From television stars like Jerry Seinfeld to film actresses like Angelina Jolie, you won't believe how much it costs to hire the best of the best. With a paycheck upwards of a million dollars, it's no wonder some actors see so much success...
Jerry Seinfeld, $1.5 Million
Jerry Seinfeld was paid $1.5 million per Seinfeld episode. He was literally paid to play himself on TV. NBC apparently offered him upwards of $5 million to do a tenth season, but he'd declined.
Everyone's Favorite Sitcom
Written by Larry David, Seinfeld follows Jerry and his friends George, Kramer, and Elaine as they navigate their careers and love lives in New York. In the show, Jerry is still a stand-up comedian, and many of his real sets are included in the show.
Sandra Bullock, $70 Million
Sandra Bullock starred opposite George Clooney in this outer space sci-fi suspense film, Gravity. She won an Oscar nomination for her role, and was paid an enormous salary. Luckily, the film was really good.
Lost in Deep Space
Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, and she's on her first shuttle mission with Clooney's Matt Kowalsky. However, when the two are out on a routine space walk, their shuttle is destroyed. They're left stranded in deep space with no way home.
Emma Stone, $26 Million
Emma Stone's $26 million paycheck from La La Land put her on Forbes' highest-paid actress list in 2016. Her musical partner, Ryan Gosling, brought a ton of chemistry to the screen, and helped make it one of the most successful films of the year.
City of Stars
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's characters in La La Land are brought together by their love of music and the stage. However, their romance is doomed as their careers take off. It was a multi-winner during the 2016 and 2017 award seasons.
Tom Hanks, $40 Million
Tom Hanks typically only does high-profile projects. He made just as much money from Forrest Gump as he did with Saving Private Ryan. The film was a 1998 Spielberg hit.
The Brutal Realities of War
Tom Hanks plays Captain John Miller who takes his men behind enemy lines in search of a captured Private James Ryan. His three brothers were killed in combat and he's all alone. While following Hanks on this journey, all the men in his squad face their own demons at the hands of realistic warfare.
Cameron Diaz, $42 Million
Diaz's salary for Bad Teacher was actually only $1 million, but she negotiated and took a cut from box office sales, upping it to $42 million. Though it wasn't a wildly popular movie, it still earned enough to make sure Diaz was comfortable.
An A+ Scam
Cameron Diaz plays a money-hungry teacher whose sugar daddy boyfriend just dumped her. All she wants is to quit her job and marry rich, and her prospects look bleak until Justin Timberlake's character arrives on the scene. She attempts to seduce him and eliminate her competition.
Jim Carrey, $30 Million
Jim Carrey decided to negotiate the terms of his contract, and rather than accepting a salary, he took home a $30 million ownership check while filming Yes Man. This isn't the first time something like this has been done, but Carrey probably felt that the movie would be pretty successful and wanted more than an actor's credit on the film.
Just Say Yes
The plot of Yes Man is pretty self-explanatory. Jim Carrey's character follows a self-help program that encourages him to say yes to all opportunities. Along the way, he meets the woman of his dreams, has life-changing experiences, and learns more about himself than he ever thought possible.
Brad Pitt, $30 Million
Ocean's Eleven is one of Brad Pitt's most popular movies. The heist film features an ensemble cast, and up until that point, the $30 million contract was Pitt's highest-paid role of his career. He's gone on to earn even more since then, but the Ocean's series was wildly popular.
A High-Profile Cast
The cast in Ocean's 11 really can't be beat. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, and more play a group of men with a plan to rob a casino. Clooney plays the lead, Danny Ocean, whose master plan the gang follows.
Kelsey Grammer, $1.6 Million
Kelsey Grammer earned $1.6 million for the last two seasons of the popular sitcom, Frasier. There has been word of a 2021 revival, though not everyone is excited about that. For its time on air, it was relatively popular.
Therapist-Turned-Talk Show Host
Grammer's character, Frasier Crane, is a therapist living in Boston. He moves to Seattle on a whim and starts a new life as a radio talk show host where he shares his advice as a professional. However, much of the show revolves around his own personal problems.
Harrison Ford, $65 Million
Harrison Ford agreed to return to the classic Indiana Jones franchise for a sequel in 2008. The deal was, he'd only reprise his character if he took part in the film's earnings. The studio wrote him a check for $65 million.
A Job in Jeopardy
The plot of this Indy revival follows the archaeologist as he fights for his teaching job at Marshall College. Along the way, he assists Shia La Beouf's character in finding the famed "crystal skull" of Akator. In the middle of all that drama, he must defeat Russian spy Irina Spalko, played by Cate Blanchett.
Bruce Willis, $120 Million
Bruce Willis initially negotiated for his usual $20 million paycheck to film The Six Sense. On top of that, though, he also asked to receive a percentage of the movie's gross revenue and video sales. The 1999 film earned him a whopping extra $100 million.
