those contracts changed the definition of a movie-star salary. But the deal that truly transformed Hollywood compensation had been struck more than a decade earlier by Jimmy Stewart.

In the late 1940s, Stewart wanted to star in a film adaptation of "Harvey," the hit stage play about a mild-mannered man whose best friend is an invisible six-foot rabbit. Universal owned the rights, but the studio was unwilling—or unable—to pay Stewart his customary $200,000 salary.

Rather than abandon the project, Universal chief William Goetz proposed an unusual solution. Stewart could make "Harvey," along with the more obviously commercial western "Winchester '73," but instead of receiving his normal upfront salary, he would take a percentage of the movies' success.

Stewart's legendary agent, Lew Wasserman, negotiated the final arrangement. Stewart received substantial creative control over the productions, including influence over the director and his co-stars, along with a remarkably generous share of the profits. The deal is widely credited as the first major instance of a Hollywood star surrendering a conventional salary in exchange for backend points.

Both movies became hits. Stewart earned roughly $600,000 from "Harvey" and another $600,000 from "Winchester '73″—the equivalent of about $8.3 million per movie, or $16.6 million combined, today. .

Guaranteed salaries continued rising, of course. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford were earning eight figures per film. Then, in 1995, Jim Carrey made Hollywood history by signing a deal to earn $20 million for "The Cable Guy," the first time an actor had commanded that much money upfront for a single movie.

For the next decade or two, a $20 million salary remained the ultimate Hollywood A-List goal. But the real A-Listers never stopped dreaming about getting points on the action. Jimmy Stewart-style.

Backend points are how Jack Nicholson turned a reduced $6 million salary for "Batman" into $60 million. It is how Tom Hanks turned a pay cut on "Forrest Gump" into $70 million. And it is how Bruce Willis transformed a $14 million salary for an unusual supernatural thriller from an unproven director into the largest clearly established single-film acting payday in Hollywood history. Those are just a few of the examples we've uncovered on our list of the 25 largest paydays in Hollywood history…

#1: Bruce Willis – $120 Million For "The Sixth Sense"

In the late 1990s, Bruce Willis was one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. Convincing him to appear in an unusual supernatural drama about a child who could see dead people—written and directed by a filmmaker with a strange name, and almost no commercial track record—was not going to be cheap.

Willis received a $14 million base salary, along with an unusually generous backend interest and participation in home-video revenue.

He also accumulated a $450,000 private-jet bill and received a $400,000 allowance during production.

"The Sixth Sense" became a phenomenon, earning more than $670 million worldwide and becoming the most-rented home-video title of 2000. Willis earned as much as $106 million beyond his initial fee, bringing his total payday to an estimated $120 million. After adjusting for inflation, that's the same as making $236 million in today's dollars.

Bruce's co-star, Haley Joel Osment, famously earned just $150,000. He did not receive a private jet or a $400,000 allowance.

Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images

#2: Tom Cruise – More Than $100 Million For "Top Gun: Maverick"

Tom Cruise earned an upfront salary of around $13 million for "Top Gun: Maverick." For an actor of his stature, that was practically a discount.

The real prize was first-dollar gross participation worth at least 10% of the studio's revenue, with possible escalators tied to the movie's performance.

"Maverick" became the biggest hit of Cruise's career, earning nearly $1.5 billion despite not being released in China or Russia. It continued generating money through rentals, digital sales, streaming, television and home video.

Cruise's payday passed $100 million and may ultimately have exceeded Willis' "Sixth Sense" total. The exact number remains private. Though, with inflation, Willis still holds the crown of largest payday of all time.

#3: Tom Cruise – $100 Million For "Mission: Impossible II"

Cruise's greatest financial move may have been taking control of "Mission: Impossible."

His production company optioned the film rights, and Cruise became both the star and producer of the franchise. That allowed him to collect a salary, producing fees and a major share of each movie's success.

"Mission: Impossible II" earned more than $545 million worldwide. Cruise's total compensation reached an estimated $100 million.

He was no longer merely being paid to portray Ethan Hunt. He owned the machinery surrounding Ethan Hunt.

#4: Tom Cruise – $100 Million For "War Of The Worlds"

Cruise reunited with Steven Spielberg for "War of the Worlds" and negotiated another enormous gross-participation deal.

