Maverick, Forrest Gump and More of the Highest-Paid Roles in Movie History

It’s no secret that Hollywood actors can make mega bucks and can be financially compensated in ways that are almost as jaw-dropping as the movies themselves. While certain roles can leave an indelible mark on audiences, they also can be huge paydays for A-listers who bring in big box office numbers.

From iconic blockbusters to franchise juggernauts and unforgettable flicks, here are the 10 highest-paid movie roles in history.

How much he made: $65 millionIn the early 2000s, Paramount reportedly offered Harrison Ford a whopping $65 million for the fourth installment of the “Indiana Jones” franchise.

How much he made: $65 million

Tom Hanks portrayed one of the most memorable characters to grace the big screen in “Forrest Gump,” and to make it happen, he and director Robert Zemeckis both paid for the important running scene to be shot when Paramount refused to cover the expenses.In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Hanks opened up about how Zemeckis approached him and asked for his trust. “And he said, ‘Well, this run is going to cost X amount of dollars.’ And it wasn’t cheap. And I said OK. He said, ‘You and I are going to split that amount, and we’re going to give it back (to Paramount). We’ll give you the money back, but you guys (Paramount) are going to have to share the profits a little bit more.’ Which the studio said, ‘Fabulous, great. OK.’ And it was good for us, too.”Hanks reportedly made around $65 million for the film, making his risk pay off.

How much she made: $70 millionThe only female, to date, to make the list of 10 highest-paid roles is Sandra Bullock, for the 2013 space drama “Gravity,” co-starring George Clooney. The movie went on to earn 10 Oscar nominations, winning seven, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron. 

As for Bullock, she scored an epic payday of $70 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The outlet reported that the Oscar winner was paid $20 million up front and then earned 15% of the first-dollar gross. Additionally, she had a cut in revenue streams, earning a combined total of at least $50 million more.

How much he made: $75 millionJohnny Depp made millions off playing Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, but it was his role as the Mad Hatter in “Alice in Wonderland” that brought him the largest paycheck.According to The Hollywood Reporter, Depp received $20 million up front and then earned an additional $55 million from a backend deal.

How much he made: $75 millionRobert Downey Jr. has been playing Iron Man since 2008 and became the highest-paid actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after negotiating a deal that resulted in backend profits of $75 million for 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” per The Hollywood Reporter.

How much he made: $75 millionTom Cruise lands on the top 10 list three times, the first with “Mission: Impossible II.” According to ScreenRant, Cruise used the same tactic as he did in “War of the Worlds” when it came to his salary. Instead of taking an upfront lump sum of money, he made a backend deal that entitled him to a percentage of the box office profits for playing the lead role and serving as producer on the film.

How much he made: $83.3 million“The Matrix” trilogy was not only a game-changer for Keanu Reeves’ career — he went from a well-known actor to a global superstar — but it was a giant payday for the actor. Reeves reportedly took home $250 million for the three movies, which equates to $83.3 million per film.

How much he made: $100 millionIt took two sequels, but Will Smith reportedly scored a massive $100 million check with the third installment of ‘Men in Black.” In the first film, he earned $5 million; in the second, he earned $20 million, plus 10% of the movie’s box office gross, which totaled $44.1 million, for a total of $64.1 million, according to ScreenRant.

How much he made: $100 million

In 2005, Tom Cruise was commanding a $20 million payday. But, with “War of the Worlds,” he did something different when negotiating his salary: He bet on himself. Instead of taking an upfront fee, he took a percentage of the movie ticket gross. The film made about $604 million worldwide, reportedly paying Cruise $100 million.

How much he made: $100 million or more“Top Gun: Maverick” was the sequel that took 36 years to happen, but didn’t disappoint. Tom Cruise first took on the role of Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in 1986. The movie was a sensation, but Cruise didn’t want to return for a second, according to “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joe Kosinski.“I basically had 30 minutes to pitch this film, which I didn’t realize when we were flying over to Paris,” where Cruise was filming a “Mission: Impossible” film, Kosinski said in an interview with Polygon. “But when I got there, I found that Tom really didn’t want to make another Top Gun.”However, he signed up after hearing the storyline and felt the conflict “leveraged the emotion of the past film and those relationships that we all love, but took it in a new direction.” The movie grossed $1.5 billion worldwide, and Cruise reportedly earned over $100 million.

How much he made: $114 million

Bruce Willis reportedly received a base salary of $14 million for his role as Dr. Malcolm Crowe in the mind-bending, plot-twisting film from 1999. But he negotiated for a 17% share of the backend profits, and the $672 million box office elevated his pay to nine figures.