Robert Downey Jr. Is Highest Paid Actor in Hollywood, Might Actually Be Tony Stark

By  · Published on July 17th, 2013

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

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