This is a well-known fact that actors make a huge amount of money with their acting and their brand endorsements. Most of these actors have entertained us with their impeccable performances and naturally have received the love of the audience and the cash from their producers.
While some of them have made it to the richest actors list of 2021, some are still lightyears behind when it comes to amassing massive fortunes. So, without further ado, let’s find out if your favourite actor has made it to this list or whether they need to still put in the hard yards.
Top 20 Richest Actors in the World
20. Johnny Depp- $200 Million
Captain Jack Sparrow is one of the biggest names when it comes to the film world. Having begun his career as a child actor, Depp realized that he wanted to enter the big stage and began with dark films such as Donnie Brasco and Dead Man.
However, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise made his stocks rise as an actor, and was offered a string of big-budget films from thereon. He has also tried his hand at production by starting his own company named Infinitum Nihil. Despite his ongoing divorce settlement with actress Amber Heard, the soft-spoken star remains one of the richest in the business.
19. Akshay Kumar- $240 Million
For a man that is as multi-talented as Akshay Kumar, success was just a matter of time. An actor, chef, and martial artist, Kumar has been a prominent figure since the 1990s. He is known for his high-grossing movies and his ability to release multiple movies in a year.
Having received many awards in his career, he is also known for his disciplined lifestyle and his attitude towards fitness. He has had endorsements with leading brands and is an advocate for the welfare of Indian soldiers. Currently, Kumar is counted amongst the richest actors in India.
18. Leonardo DiCaprio- $245 Million
I bet no man on the planet hasn’t tried his iconic Titanic pose with their partner. Somewhere, one could sense that Leo DiCaprio was born to rule Hollywood with his boyish charm and stupendous acting. At the mere age of 19, he won his first nomination to the Oscars and Golden globe which hallmarked his talent for years to come by.
Besides his evergreen performance in Titanic, DiCaprio has nailed it with roles like Jordan Belfort and Dom Cobb and became Martin Scorsese’s favorite child during the 2000s. Apart from being the finest in this craft, DiCaprio is an environmentalist and has contributed to various causes when nature has been hurt the most.
17. Robert Downey Jr- $260 Million
They say that people with the worst part make the best future, which is apt in the case of Robert Downey Jr. Being a drug addict for most of his life, he still was one of the well-known names in Hollywood but his off-screen antics were being his deterrent to success.
In 2003, he embraced sobriety and focused on honing his craft, which landed him his career-best role in Iron Man. After its record-breaking success, the big roles and the big bucks kept rolling, making him one of the richest actors today.
16. Brad Pitt- $300 Million
Having been the crush of millions of women in the 1990s, Brad Pitt is known for a lot more than his stunning looks. He first came in the limelight with his film Thelma Louise and gave better performances one after the other in 12 Monkeys and Fight Club which made him a critically-acclaimed actor.
His movies have won the Academy Awards many a time and he himself has won a Best Supporting Actor Award. Along with the good looks come his playboy tendencies with Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie being his ex-wives. With all of that money and fame to his name, Pitt continues to remain one of America’s most influential and popular actors of all time.
15. Jessica Alba- $340 Million
She is one of the most gorgeous actresses to have ever entered the industry. Despite having a history of medical issues early in her life, Alba was always headstrong when it came to achieving her dream to become an actress. She began her sojourn at the age of 13 with a role in a small TV show and soon switched to the movies.
After her commercial success in Honey, she featured in many Hollywood hits such as Sin City and Machete. She has now become an entrepreneur with The Honest Company and still manages to do an odd film or two to stay in the limelight.
14. Tom Hanks- $350 Million
There’s barely a man who hasn’t heard of Tom Hanks due to his immense popularity across the globe. Ranked among the richest actors for a long time now, Hanks began his career as a comic actor and started donning the series roles much later which has won him critical and commercial recognition.
Hanks has had many feathers to his cap. Some of them include 2 Academy Awards, 7 Emmy Awards, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. His cool demeanor has made him a social media fan-favorite and has gone on to make him one of America’s greatest cultural icons.
13. Keanu Reeves- $360 Million
Humility is Keanu Reeves’ middle name for he barely shows the attitude even after having achieved almost everything. The Beirut-born actor didn’t have a smooth start to his career and encountered many flops before landing his first success with The Devil’s Advocate.
Then came The Matrix and his career graph rose like anything. He has been the recipient of 4 MTV Awards and a Saturn award for The Matrix and has recently developed his interests in writing and philanthropy. Even after being one of the richest actors, Reeves maintains a low media profile and is known for using public transport to head to the sets. What a guy!
12. Clint Eastwood- $375 Million
Clint Eastwood is a man that has donned many hats in his life spanning 91 years. An icon of masculinity in the 1960s, Eastwood is best remembered for his appearances in Man With No Name and Dirty Harry series which made him the owner of various acting accolades.
He has also been a successful director, producer, and Mayor of Carmel, California in the past. Many lifetime achievement awards have come along his way for his contribution to cinema and the French Government granted him the Commander Rank of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1994. Admit it or not, but there is no stopping for Mr. Eastwood even at this ripe age!
11. Bill Cosby- $400 Million
Bill Cosby has had a rather unconventional way to brand himself in recent times. From being one of America’s greatest comedians in the 1960s to becoming a renowned actor with his own set of sitcoms, Cosby has reached the pinnacle of success in his long career.
However, he will not be best remembered for all of this anymore. In 2018, several women had accused him of all sorts of sexual crimes and to Cosby’s disappointment, he was found guilty of all of them. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and is currently serving his sentence in jail in Arizona. But if you remove that one big blemish from his life, Cosby has done enough to bring home the millions with his craft.