He Sees Dead People
M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense follows the story of Bruce Willis's character, a child psychologist, who helps Haley Joel Osment's character overcome a dark secret: he sees ghosts. The big twist at the end though? Willis was dead the whole time and was just another ghost Osment could see.
Jim Parsons, $1 Million
Jim Parsons took home $1 million per episode of The Big Bang Theory while it was on TV. The rest of the cast, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar, all received the same pay. However, they later all took a pay cut when Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch negotiated their salaries.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, $29 Million
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines earned Schwarzenegger $29 million. However, his contract included a "pay or play" fee, which meant he would have been paid even if the movie hadn't been made. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
Mel Gibson, $30 Million
Mel Gibson became the highest-paid actor for a single project in 1998. He starred in Lethal Weapon 4 and took home a $30 million paycheck. The Lethal Weapon series was also hugely popular, making Gibson a high-priority actor.
Jack Nicholson, $50 Million
Jack Nicholson starred as the Joker in the 1989 Batman movie, and he laid an exceptionally creepy foundation for his predecessors Heath Ledger and Jared Leto. Nicholson took a percentage of the film's profits, earning him a $40 million pay increase.
Leonardo DiCaprio, $50 Million
The baseline salary that was offered to Leonardo DiCaprio for Inception was $50 million at a minimum. The mind-bending movie did exceptionally well in 2010 and is one of DiCaprio's most memorable recent roles.
Robert Downey Jr., $50 Million
After RDJ did well in the Iron Man franchise, he was written into The Avengers series. He was paid $50 million to reprise Tony Stark and starred in all the subsequent films until the series' end.
Daniel Radcliffe, $50 Million
Daniel Radcliffe took home $50 million for the last two Harry Potter films. The final films split the last story into two parts and saw the defeat of Voldemort and a happy ending for the golden trio. Whether Emma Watson and Rupert Grint received the same pay as Radcliffe is unclear.
Johnny Depp, $68 Million
Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter character earned him $68 million for his appearance in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. The live-action remake of the classic Disney animated film also saw the talents of Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman.
Tom Hanks, $70 Million
Arguably Tom Hanks' most iconic role is as Forrest Gump. It's also likely his biggest paycheck, coming in at $70 million after negotiation for film profits. The 1994 film is still just as iconic today.
Tom Cruise, $75 Million
The fourth Mission: Impossible film, Ghost Protocol, earned Tom Cruise upwards of $75 million. The plot is pretty similar to all the other films, featuring Cruise doing all his own stunts as usual. Cruise was filming another film for the series through 2020.
Tom Cruise, $100 Million
Tom Cruise earned the highest salary of his career with War of the Worlds. He opted out of receiving an upfront salary for the 2005 film and chose to take a percentage of the proceeds instead. Not only was that film high-action and intense, but it was one of the 2000's most iconic alien invasion films.
Will Smith, $100 Million
Men In Black 3 was just another wildly popular installment of Will Smith's alien spy franchise. In 2012, he took him an enormous paycheck for $100 million. The series wasn't even over at that point, with a fourth film following shortly after.
Keanu Reeves, $262 Million
For all three Matrix films, Keanu Reeves made $262 million in total. He played the lead role, Neo, and the films are still in cultural relevance today. He's arguably never had a more influential role.
Johnny Depp, $300 Million
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise earned Johnny Depp $300 million. The character of Jack Sparrow has influence far beyond the Disney films and has kept Depp in the business despite various personal scandals. No role has ever earned him as much success as Captain Jack.
The Cast of Mad About You, $1 Million
Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser starred in the 1998 sitcom, Mad About You. They each negotiated $1 million salaries per episode. They played a married couple who go through the trials of everyday life.
The Cast of Friends, $1 Million
Friends ended in 2004, but the cast of the show took home some hefty paychecks for their time on air. They saw a pay increase of $20,000 per episode to $1 million since the show started in 1994. No one will ever forget the longstanding influence of Ross and Rachel and the rest of the gang.
James Gandolfini, $1 Million
The Sopranos star, James Gandolfini, racked up $1 million per episode. He made a deal with HBO that they couldn't turn down. They paid him to renew his contract in 2006, too.
Tim Allen, $1.25 Million
Home Improvement was one of Tim Allen's earlier works, and the '90s sitcom was pretty successful. He made $35 million from the show in total and took him $1.25 million per episode. Who can forget that iconic "Tool Time" grunt?
Ray Romano, $1.7 Million
The popular sitcom starring Ray Romano was about the everyday life of Raymond's family. The trials between his brother, his mom, and his wife drove the plot into hilariously relatable situations. He made around $1.7 million for each episode.
Charlie Sheen, $2 Million
Charlie Sheen made around $2 million per episode of Anger Management. He made the same from his time on Two and a Half Men. Ever since both shows went off the air, he earned around $20 million from airing reruns.
