Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Downey Jr. Topline Forbes’ Highest Paid Actors List

Another year, another Forbes list detailing the highest earnings in Hollywood for us to dissect. Much to the surprise of no one, it’s the franchise stalwarts toplining the actors and actresses list, with Robert Downey Jr. and The Hunger Games‘ Jennifer Lawrence occupying the top spots in each respective category.

First up, the industry’s highest-earning actresses. Unsurprisingly, Lawrence takes the crown as the biggest star in the field, with her continuing success in Lionsgate’s YA franchise supplemented with roles in the likes of the X-Men series and David O. Russell’s Joy. In claiming the coveted number one spot, the actress pipped Marvel stalwart Scarlett Johansson and Melissa McCarthy, while China’s Bingbing Fan and Jennifer Aniston rounded out the first five places.

As Forbes’ Natalie Robehmed notes, Lawrence’s position atop the highest earners comes down to The Hunger Games, stating that “no other actress could play Katniss Everdeen, and for that reason, she can command a substantial cut of profits.”

Here’s the comprehensive top ten in full.

Jennifer Lawrence: $52,000,000
Scarlett Johansson: $35,500,000
Melissa McCarthy: $23,000,000
Bingbing Fan: $21,000,000
Jennifer Aniston: $16,500,000
Julia Roberts: $16,000,000
Angelina Jolie: $15,000,000
Reese Witherspoon: $15,000,000
Anne Hathaway: $12,000,000
Kristen Stewart: $12,000,000

Switching gears now to the highest-paid actors and it’s Robert Downey Jr. – surprise! – who lands in at number one with $80 million earned over the past 12 months. In second place is Jackie Chan, while Fast and Furious stalwart Vin Diesel nabbed third. Bradley Cooper, a regular Jennifer Lawrence co-star, slots in at fourth, and the top five is completed by Adam Sandler who somehow – almost inexplicably – pulled in $41 million.

Robert Downey Jr.: $80 million
Jackie Chan: $50 million
Vin Diesel: $47 million
Bradley Cooper: $41.5 million
Adam Sandler: $41 million
Tom Cruise: $40 million
Amitabh Bachchan: $33.5 million
Salman Khan: $33.5 million
Akshay Kumar: $32.5 million
Mark Wahlberg: $32 million

What do you make of Forbes’ list of highest paid actors and actresses? Indeed, are you surprised that Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Downey Jr. are leading the pack in their respective categories?