10. Jack Nicholson- $400 Million
Jack Nicholson would have killed me for equalling him with Bill Cosby! For a career that spans nearly 60 years, Nicholson has achieved almost everything under the sun. Having served in the Air Force in his youth, Jack switched to writing and direction before finally becoming an actor.
And that turned to be a life-changing decision as the charismatic actor won over the audiences with his performances in The Bucket List and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. He has managed to win 3 Oscars, 6 Golden Globes, and a Lifetime Achievement from the AFI. Although it’s been 11 years since he’s done a film, he’s done enough to make him one of the richest actors in the world.
9. Adam Sandler- $420 Million
How many of you’ll expect Adam Sandler to make it to this list? Hardly a couple! Touted as an underdog since the beginning of his career, he was a member of Saturday Night Live for 5 years before making the big leap to the films.
Primarily known as a comic actor, he is a master in this genre and has starred in flicks such as 50 First Dates and Spanglish. His films have earned nearly $2 billion in collections and will add more to them after signing a $250 million deal with Netflix. Talking about punching above your weight, Adam Sandler knows how to do it best!
8. Mel Gibson- $425 Million
Mel Gibson has been one of the richest actors in the world since God knows when. The Irish-American actor cum director began his career with the blockbuster Anzacs and was proclaimed by many as a man filled with heaps of talent.
He has also appeared in films like Braveheart and is known for being a masterful man while helming a film. Though you may dislike him for his controversial lifestyle, he has walked away with honors such as The Oscars and The Golden Globes to shut his critics’ mouths. In 2016, he returned to the screens after a 10-year hiatus and is currently enjoying life with partner Rosalind Ross.
7. Amitabh Bachchan- $455 Million
Featuring at number seven in our list of the richest actors in the world is renowned Indian actor Amitabh Bacchan. Fondly known as Big B in Bollywood, he has done over 200 films and has received innumerable amount of awards for his contribution to Indian cinema.
He suffered a serious injury in 1982 but returned to the screens a year later to continue his work. Apart from an actor, he is the host of a popular show named Kaun Banega Crorepati and is a part-time blogger as well. Even after attaining a large-scale global following, he continues to work at the age of 78! After all, age is just a number, isn’t it!
6. George Clooney- $500 Million
The charming 60-year old Clooney continues to wow his audiences even today. Born in Kentucky, Clooney adopted the traditional method to become a big star by starting it out on the small screen. After working in plenty of side roles, Clooney got the major ones and was successful with several films as a lead actor.
The Syriana star is also a director and a producer and has won the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Picture. Clooney has been a UN Messenger of Peace and an economic activist as well. The recent success of his tequila company Casamigos continues to make him one of the richest actors and wealthiest humans on the planet.
5. Tom Cruise- $600 Million
There has been no mission that is impossible for Tom Cruise to accomplish. Best known for his global franchise Mission Impossible, Cruise has been a 30-year old veteran when it comes to acting and has had films grossing worth $10 billion at the box office.
He is the owner of some of the world’s most prestigious awards and is one of those rare daredevils who doesn’t use a body double for his stunts. Much of his $600 million treasure chest is attributed to the global rights of the MI series and his astronomic fee charged per film!
4. Shah Rukh Khan- $700 Million
Popularly known as King Khan in Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan had humble beginnings before starting his career. From a TV actor to a superstar of Indian cinema, Khan has achieved massive recognition for his acting prowess and the number of awards speaks for themselves.
He has been the face of popular brands such as Pepsi and TAG Heuer and owns an IPL team named Kolkata Knight Riders. He also has investments in major companies and recently purchased a cricket team in the Caribbean as well. With a multitude of income sources, there shouldn’t be any doubt as to why this man is one of the richest actors in the world.
3. Jerry Seinfield- $920 Million
Who would expect a comedian to have a fortune near a billion? But Jerry Seinfield made that possible with his talent and hard work. The New York-based comedian started his career in the late 1980s and was a master at observational comedy. After a series of hit sitcoms, he was awarded the 12th spot in Comedy Central’s Greatest Comedian of All Time list in 2004.
Besides creating a riot of laughter, Seinfield has displayed his acting skills and has also given the screenplay for films like Bee Movie. A car and a coffee aficionado, Seinfield owns some of the most expensive toys in the world and is the highest-paid comedian in the world right now.
2. Tyler Perry- $1 Billion
We all know that an acting career can make you millions. But can it make you billions? Ask Tyler Perry how did he do that. After achieving a good amount of success in theatre, Perry tried his hand in Hollywood and has been a part of box office breakers such as Daddy’s Little Girls and Alex Cross.
In addition to his awesome acting, Tyler is a scriptwriter and a producer and launched his production house in 2019. Being one of the richest actors, Perry has achieved his deserved fame and success and was named in TIME’s Most Influential People’s List for 2020.
1. Jami Gertz- $3 Billion
So here comes the richest actor in this seemingly expensive list and it is none other than The Neighbors star Jami Gertz. She was discovered by Norman Lear at a drama school and was chosen to play the lead role in her debut film Endless Love.
Since then, she has featured in projects such as Square Pegs and is currently the co-owner of NBA team Atlanta Hawks. Married to billionaire investor Tony Ressler, the couple are co-owners of MLB franchise Milwaukee Brewers. With plenty of wealth stashed up in her reserves, there was never a doubt that she would top our richest actors list!