Michael C. Hall, $20 Million
Michael C. Hall made $20 million just from seasons 6 and 7 of Dexter. The Showtime hit earned Hall a huge paycheck, and his role as secret serial killer kept audiences glued to the edge of their seats.
Chris Pratt, $12 Million
Chris Pratt has starred in everything from Parks & Recreation to Guardians of the Galaxy, but his role alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Passengers earned him $12 million. They play a couple stranded in space, and the story is based on the comic strip "50s Girl 50."
Ben Affleck, $14 Million
Ben Affleck's first role was in 1989's Field of Dreams and he was paid just $30. In 2016, his role in The Accountant earned him $14 million. He's also a prolific writer and producer, with credits on classics like Good Will Hunting.
Melissa McCarthy, $14 Million
Melissa McCarthy starred in Identity Thief alongside Jason Bateman and earned $14 million. She was also in Bridesmaids and The Heat, and is best known for her upfront comedic style. She also earned $14 million for her role in Ghostbusters.
Mark Wahlberg, $17 Million
After he was Marky Mark, Wahlberg got serious about acting. He's been in films like Boogie Nights and The Basketball Diaries, none of which paid him as much as Transformers: Age of Extinction did. His $17 million check was well-earned.
Angelina Jolie, $20 Million
Angelina Jolie has consistently been one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. Her role in Salt earned her $20 million. She's also been in popular films like Girl Interrupted, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. She also directed Unbroken and By the Sea.
Will Smith, $20 Million
2015's Suicide Squad made a huge splash in Hollywood. Will Smith starred alongside Jared Leto and Margot Robbie, and his paycheck racked up to $20 million. He's also been in Men in Black, Independence Day, and After Earth.
Denzel Washington, $20 Million
The Book of Eli was one of Washington's more recent serious roles, and he took home $20 million. The iconic actor has also been in Cry Freedom, Malcolm X, and 2 Guns. He's one of Hollywood's most favorite performers.
Jennifer Lawrence, $20 Million
Jennifer Lawrence was the highest-paid actress in 2016. Her role in Passengers with Chris Pratt earned her $20 million. She'd also just finished The Hunger Games franchise and had also starred in Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper. She's proven to be a prolific actress beyond the young adult dystopian series.
Adam Sandler, $25 Million
The stars of The Wedding Singer reunited for 50 First Dates in 2004. Adam Sandler took home $25 million for his role as a man trying to woo a woman with amnesia. He earned the same paycheck for his 2011 film, Jack and Jill.
Leonardo DiCaprio, $25 Million
Though he only made $2.5 million for his most iconic role as Jack in Titanic, Leo made $25 million for playing Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street. The movie skyrocketed in box offices but wasn't enough to earn him that coveted Oscar. That would come from The Revenant.
Dwayne Johnson, $25 Million
Dwayne Johnson was the highest-paid actor in 2016 and had a slew of roles under his belt in such a short time. His time in The Fast and the Furious franchise as well as Guardians of the Galaxy earned him some hefty credits. His role in San Andreas Fault is what earned him the largest paycheck of $25 million.
Matt Damon, $25 Million
Matt Damon's solo venture, The Martian, got him a $25 million payday. He's always had a successful career, and his work on Good Will Hunting earned him an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. The Martian earned mixed reviews, but with a price tag like that, it probably didn't matter.
Sofia Vergara, $43 Million
Sofia Vergara earned $43 million in 2019. She had multiple projects under her belt like Modern Family reruns, America's Got Talent, and a line of jeans at Walmart. She's also one of Hollywood's most recognizable faces.
Gal Gadot, $31 Million
Gadot earned $20 million for her role in Netflix's Red Notice. She also earned an extra $17 million from streaming, and this is all before Wonder Woman 1984 even came out.
Meryl Streep, $24 Million
Streep appeared in Steven Soderbergh's film, Let Them All Talk on HBO Max. She earned a $5 million cut from the production. She rest of that $24 million came from The Prom and Little Women.
Emily Blunt, $22.5 Million
Emily Blunt's pay from A Quiet Place was negotiated to $22 million. She also had a role in Jungle Cruise, which came in at another seven figures. A sequel to A Quiet Place is in the works.
Nicole Kidman, $22 Million
Nicole Kidman had a busy last couple of years. She appeared in Big Little Lies, The Prom, and The Undoing. All of those projects made her around $22 million.
Ellen Pompeo, $19 Million
Ellen Pompeo negotiated her Grey's Anatomy contract. She'd initially been earning around $550,000 per episode but upped her fee to add around $6 million per year from syndication profits.
Ryan Reynolds, $70 Million
Ryan Reynolds had a huge year in 2020. His Aviation Gin line was taking off, and he was continuing to rake in profits from the Deadpool franchise. It's likely he will continue to reprise that role in future Marvel movies. He and his wife Blake Lively have also donated a fair share of their income to charities helping to fight COVID-19.