The entertainment industry provides one of the largest employment opportunities. We see them on TV, people earn a living because of it.
Entertainment plays a very big role in ensuring that people live normal and happy lives. Are you wondering who the highest TV stars are and why they are paid so much? Keep reading.
Why Do Actors Get Paid So Much?
Many people wonder why actors are paid so much; some actors being paid way more than others. This largely depends on the value which they bring.
Actors who are paid so much depends on how many people can perform the role and whether the role generates revenue or prestige for the employer.
Celebrities are idolized for their talents and oftentimes, their looks, so it makes sense that brands are keen to profit off their cachet through job contracts and endorsement deals.
This makes their monetary value higher than the average teacher or nurse.
It is the entertainment industry. They work insane hours. A daily soap actor usually spends 20hours working and gets only 4hours of sleep.
Out of these 20 hours, around 12 hours are spent on shooting, up to 4 hours on commuting, and the rest on the gym.
How Much Do TV Stars Make?
The amount of money a T.V star is paid depends largely on who it is, the contract, or SAG minimums. A regular T.V star might make from $2500 per day to $7500 per week. They are paid for the time worked.
Co-Stars are minor characters. They are hired on a daily contract basis. The pay is usually within the scale of $1,005 plus 10 percent for the day, but the agent has room to negotiate.
One-day guest stars are characters who service the plot while interacting with the leads, but they can also be filmed in a day.
The rate here is negotiable. A one-day guest can be paid at least $1500-$3000 for a day.
Guest stars have roles at the focal point of the plot and actors who play them are hired for the entire episode. The pay is called ‘top-of-show’. They are paid at least $8,624.
How Much Do Actors Get Paid Per Episode?
According to RadarOnline source, the amount actors are paid depends on the value they bring and the contract between him and their employer.
This also varies based on the number of minutes the episode has and where it is planned to be featured.
There is no stipulated amount of money to be paid because it varies based on individuals, the contract, and the circumstances surrounding the agreement. However, an actor can make at least $25,000 per episode
Who Is The Highest Paid TV Actress?
Sofia Vergara is the world’s highest paid actress with $43 million, as the TV star led a surge of small screen paydays that eclipsed those in the movie business.
She is a Columbian-American actress, television producer, presenter, and model. She has been the highest paid actress on American television for seven consecutive years.
Also, she has had roles in the films- The Smurfs, New Year’s Eve, The Three Stooges, Machete Kills, and Chef, amongst others.
Who Is The Best TV Paid Actor?
Dwayne Johnson is the highest paid actor in the world in 2022. He leads the ranking released according to ratings gotten from Forbes.
Starred in Fast and Furious, Jumanji, amongst others. Recently, he was voted one of the top ten influencers on Instagram.
Between June 2019 and June 2020, he racked up to $87.5 million, making $23.5 million alone from his starring role in the upcoming Netflix film ‘Red Notice’ according to Forbes.
Who Are The Top 20 Highest Paid TV Stars?
Having the title ‘TV Star’ added to your name is just one of the few perks of being in the entertainment industry. You stand to gain so much more in the financial aspect. Here are the top highest paid tv stars:
- Dwayne Johnson
- Chris Hemsworth
- Ryan Reynolds
- Mark Wahlberg
- Akshay Kumar
- Jackie Chan
- Paul Rudd
- Vin Diesel
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Will Smith
- Sofia Vergara
- Adam Sandler
- Keanu Reeves
- Bruce Wills
- Tom Cruise
- Robert Downey Jr.
- Tom Hanks
- Johnny Depp
- Chris Evans
#1. Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson is the highest paid tv star (actor) in the world in 2022. He leads the ranking released according to ratings gotten from Forbes.
He starred in Fast and Furious, Jumanji, amongst others. Recently, he was voted one of the top ten influencers for Instagram.
Dwayne Johnson has many lucrative advertising contracts with various brands and receives commissions from the studios to promote the projects in which he works on social networks.
Between June 2019 and June 2020, he racked up to $87.5 million, making $23.5 million alone from his starring role in the upcoming Netflix film ‘Red Notice’ according to Forbes.
#2. Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth has solid acting chops, insanely good looks, a beautiful family, and an outright dreamy lifestyle. Born on August 11, 1983, he is 36 years old. He is an actor and a spokesman. His net worth is about $130 million.
His breakthrough came in 2009 when he starred as James T. Kirk’s father in ‘Star Trek reboot.