The movie was filmed in roughly ten weeks and earned more than $600 million worldwide. Cruise's salary and backend participation generated an estimated $100 million.

That works out to around $10 million for every week of principal photography—not counting preparation, reshoots or promotion.

#5: Will Smith – $100 Million For "Men In Black 3"

By the time "Men in Black 3" entered production, Will Smith was the indispensable element of the franchise.

The movie experienced script problems, delays and a production budget that reportedly ballooned above $200 million. It still earned more than $620 million worldwide.

Thanks to a lucrative backend deal, Smith collected an estimated $100 million—nearly five times the $20 million salary generally associated with a top-tier Hollywood star.

#6: Tom Holland – More Than $100 Million For "Spider-Man: Brand New Day"

Ten years before "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," Tom Holland was paid just $250,000 to make his first appearance as Peter Parker in "Captain America: Civil War."

His Spider-Man salary rose quickly from there. Holland earned a $500,000 base salary for "Spider-Man: Homecoming," $4 million for "Spider-Man: Far From Home," and a reported $10 million for "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

Then his original Spider-Man contract expired.

By that point, "No Way Home" had earned nearly $2 billion worldwide, Holland had become inseparable from the character, and Sony needed to negotiate an entirely new deal to bring him back.

According to TheWrap, Holland received a base salary of at least $20 million for "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," along with an unusually lucrative uncapped backend arrangement tied to the movie's performance.

That backend became extremely valuable when "Brand New Day" crossed $2 billion at the worldwide box office. His total compensation is expected to exceed $100 million.

If the estimate holds, Holland will have increased his Spider-Man payday roughly 400-fold in a decade, from $250,000 to more than $100 million.

#7: Sandra Bullock – $77 Million For "Gravity"

"Gravity" was originally developed with Angelina Jolie in mind. When Sandra Bullock took over the role, she negotiated one of the smartest contracts in modern Hollywood.

Bullock received $20 million upfront, plus 15% of first-dollar gross and a share of DVD, television and other revenue.

The movie earned more than $700 million worldwide despite featuring Bullock alone on screen for long stretches. Her final compensation reached as much as $77 million.

She also earned an Academy Award nomination and proved that a movie set largely inside a spacesuit could generate one of Hollywood's largest paychecks.

#8: Robert Downey Jr. – $75 Million For "Avengers: Endgame"

Robert Downey Jr. received a $20 million base salary for "Avengers: Endgame," plus a share of Marvel's backend pool estimated at around 8%.

The film earned nearly $2.8 billion during its original theatrical run. Downey's participation generated roughly $55 million beyond his base salary, producing a total payday of $75 million.

That contract was the reward for taking a chance on "Iron Man" when Marvel's cinematic universe was still an unproven experiment.

#9: Robert Downey Jr. – At Least $75 Million For "Avengers: Infinity War"

Downey earned at least another $75 million from "Avengers: Infinity War."

Marvel could replace directors, supporting characters and even major heroes. It could not easily replace Tony Stark.

Downey's leverage reflected that reality. His compensation was many times larger than what several of his equally famous co-stars received.

#10: Robert Downey Jr. – $75 Million For "Iron Man 3"

Downey earned only around $500,000 for the original "Iron Man."

Five years later, "Iron Man 3" earned more than $1.2 billion worldwide, and Downey's salary and backend participation generated an estimated $75 million.

That represents a 150-fold increase from his first Tony Stark paycheck.

Few actors have ever converted one successful role into greater negotiating leverage.

#11: Tom Hanks – $70 Million For "Forrest Gump"

Tom Hanks was originally supposed to receive a large guaranteed salary for "Forrest Gump."

When the production went over budget, Hanks agreed to give up much of his cash compensation in exchange for first-dollar gross points. Director Robert Zemeckis made a similar arrangement.

"Forrest Gump" earned around $700 million in theaters and continued producing revenue through home video, licensing and television.

Hanks earned an estimated $70 million in the first year alone, along with his second consecutive Academy Award for Best Actor.

#12: Tom Cruise – $70 Million For "Mission: Impossible"

Cruise earned an estimated $70 million from the first "Mission: Impossible."

The payday was remarkable not simply because of its size, but because the movie established the structure Cruise would use for decades: reduced emphasis on salary, enormous producing leverage and participation in the franchise's success.

