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Hollywood is a real money-making machine. Every month — or even every week — it releases and plans dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of new movies.
And of course, actors don’t star in them just for the love of art or even for fame. Their paychecks are often huge. Who got the biggest amounts for their roles, and what were those roles? Find out in this post!
Harrison Ford, “Indiana Jones 4: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” – $65 million
The star of two of the biggest film franchises ever, Harrison Ford took a break from big hits for almost 10 years before this movie. So if the filmmakers wanted Indiana back, they had to offer him a huge payday.
Tom Hanks, “Forrest Gump” – $70 million
While making *Forrest Gump*, the team worried the film might go over budget. So Tom Hanks was promised 10% of the box office earnings. And the box office took care of the rest.
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Tom Cruise, “Mission: Impossible 2” – $75 million
The main star of a movie series that has made over $8 billion in total, Tom Cruise is almost a guarantee of success. And of course, he wants to be paid for it.
Keanu Reeves, “The Matrix Revolutions” – $76 million
For a celebrity who knows the price of a star lifestyle, Keanu did a great job earning the kind of money that lets him live that way. The first *Matrix* movie was such a hit that audiences asked for more.
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity” – $77 million
The only woman on this list, Sandra made a big impact with her performance in this sci-fi thriller. Along with a fixed salary, she also got 15% of the box office earnings.
Tom Cruise, “War of the Worlds” – $100 million
What happens when an action movie star and one of the world’s most famous directors team up to make a great sci-fi film with amazing effects? You get a blockbuster… and Tom Cruise’s biggest paycheck on this list.
Will Smith, “Men in Black 3” – $100 million
A star of 17 films who had already earned over $100 million before *Men in Black*, Will had starred in true movie hits like *Independence Day*. The making of *Men in Black 3* was tough, but it paid off big time.
Bruce Willis, “The Sixth Sense” – $100–120 million
One of the biggest movie stars of our time, Bruce Willis signed a deal for this film that included a $14 million salary and 17% of the box office. As you can see, the second part turned out to be worth way more.
Keanu Reeves, “The Matrix Reloaded” – $126 million
Keanu Reeves made a lot of money from *The Matrix* series, as you can see from this list. In doing so, he set a real record. These numbers — or rather, the global box office earnings of the beloved *Matrix* movies — made his role the highest-paid in history.