Forbes‘ list of the top-earning actors for 2023 has been released, and it contained some familiar names as well as a few surprises.
Comedian Adam Sandler was the highest earner last year thanks in part to his partnership with the streaming giant Netflix. The 57-year-old celebrity starred in and produced “Murder Mystery 2,” a comedy about detectives launching their own agency, which also starred Jennifer Aniston (another name on the top earners list).
Sandler also wrote, produced, and did voice work on the coming-of-age musical comedy “Leo” and appeared in the action comedy “The Out-Laws,” also put out by Netflix. He acted alongside his wife and daughters in the comedy “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.”
Thanks to these efforts, Sandler brought in $73 million for the year.
Second on the list of top earners for 2023 was Margot Robbie, star of the summer blockbuster “Barbie.” The actress earned $59 million last year, and at the age of 33, was the youngest celebrity to appear on the list for 2023.
Tom Cruise came in third place thanks to “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.” The action thriller underperformed expectations but still brought in a huge payday for the A-lister. Cruise also earned residuals from his massive hit, “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), bringing his salary in 2023 to an estimated $45 million.
Two actors tied for the fourth place position. Both Matt Damon, who had a supporting role in the smash hit “Oppenheimer,” and Ryan Gosling, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “Barbie,” brought home $43 million. Damon’s earnings were boosted by selling “Air,” his first project with Artists Equity Studio, to Amazon for $130 million.
Other names rounding out the top 10 for 2023 include Jennifer Aniston ($42 million), Leonardo DiCaprio ($41 million), Jason Statham ($41 million), Ben Affleck ($38 million) and Denzel Washington ($24 million).
Forbes noted that the results are estimated based on interviews and data collected from industry sites such as IMDbPro. The outlet also reported that the numbers represent taxed earnings for the whole year and only account for income accrued through entertainment projects.
Tyler Perry was the number one top earner on the list in 2022, while Dwayne Johnson took the top spot for three consecutive years prior, per The Guardian.