Breaking Down Hollywood Stars' Film and TV Salaries: Tom Cruise, Joaquin Phoenix and More

The paychecks of some of Hollywood’s biggest names in film and television have been revealed. Learn just how much Jason Sudeikis is making per episode on Ted Lasso and more.

By Kelly Gilmore Jul 20, 2022 10:45 PMTags
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It pays to be an actor—and for some stars, it pays a lot!

From on the big screen to little screens everywhere, actors and actresses entertain the masses with their talents. But just how much are they making for these roles?

On July 20, Variety shared two separate groups of data: one with the salaries of various movie stars and one with the salaries that various television stars are taking home per episode.

Keep reading to see which stars take home a jaw-dropping salary, according to the outlet.

In the film department, Tom Cruise is raking in the highest figures, likely earning $100 million for his work in Top Gun: MaverickThe actor's hefty payday is allegedly due to the fact that Tom has a unique deal in the industry where he gets a percentage of the film's first-dollar profit before the studio breaks even. Therefore, his paycheck will likely come from a combination of ticket sales, his salary and his payment from home entertainment rentals and streaming revenue. The aviation film has already earned about $1.2 billion at the global box office.

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Top TV Star Salaries: You Won't Believe Who's No. 1

Trailing behind the Mission: Impossible star is Will Smith with a reported salary of $35 million for his work in Emancipation. And just behind the King Richard star are Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, who tied at $30 million each. For Leonardo, the paycheck comes from Killers of the Flower Moon and for Brad, it's for an upcoming Formula 1 racing film.

Joaquin Phoenix has seen a hefty increase in his paycheck for the role of The Joker. The actor is now reportedly collecting a $20 million salary for the film Joker 2—which is a stark jump from the $4.5 million he earned for the 2019 film.

Apple TV+

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (who are currently filming the upcoming Barbie movie as the characters of Barbie and Ken) are both reportedly netting $12.5 million for the project, making Margot the highest paid woman on the list.

As for the world of television, names on Variety's list include both Will Ferrell and Paul Ruddwho are each taking home an episodic salary of $1 million for The Shrink Next Door on Apple TV+. And they're not the only ones.

Apple TV+

Among the high-profile stars also in the $1 million per episode club include Michael Keaton for Hulu's Dopesick, Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren for the Paramount+ show 1923 and Sylvester Stallone for the Paramount+ series Tulsa King. Jason Sudeikis, who co-created and stars on Ted Lasso, is also earning $1 million per episode for the Apple TV+ series.

To see the complete list of paydays, read Variety's full report on television stars here and on movie stars here.

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