A few key performances would follow and his star continued to rise. He snagged the role of Thor in 2011 and the rest is Hollywood history. Also, he is one of the highest paid tv stars
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#3. Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds is a Canadian American actor, film producer, comedian, and entrepreneur who kicked off his acting career starring in the critically-acclaimed Canadian soap opera Hillside.
After the series ended, he accepted several minor television roles before landing his breakout role in ‘Two Guys and a Girl.
He has since starred in scores of other television series as well as movies. His career also includes voice acting.
As of January 1, 2021, the 44years old Ryan Reynolds has a net worth of $150 million. In addition, he is one of the highest paid tv stars.
Furthermore, he has starred in some notable movies like- Van Wilder, Blade: Trinity, Just Friends, The Amityville Horror, Smokin’ Aces, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Deadpool, 6 Underground, amongst others.
#4. Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg has been in the entertainment industry for a while. In 2017, Forbes named him the most overpaid actor of the year.
His Three wide releases prior to June 1, 2017, returned just $4.40 at the box office for every $1 he was paid on them.
Of recent, most of Mark Wahlberg’s yearly salary is from Netflix. With his popular movie Spenser Confidential, Wahlberg took home $58 million in 2020.
His total net worth is estimated between $290 and $350 million. This number is expected to grow massively on a monthly basis as his businesses grow. In addition, he is one of the highest paid tv stars.
#5. Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer, and martial artist who has a net worth of $240 million. Also, he is one of the highest paid tv stars.
He was born on September 9, 1967, and has made over 125 films to date. He has also been nominated several times for the Filmfare Awards.
In 2014, he launched a TV reality show called Dare 2 Dance. He also owns the sports team Khalsa Warriors of the World Kabaddi League.
Akshay earns $5-10 million per movie. He also has lucrative endorsement deals with more than 20 brands.
Between June 2017 and June 2018, Akshay earned $40 million. Between June 2018 and June 2019, he earned $65 million. His net worth in 2022 is estimated to be about $240 million.
#6. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan is one of the most acclaimed global stars to date. He is a Hong Kong-born movie star and one of the highest paid tv stars.
Over the years, he has become synonymous with Kung-fu, Martial arts, and action movies over an incredibly successful career. He is well known for doing his own stunts.
His major breakthrough came when he was able to put his trademark comedic skills to use in ‘The Snake in Eagle’s Shadow’.
In 2016, he was revealed to be the second-highest-paid actor in the world by Forbes with an estimated net worth of a whopping $350 million. In 2022, his net worth is estimated to be $400 million.
#7. Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer. He rose to prominence in the early 90s, later becoming one of the most well-known actors in the world.
He has a long list of credits to his name, and he has appeared in some of the biggest blockbusters of the last few decades. Also, he is an accomplished television actor and one of the highest paid tv stars.
His net worth is estimated to be $70 million as of 2022. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in July 2015.
#8. Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, director, writer, and producer. He rose to international fame with his role as Dominic Toretto in ‘The Fast and the Furious franchise.
The franchise made him one of the highest-paid action stars in the world. He can easily earn as much as $50 million per year depending on his film output.
He has an estimated net worth of $225 million. His trademark is his very deep voice. His voice broke when he was 15, which made him sound like an adult on the telephone.
Furthermore, his movies have generated more than $7 billion at the worldwide box office. In 2015, Diesel made $47 million and was the third highest-paid actor.
#9. Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio was born in Los Angeles on November 11th, 1974. As of 2022, he has a net worth of $260 million.
The vast majority of his fortune was accrued from his earnings as an actor and from his production company, Appian Way.
He has also been able to accrue a lot of real estate portfolios. He owns a lot of residences in New York and Los Angeles to go along with his own private island in Belize.
Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most influential people in Hollywood for nearly two decades. His role in Titanic was what put him in the spotlight and he has remained prominent with his most recent works ever since.
#10. Will Smith
Will Smith is an American actor, film producer, and rapper, who has a net worth of $350 million.
He is a multi-talented entertainer who qualifies as an original renaissance man due to his formidable success in a variety of areas in the entertainment industry. He became a millionaire at the age of 20.
Furthermore, he has received four Golden Globe nominations and two Academy Award nominations. In 2008, Smith was included in the list of ’10 most fascinating people’.
Also, he has one Image Award, two BET Awards, four MTV Movie Awards, and two people’s Choice Awards among his accolades. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross more than $100 million in the United States box office.