What began as a movie adaptation of an old television series became Cruise's personal financial engine.

#13: Harrison Ford – $65 Million For "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull"

Paramount could not make a fourth Indiana Jones movie without Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

Ford and his longtime collaborators negotiated a deal that gave them a large share of the movie's revenue after the studio recovered certain costs.

The result was a $65 million payday for Ford.

Whatever one thinks of crystal skulls, interdimensional beings or Indiana Jones surviving a nuclear explosion inside a refrigerator, the movie was extremely good for Ford's bank account.

#14: Jack Nicholson – $60 Million For "Batman"

Jack Nicholson normally commanded around $10 million per movie. To play the Joker in 1989's "Batman," he accepted only $6 million.

In exchange, Nicholson received a share of the box office, home-video sales and merchandise.

"Batman" became a cultural phenomenon. Joker toys, shirts, posters and merchandise flooded stores, and Nicholson participated in the frenzy.

His total payday reached an estimated $60 million, setting a Hollywood record at the time and helping popularize the kind of backend arrangement that dominates this list.

#15: Adam Sandler – $60 Million For "Anger Management"

Adam Sandler received his normal $20 million salary for "Anger Management," plus 25% of the film's gross.

The comedy, which co-starred Nicholson, earned nearly $200 million worldwide. Sandler's total compensation climbed to an estimated $60 million.

Nicholson may have taught him a few things about acting during production. More importantly, Nicholson's "Batman" deal had already demonstrated the value of negotiating a piece of the action.

#16: Leonardo DiCaprio – $59 Million For "Inception"

Leonardo DiCaprio accepted less than his normal upfront salary to help Christopher Nolan get "Inception" made.

An original, expensive science-fiction movie involving shared dreams, collapsing cities and multiple layers of reality was not an obvious commercial bet.

DiCaprio negotiated first-dollar gross participation in exchange for taking less cash upfront. When "Inception" earned more than $800 million worldwide, DiCaprio reportedly collected $59 million.

It was an actor's dream contract—no spinning top required.

#17: Johnny Depp – $55 Million For "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

Before "Pirates of the Caribbean," Johnny Depp was respected, famous and acclaimed—but he was not a reliable blockbuster star.

Captain Jack Sparrow changed that.

By the fourth film, Disney had an entire multibillion-dollar franchise built around Depp's swaying, slurring pirate. His salary, bonuses and backend participation for "On Stranger Tides" reached an estimated $55 million.

The movie itself cost hundreds of millions to produce, making Depp one of its largest individual expenses.

#18: Will Smith – $54 Million For "Bad Boys II"

Smith's compensation for "Bad Boys II" reached an estimated $54 million after salary, bonuses and backend participation.

The production became notorious for its enormous budget, elaborate action sequences and director Michael Bay's willingness to destroy just about anything that could be placed in front of a camera.

The movie earned more than $270 million worldwide. A large portion of its financial upside went directly to its star.

#19: Margot Robbie – $50 Million For "Barbie"

Margot Robbie was not merely the star of "Barbie." She helped bring the project together and produced it through LuckyChap Entertainment.

That distinction mattered.

After "Barbie" earned more than $1.4 billion worldwide, Robbie's salary and box-office bonuses were estimated at $50 million. Her position as a producer may have made the overall deal even more valuable.

Like many of the stars on this list, Robbie earned the largest payday by moving beyond acting and taking an ownership role.

#20: Dwayne Johnson – $50 Million For "Red One"

Dwayne Johnson's compensation package for Amazon's "Red One" was valued at $50 million.

Unlike the classic backend deals elsewhere on this list, Johnson's payday reflected the streaming era. Amazon offered a giant guaranteed payment designed to replace the box-office participation he might have demanded from a conventional studio release.

The upside was certainty. Johnson did not have to wait years for accounting statements or argue about profits.

The downside was that his payout had a ceiling.

#21: Robert Downey Jr. – $50 Million For "The Avengers"

Downey's deal for "The Avengers" generated an estimated $50 million.

Several of his co-stars earned low-seven-figure salaries. Downey earned tens of millions because his contract connected his compensation to Marvel's success.

"The Avengers" proved that Iron Man was not merely one character in the ensemble. He was the financial center of the entire cinematic universe.

