As arguably one of the busiest guys in Hollywood, it wasn’t at all shocking to see Dwayne Johnson top Forbes’ list of highest paid actors last year. Taking in a whopping $64.5 million, the wrestler turned actor is without a doubt one of the biggest movie stars at the moment, but it seems that he’s now been dethroned, as the 2017 edition of the list has been published this week and there’s a new king in town. His name? Mark Wahlberg.
Also a very busy individual, the Transformers star earned a staggering $68 million over the past 12 months. And though his films may not always be critical hits, he’s a surefire box office draw with a very likeable screen presence, ensuring audiences always pack into theatres to see his new efforts. Recently, the actor’s put out The Last Knight, Patriots Day and Deepwater Horizon, while the future holds Daddy’s Home 2 and Mile 22, among others.
Elsewhere on the list, Johnson had another impressive showing in the second spot, earning $65 million, while his Fast and Furious co-star, Vin Diesel, rounds out the top 3 at $54.5 million. Following them, we’ve got Adam Sandler at $50.5 million and Jackie Chan at $49 million. While those two names may surprise you, it’s important to keep in mind that Sandler’s Netflix deal is extremely lucrative while Chan is a huge hit over in China, which is a very big market.
Other names on Forbes’ list include Matt Damon ($21 million), Ryan Gosling ($29 million), Tom Hanks ($31 million) and Tom Cruise ($43 million), among many others, including a few big Bollywood stars.
Tell us, do you think Mark Wahlberg deserved to be the highest paid actor of the past year? Are you a fan of his work? Let us know in the usual place!