#11. Sofia Vergara
She is a Columbian-American actress, television producer, presenter, and model. Born on July 10, 1972. She has been the highest paid actress on American television for seven consecutive years.
Furthermore, she has had roles in the films- The Smurfs, New Year’s Eve, The Three Stooges, Machete Kills, Chef, amongst others.
Moreso, She proved a savvy businesswoman when she capitalized on her omnipresent celebrity status to grow Latin world Entertainment into the most powerful Hispanic media marketing company in the world. She earns at least $43million.
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#12. Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler was born on September 9, 1966. He started acting professionally before his graduation, making cameo appearances in The Cosby Show and on the MTV game show Remote Control.
After graduating, he started landing sporadic film roles in movies like 1989’s ‘Going Overboard’.
He is famous for making funny movies and getting paid tons of money to make said movies.
He has starred in more than 50 major studio releases since he left Saturday Night Live.
Furthermore, he earned at least $20 million for roughly 20 of those movies, and his net worth as of 2022 is estimated to be about $420 million. Moreso, he is one of the highest paid tv stars.
#13. Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is a popular Canadian actor, director, film producer, and musician with a net worth of $360 million. He was born on September 2, 1964.
His breakthrough movie role was in the movie ‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ in which he portrayed one of the main characters- Ted Logan.
For the past 30years, he has established himself as one of the best actors of all time. His net worth as of 2022 is about $360 million.
#14. Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis is an American actor, producer, and singer. He received an Emmy Award for his marvelous acting, which led to a sponsorship deal with Golden Wine Cooler Products.
This alone netted him into his first million dollars before he even began film acting. His net worth in 2022 is about $250 million. In addition, he is one of the highest paid tv stars.
#15. Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise has been a name to reckon with in the movie industry for nearly four decades. His hard work and keen business sense have made him one of the wealthiest stars in Hollywood history.
His first onscreen gig came in 1981 with a small part in Endless Love, followed by a supporting role in the Timothy Hutton- starring military academy drama.
From there, Cruise was able to command higher salaries for subsequent projects. He earned at least $50,000 for the gig. His net worth as of 2022 is estimated to be about $600 million.
#16. Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr was born on April 4, 1965, is an American actor and producer.
His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of commercial success in middle age.
He was named by Time magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world, and from 2013 to 2015, he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood’s highest-paid actor.
As of 2022, Robert Downey Jr. has a net worth of 300 million dollars. With his films grossing over $14.4 billion worldwide, the Marvel star is certainly a mogul in the industry.
In addition, he has accumulated a total of 24 awards throughout the span of his career. Downey will appear in the sports comedy-drama film All-Star Weekend directed by Jamie Foxx.
#17. Tom Hanks
Thomas Hanks is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide and is regarded as an American cultural icon.
His movies have grossed more than $4.9 billion in North America and more than $9.96 billion worldwide, making him the fourth-highest-grossing actor in North America.
In 2022, his net worth is estimated to be about $400 million. His domestic lifetime box office gross is more than $4.6 billion.
His world total box office gross is approximately $9.7 billion. He is also the number-one, most consistent box-office money-making star in the world.
#18. Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp is an American actor and producer who has a net worth of $150 million.
He has successful movies which have grossed over $3.4 billion in American and $8.7 billion worldwide at the box office.
His annual salary in some years has been known to top $100 million, easily making him one of the highest-paid actors on the planet.
Johnny earned $650 million in salaries, backend profits, and endorsement contracts.
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#19. Chris Evans
Chris Evans is an American actor and director who has a net worth of $80 million.
The majority of his net worth has been earned via his appearances in several big-budget blockbuster movies, which have made him one of the highest-paid actors on the planet.
In years when he was appearing in a Marvel movie, he easily made more than $30 million.
Between June 2018 and June 2019, he earned $44 million from his various endeavors. That was enough to make him one of the highest-paid actors in the world.
#20. Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American actor, pilot, and environmental activist. He rose to international fame after playing the role of Han Solo in the original Star Wars Trilogy.
His fame was further launched to the stratosphere when he played the title character in the Indiana Jones film series. As of 2022, he has a net worth of about $300 million dollars.
Conclusion
A successful career in acting requires equal parts talent and practice with a little bit of luck thrown in.
Actors can be seen and heard everywhere. Some make up the casts of extras that round out a production, while some achieve levels of fame that make them a household name.
FAQs on highest paid TV stars
Sofia Vergara- $43 million
Seinfeld
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