#22: Will Smith – $44 Million For "Men In Black II"

Smith earned an estimated $44 million from "Men in Black II."

His agreement combined a large upfront salary with valuable gross participation. By then, the studio understood that the franchise did not work without Agent J—and Smith negotiated accordingly.

The payday helped set the stage for the even more spectacular $100 million he later earned from "Men in Black 3."

#23: Cameron Diaz – $42 Million For "Bad Teacher"

Cameron Diaz earned only $1 million upfront for "Bad Teacher."

That number looks bizarrely small for one of the most famous actresses in Hollywood. It was also intentional.

Diaz traded guaranteed salary for a substantial share of the movie's profits. "Bad Teacher" cost around $20 million and earned more than $200 million worldwide.

Her $1 million gamble turned into an estimated $42 million payday—one of the clearest examples of backend participation outperforming salary.

#24: Arnold Schwarzenegger – More Than $40 Million For "Twins"

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and director Ivan Reitman did something radical when making "Twins":

They agreed to work for no salary.

Instead, the three men took substantial ownership interests in the movie. The studio reduced its upfront risk, while the talent gained access to enormous upside.

"Twins" became a hit, earning more than $200 million on a modest budget and continuing to generate revenue for decades.

Schwarzenegger later described it as the biggest movie payday of his career, worth more than $40 million.

#25: Tom Hanks – $40 Million For "Saving Private Ryan"

After the success of his "Forrest Gump" deal, Hanks understood the value of backend participation better than almost anyone in Hollywood.

He earned an estimated $40 million from "Saving Private Ryan," another partnership with Spielberg that became both a critical landmark and a major commercial success.

The movie earned nearly $500 million worldwide and won five Academy Awards.

#26: Leonardo DiCaprio – $40 Million For "Titanic"

DiCaprio received a base salary of only a few million dollars for "Titanic," plus a percentage of the movie's gross.

At the time, the troubled production appeared capable of becoming one of Hollywood's greatest financial disasters. Its budget kept expanding, its release was delayed and industry observers openly wondered whether audiences would sit through a three-hour historical romance.

Instead, "Titanic" became one of the highest-grossing films ever made.

DiCaprio's backend participation lifted his total payday to an estimated $40 million.

The $40 Million Club

Several other actors have earned movie paydays in the same range:

• Johnny Depp: $40 million for "Alice in Wonderland"
• Denzel Washington: $40 million for "American Gangster"
• Will Smith: $40 million for "King Richard"
• Denzel Washington: $40 million for "The Little Things"

Keanu Reeves' Enormous Two-Film "Matrix" Package

Keanu Reeves negotiated one of the largest compensation packages in Hollywood history for "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions."

The two sequels were filmed back-to-back as one connected production. Contemporary estimates placed Reeves' combined compensation between $90 million and $200 million, with the final total believed to have landed near the upper end of that range.

Because his compensation covered both movies, there is no reliable public basis for assigning a precise amount to either sequel individually.

When earnings from the original "Matrix" are included, Reeves may have made more than $250 million from the trilogy.

The Biggest Multi-Film Packages

Some of Hollywood's largest deals cover several movies and therefore do not belong in a single-film ranking.

• Cruise earned an estimated $290 million from the first four "Mission: Impossible" films.
• Johnny Depp earned around $185 million from the first four "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.
• Daniel Craig received more than $100 million to make two "Knives Out" sequels for Netflix.

These packages show why established stars increasingly seek franchise control and multi-film guarantees rather than negotiating one salary at a time.

Mel Gibson's $400 Million Ownership Windfall

Mel Gibson earned an estimated $400 million from "The Passion of the Christ," but calling it an acting paycheck would be misleading.

When studios declined to finance the film, Gibson personally paid for its production and marketing, directed it and retained a massive ownership stake.

The film became a global phenomenon. Gibson collected hundreds of millions from box-office profits, home-video sales and merchandise.

He did not make that fortune as an actor for hire.

He made it as an owner.

Salary Makes You Rich. Ownership Creates Fortunes.

The largest conventional acting salaries generally top out around $20 million to $30 million.

The paydays on this list became much larger because actors negotiated points, bonuses, producing fees or ownership. They accepted risk in exchange for the possibility of unlimited upside.

A salary can make an actor extremely rich.

Owning a piece of the movie can make an actor generationally wealthy.