The Richest of the Rich: See How Much Reese Witherspoon and More A-List Movie Stars Are Worth

Making it to the big screen — many times over — has made Hollywood’s A-list movie stars very, very rich. The top-paid actors can now command eight-figure salaries to appear in a single film. Reese Witherspoon is one of those actors, and in 2002, her then-husband Ryan Phillippe knew very well how much she was making.

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While they were presenting at the Oscars that year, Phillippe had Witherspoon read off the winner’s name, saying, “You make more than I do, so go ahead.” The actress was reminded of that big moment during a recent interview with Margaret Gardiner on “The HFPA in Conversation” podcast. Witherspoon admitted on the podcast, “There’s so few women that make a lot of money that sometimes they’re shamed for it, and sometimes they are expected to give more and do more and be more to others in the same position that say a male movie star would not be expected to … Women need to talk about money and how they made money and not feeling ashamed of it.”

So let’s talk about money and how much A-listers are making. Keep reading to test your knowledge of the net worths of some of the world’s most famous movie stars.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise rose to fame in the ’80s as the star of “Risky Business” and “Top Gun,” and his acting career hasn’t slowed down over the decades. Cruise now earns eight figures to star in films like “The Mummy” and the “Mission: Impossible” series, which is currently filming its seventh and eighth installments.

Click through to find out how rich Cruise’s acting career has made him.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio has successfully transitioned from child star to heartthrob to serious actor — and he’s picked up seven Academy Award nominations along the way. After being nominated — and losing — five times — DiCaprio finally got his Oscar at the 2015 ceremony for his leading role in “The Revenant.”

Click through to find out just how rich the “Titanic” star is now.

Morgan Freeman

With his unmistakable voice, Morgan Freeman has enraptured audiences in films like “Se7en,” “Invictus,” “Driving Miss Daisy” and “Million Dollar Baby.” Although Freeman has continued to act — and continued to pick up those corresponding big paychecks — he’s devoted some attention to a new passion in recent years: beekeeping. In 2019, the actor made headlines for converting his 124-acre Mississippi ranch into a bee sanctuary.

Click through to see how much the actor and environmentalist is worth.

Tom Hanks

As the star of films like “Cast Away,” “Big,” “Forrest Gump” and “Apollo 13,” Tom Hanks has become a beloved actor by audiences and critics alike. He’s also built up a huge social following in recent years, with 16.6 million followers on Twitter alone.

Click through to see just how much Hanks is really worth.

Jennifer Lawrence

As the star of the “Hunger Games” films, Jennifer Lawrence topped Forbes’ highest-paid actress list in both 2015 and 2016. In 2016 she earned $46 million, thanks in large part to her cut of the profits from the box office gross of the final “Hunger Games” installment — $653.4 million — and her hefty upfront fees. She’s kept the big paychecks coming in as a member of the Marvel film franchise, most recently starring as Raven/Mystique in 2019’s “X-Men: Dark Phoenix.”

Click through to see how wealthy these box office blockbusters have made Lawrence.

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts has held the title of “America’s Sweetheart” during her long film career, which has included starring roles in classics like “Pretty Woman,” “Erin Brockovich” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” Although she’s made most of her fortune from her movie roles, Roberts’ most recent project was on the small screen, starring in the 2018 series, “Homecoming.”

Click through to see how much Roberts is worth.

Meryl Streep

With 21 Academy Award nominations under her belt, Meryl Streep is the most Oscar-nominated actress of all time. She has also earned five Emmy nominations, including a 2020 nomination for “Big Little Lies” — a role that paid her $800,000 an episode, Variety reported.

Being a critical darling has helped Streep rack up the big bucks. Click through to see how much she is worth.

Denzel Washington

According to Forbes, Denzel Washington had earned a whopping $290 million pretax between 2003 and 2017 thanks to his supersized paychecks — around $20 million per film. Up next, Washington is set to appear in two films in 2021: “The Little Things” and “Macbeth.”

Click through to see how much Washington is worth.

Kate Winslet

After starring in “Sense and Sensibility” in 1995, Kate Winslet rose to new levels of fame when she starred in “Titanic” in 1997. She has since starred in other major hits like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Revolutionary Road.” Winslet’s performances have earned her seven Oscar nominations and one win, for 2008’s “The Reader.”

Click through to see how rich Winslet’s movie career has made her.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon has turned her movie stardom into an entire empire that includes a production company, a multimedia company and a clothing line. Witherspoon is now making big bucks on the small screen too, with $1 million per episode paydays to star on Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show,” Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” and HBO’s second season of “Big Little Lies,” Variety reported.

Click through to see how much Witherspoon is worth.

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About the Author

Gabrielle Olya

Gabrielle joined GOBankingRates in 2017 and brings with her a decade of experience in the journalism industry. Before joining the team, she was a staff writer-reporter for People Magazine and People.com. Her work has also appeared on E! Online, Us Weekly, Patch, Sweety High and Discover Los Angeles, and she has been featured on “Good Morning America” as a celebrity news expert. 

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