Are Hollywood Actors Feeling The Pinch?

2022 has seen world economies plagued by rampant inflation. Traditional movie stars have seen their audience share shrink as YouTube and TikTok influencers steal their limelight. Streaming platforms are competing for the attention of viewers as cinema seats go empty. Just kidding actually, 2022 has been an obscenely good year so far for the biggest names in Hollywood. They've been raking it in and having a ball while we look on cheering, adoring, and envying their charmed lives.

Top Ten Biggest Earners By Latest Film
They say that you are only as good as your last movie. Here’s how all your favorite celebs have fared in their last offerings ordered by the lowly number 10 spot through to the alpha dog at the top of the pile.

Joaquin Phoenix

The Walk The Line star received a cool $20 million for round two of his culture war provoking, edgelord epic, the Joker.

Tom Hardy

A truly talented actor, taking the role of Marvel villain Venom in episode 3 of the franchise. The British hard man received $20 million for his efforts.

Vin Diesel

The face and the name synonymous with the legendary Fast And The Furious franchise took in a sizeable $20… hang on. Did all these guys get around a table and agree to not accept a penny less than $20 million for their next gigs?

Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth, Thor incarnate, received, you guessed it, $20 million for his acting work in Extraction 2.

Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds

Everyone’s favorite anchorman Will Ferrell and Canadian charmer/Deadpool Marvel anti-hero Ryan Reynolds shook hands and agreed to go along with the rest of the boys as they demanded a surprising $20 million each for their roles in Spirited.

Dwayne Johnson

The first to break the glass ceiling of $20 million is Samoan strong man and master of the arched eyebrow Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson. Black Adam is the movie and he just about managed to tweak over the line with an extra $2.5 million.

Brad Pitt

The man, the legend. Space Cowboy and 90s screen god, Brad Pitt is still, even today ranked among the biggest draws in all of Hollywood. He made a healthy $30 million to star in his latest Formula 1 themed movie.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Is it generational? 90s rival heartthrob, Titanic, and Wolf Of Wall Street acting phenomenon asked for and received an even $30 mill for his role in Killer of the Flower Moon. Coincidence? Kismet? Or a secret handshake between the two giants of yesteryear?

Will Smith

Although Tom takes the top spot surely we have to recognize the feat achieved by Fresh Prince star Will Smith. Despite a physical assault on top-flight comedian Chris Rock, the I Robot start was still able to demand a greater fee than either Leonardo or Brad. For his time spent working on Emancipation, he received $35 million leaving that $20 million ceiling destroyed in the dust behind him.

Tom Cruise
 

Coming in at the number 1 spot is of course Tom, the Machine, Cruise. The Tropic Thunder legend raked in more than the three stars below him combined, receiving an even $100 million for his reprisal of the iconic role of Maverick. What is it that makes Tom more than 3 times as valuable as either Leonardo, Brad, or Will? What is the secret sauce?

The Art of the Deal

Tom is entering his 60s and has been in movies since the old-timey days before the internet and smartphones. So what gives? It turns out that Mr. Cruise is not only a handsome devil, and all-around Hollywood legend, he is also a master of the art of the Hollywood deal. In Movie deals, all the real money comes from the 'backend' agreement. 

Always Cover Your Backend

There's upfront money in a movie deal and that money can be very lucrative. After that, you have net points and gross points. Most actors will automatically receive net points. Some will even think they’ve beat the system and stuck it to the man by making sure they’ve got them. Net points refers to an actor’s share of the movie profits after all expenses have been paid and the production is in net profit. The problem with this approach is that Hollywood hates to make a profit on paper. Profits on paper mean money earmarked for the IRS. Shrewd accountants want to avoid this at all costs.

There is a way around this however and Tom takes no BS when it comes to getting his far more lucrative gross points. In this type of deal, the percentage comes from the gross dollar amount earned before any expenses are taken out. This kind of deal assures the actor of a percentage payout even if the studio truly does make a loss. Needless to say, studio execs detest this kind of deal and will try to fob off actors with net points and upfront salary payouts. Tom is having none of it. That’s why his last movie brought him a cool $100 million and not some piddling amount in the low seven figures. And that my friends, is true star power.