The highest-paid Hollywood actors of 2026 represent a mix of established veterans still commanding top dollar and a new wave of younger stars whose paydays are climbing fast. Below is the complete earnings list as reported by Forbes, plus a closer look at the rising earners whose 2026 paychecks are reshaping next year’s rankings.
Highest-Paid Actors 2026: The Official Forbes Ranking
Forbes’ most recent highest-paid actors ranking, published in March 2026 and covering calendar-year 2025 earnings, put Adam Sandler at the top of Hollywood’s pay charts. The figures represent pretax earnings minus standard representation fees — typically 10% to agents, 10% to managers, and 5% to lawyers — based on interviews with agents, managers, and industry executives alongside data from IMDbPro and Box Office Mojo.
| Rank | Actor | Reported 2025 Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Sandler | ~$48 million |
| 2 | Tom Cruise | ~$46 million |
| 3 | Mark Wahlberg | ~$44 million |
| 4 | Scarlett Johansson | ~$43 million |
| 5 | Brad Pitt | ~$41 million |
| 6 | Denzel Washington | ~$38 million |
| 7 | Jack Black | ~$28 million |
| 8 | Jason Momoa | ~$28 million |
| 9 | Daniel Craig | ~$27 million |
| 10 | Millie Bobby Brown | ~$26 million |
The 20 highest-paid actors on the full list reportedly earned a combined $590 million, down from $730 million the year before — a reminder that even at the top of the industry, total actor pay can swing meaningfully year to year depending on which franchises and awards contenders are in release. Scarlett Johansson’s fourth-place finish also made her the top-ranked woman on the list, while Millie Bobby Brown’s spot at number 10, at just 22 years old, made her the youngest actor ever to appear on Forbes’ highest-paid actors ranking.
The Next Wave: Actors Whose 2026 Paydays Are Climbing Fast
The official Forbes list reflects 2025 earnings, but several stars have reportedly landed the kind of paydays in 2026 that could push them onto next year’s ranking. Robert Downey Jr.’s reported $100 million-plus deal for “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” alone would comfortably land him near the very top of the list if it holds up as reported, making it one of the single biggest actor paydays in Marvel history.
Beyond Downey, a group of younger stars are seeing some of the fastest reported earnings growth in the industry. Pedro Pascal‘s net worth has reportedly more than doubled in the past year on the strength of Marvel and blockbuster paydays, while Zendaya has become one of 2026’s highest-grossing actors at the box office, with over $2.6 billion in combined film revenue this year alone. Sydney Sweeney has diversified well beyond acting fees with a production company and a newly launched business, and Jenna Ortega‘s reported salary jump from “Scream VI” to “Wednesday” Season 2 is among the steepest reported raises for any actor her age.
Why the List Looks Different Every Year
Actor pay rankings shift more than most people expect, largely because a single blockbuster release, streaming deal, or awards-season run can swing a star’s annual earnings by tens of millions of dollars. Veterans like Sandler and Cruise tend to stay near the top because of consistent output and box office reliability, while younger stars typically see the steepest single-year jumps once they land their first major franchise paycheck — the pattern visible in both Pascal’s and Ortega’s reported earnings growth this year.
The Gender Gap Is Narrowing, Slowly
Scarlett Johansson’s fourth-place finish at a reported $43 million puts her within striking distance of the men occupying the top three spots, a gap that’s noticeably tighter than it was just a few years ago. Historically, the highest-paid actress on Forbes’ list has trailed the top-earning man by a much wider margin, so Johansson landing inside the top five overall, rather than simply topping a separate women’s list, is a meaningful shift. Millie Bobby Brown’s presence at number 10 reinforces that trend from a different angle — a streaming-era star reaching the list at 22 suggests franchise ownership and producing credits, not just acting fees, are increasingly what separates the top tier from everyone else.
How These Figures Are Calculated
It’s worth understanding what these numbers do and don’t capture. Forbes’ methodology strips out standard representation fees before publishing a figure, which is why reported “salary” numbers from other outlets often look higher than what actually reaches an actor’s own bank account. None of these figures are officially confirmed by the actors themselves or their studios — they’re built from industry sourcing and cross-referenced against available box office and streaming data, which is why estimates for the same actor can vary meaningfully between outlets. Readers should treat every figure on this page as a reported, journalist-sourced estimate rather than an audited or studio-confirmed number.
FAQ
Who is the highest-paid Hollywood actor in 2026?
Per Forbes’ most recent ranking (covering 2025 earnings, published March 2026), Adam Sandler topped the list with reportedly around $48 million.
How does Forbes calculate actor earnings?
Forbes reports pretax earnings after standard representation fees (roughly 10% to agents, 10% to managers, 5% to lawyers), based on industry interviews and data from IMDbPro and Box Office Mojo.
Which younger actors are seeing the fastest pay growth in 2026?
Pedro Pascal, Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jenna Ortega have all reportedly seen significant earnings growth in 2026 on the strength of major franchise and streaming paydays.
Could Robert Downey Jr. top next year’s highest-paid actors list?
His reported $100 million-plus deal for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars would likely place him near the top of the ranking if the figure holds up as reported.
For individual finance breakdowns, see ShowPulp’s Robert Downey Jr. net worth and Tom Holland net worth breakdowns.
The full Forbes ranking is available at Forbes.com.
