Today in life imitating art news, Robert Downey Jr. is one step closer to becoming an actual genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist. Forbes has released their annual list of Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actors, and the Iron Man star comes in at a firm number one, having made $75m between June 2012 and June 2013.
There is no contesting that Downey Jr. is box office gold. He has starred in six films that have all grossed over $500m, and The Avengers and Iron Man 3 both earned over $1b during their runs. The Avengers, the third-highest grossing movie of all time, featured Downey Jr. once more in his beloved Tony Stark role – and it’s easy to argue that he stole many a scene throughout the blockbuster.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, coming in at number two is Channing Tatum with $60m. Tatum had a phenomenal 2012, mostly thanks to the stripping opus Magic Mike. Don’t let his pretty face and gyrating torso fool you – the kid has chops. The film, which he and director Steven Soderbergh self-financed for only $7m, grossed $167m to great reviews and an inevitable sequel on the way.
Hugh Jackman, in third place, proves that being a superhero – or a French revolutionary, depending on how you look at it – pays. Jackman earned $55m, which Forbes estimates is mostly from his role as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise, but an Oscar-nominated turn as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables certainly gave him a little spending money.
Rounding out the top five are Mark Whalberg (really?), star of last summer’s hit comedy Ted, with $52m, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at $46m. Apparently, Johnson has had a film in the top 10 for 10 weeks in a row. Can you smell what The Rock’s cooking? It’s Fast and the Furious sequels.
Here’s the full list of the Top 10 Highest-Paid Actors:
1. Robert Downey Jr., $75 million
2. Channing Tatum, $60 million
3. Hugh Jackman, $55 million
4. Mark Wahlberg, $52 million
5. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, $46 million
6. Leonardo DiCaprio, $39 million
7. Adam Sandler, $37 million
8. Tom Cruise, $35 million
9. Denzel Washington, $33 million
10. Liam Neeson, $32 million
Related Topics: Adam Sandler, Channing Tatum