Dwayne Johnson and Scarlett Johansson Lead Forbes’ List of Highest-Paid Actors and Actresses… but Avengers Star Ranks Eighth on Male List
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Scarlett Johansson have emerged as the highest-paid actor and actress, respectively, according to Forbes. The 47-year-old former WWE World Champion, Johnson, earned an astonishing $89.4 million before taxes, while Johansson, the 35-year-old star of The Avengers, was paid $56 million during the same period.
Despite ongoing discussions and efforts to address the gender pay gap in Hollywood, these figures clearly indicate its persistence. Johansson, as the highest-earning actress, would only rank eighth on the male list, trailing behind Adam Sandler, who earned $57 million.
When combining the earnings of the top 10 actors, they nearly doubled the collective pay of their female counterparts, amassing almost $600 million, while the top 10 actresses earned a total of $315 million, according to Forbes. These numbers were derived from on-screen and off-screen earnings between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019.
Johansson’s role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe significantly contributed to her earnings, as she commanded an eight-figure salary along with backend points on Marvel films.
Forbes’ list of the ten highest-paid actors in 2020 is as follows:
Will Smith: $35 million
Paul Rudd: $41 million
Chris Evans: $43.5 million
Adam Sandler: $57 million (tie)
Bradley Cooper: $57 million (tie)
Jackie Chan: $58 million
Akshay Kumar: $65 million
Robert Downey Jr.: $66 million
Chris Hemsworth: $76.4 million
Dwayne Johnson: $89.4 million
Forbes’ list of the ten highest-paid actresses in 2020 is as follows:
Ellen Pompeo: $22 million
Charlize Theron: $23 million
Margot Robbie: $23.5 million
Elisabeth Moss: $24 million
Kaley Cuoco: $25 million
Jennifer Aniston: $28 million
Nicole Kidman: $34 million
Reese Witherspoon: $35 million
Sofia Vergara: $44.1 million
Scarlett Johansson: $56 million
Sofia Vergara, the 57-year-old American-Colombian star, is notably the highest-paid actress on television, thanks to her role in Modern Family and lucrative entrepreneurial ventures such as Sofia Jeans and a furniture range at Rooms To Go.
The issue of the gender pay gap in Hollywood remains a contentious topic. A recent study examining the wages of 250 Hollywood stars in over 1,300 films revealed that male actors can earn up to seven figures more than their female counterparts, with little improvement since the 1980s.
Researchers from Huddersfield University, Wisconsin University, and Lancaster University analyzed the earnings of 246 working actors between 1980 and 2015. Their findings showed a persistent gender pay gap that has not shown signs of improvement, even among high-level actors.
In the 1,343 films examined, the study revealed that women earned $1.1 million less per film than male co-stars with similar levels of experience in the industry. The researchers expressed surprise at the magnitude of the gap, considering the prominence of actresses who have been advocating for pay equity.
These findings highlight the need for continued efforts to address and rectify the gender pay disparity in the entertainment industry, ensuring equal opportunities and fair compensation for all actors and actresses, regardless of gender.
