Tom Cruise is Hollywood’s highest paid actor for the period from May 2011 through May 2012. Cruise earned the top spot on Forbes ‘ list thanks to the success of last years Mission: Impossible sequel for which he is not only an actor but also a producer with a back-end deal that earned him a large portion of the movies profits.
In 2011 through May 2012 Tom Cruise earned $75 million, far eclipsing the next closest salary earner in Leonardo DiCaprio who pulled in $37 million.
Also topping the list was Adam Sandler with $37 million, Dwayne Johnson with $36 million and Ben Still who earned $33 million.
If Katie Holmes ends up receiving child support from Tom Cruise she could take $400,000 annually out of his earned income. While New York works off a formula of 17% of a couple’s total income the state typically caps those payments at $400,000 with a judge’s discretion being used for other payments.
What might be most surprising about this list is the closeness in numbers to the top earning females. While Hollywood use to report a large discrepancy between actors and actresses Kristen Stewart during the same period earned $34.5 million followed by Cameron diaz with $34 million and Sandra Bullock who earned $25 million, much of which she was still earning from her 2009 smash hit The Blind Side.
The trick to a high paying Hollywood salary? Become popular enough to earn a portion of your movies gross box office and then sit back and collect lifetime royalties for your time on set.
Are you surprised by Tom Cruise’s “top earner” position?
