Big Paydays Go Global For Movie Stars

Those trips to rehab may have been more beneficial than originally thought for Robert Downey Jr.  for all of the drugs and alcohol he abused in years past certainly didn't affect his business acumen. Downey was the highest paid male actor in 2015, and the highest paid for the third year running.

Downey - Top Earner 3 Years Running

Who would have guessed that donning an iron suit would be worth $80 million. Ah, but Downey is very savvy when it comes to Hollywood deal making.  Last year's $80 million payday was largely due to his signing unique and favorable profit-sharing deals that ensure he is well compensated for his Iron Man roles.  Last year receiving over $40 million for the super successful movie 'Avergers-Age of Ultron' and a reported $40 million for the upcoming Disney/Marvel 'Captain America-Civil War'.

Downey beat out his nearest competitor as the top earner by $30 million - and that would be Jackie Chan, the stalwart, Hong Kong-based star of numerous, tongue-and-cheek martial arts films. The 61 year old Chan is a mega-star in the Asian movie market and earned over $50 million last year.

This year, along with Chan were three other foreign market earners that made it into the elite top ten - which demonstrates the changing landscape of the movie industry.  Once dominated by Hollywood stars, the scales are shifting to the East.  Bollywood (the name use for the Indian movie industry) saw its stars rise into the mega-earners.  Amitalh Bachchan, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar all finished ahead of U.S. stars Wahlberg, DiCaprio, and Depp.

Vin Diesel, took third place earning $47 million, largely for the success of  the 'Fast and Furious' franchise.  Bradley Cooper came in 4th at $41.5 million due to his roles in 'American Sniper' and 'Guardian of the Galaxy'. Adam Sandler, although featured in a string of box office bombs still managed 5th place at $40 million, mainly due to a lucrative deal to screen his next four films exclusively with Netflix.  6th place went to Tom Cruise with slightly under $40 million due to his 'Mission Impossible' films - which he also produces.

The next three spots went to Bollywood stars. At 72 years, Amitabh Bachchan, who has starred in over 200 films, took 7th place, with earnings of  $33.5 million  He was closely followed by Indian mega-stars Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar - both earned over $32 million. Mark Wahlberg rounded out the top 10, earning $32 million, principally from his 'Transformers' staring role.

Surprisingly, Johnny Depp and Leo DiCaprio (both top 10 stalwarts) were pushed out of the elite and finished in 12th and 13th places, with earnings of $30 million and $29 million respectively.

So, it appears that the sands are shifting as four non-Hollywood male actors made it into the top 10. All three Indian stars are cinema legends and although Bollywood movies gross far less at the box office then their Hollywood counterparts, top Indian actors continue to earn a cut of each film's ticket sales - a practice unheard of in the U.S. film industry.

For his part, Jackie Chan is very business astute. He has built an empire on his branded products and East-West movie co-productions, which are assisted by his special relationship with the Chinese Government.

Below is the listing of the World's Highest Paid Male Actors - 2015.  A listing of the top female actors will be posted shortly.

Robert Downey, Jr.  - $80m
Jackie Chan - $50m
Vin Diesel - $47m
Bradley Cooper - $41.5m
Adam Sandler - $41m
Tom Cruise - $40m
Amitabh Bachchan - $33.5m
Salman Khan - $33m
Akshay Kumar - $32.5m
Mark Wahlberg - $32m
Dwayne Johnson  - $31.5m
Johnny Depp - $30m
Leo DeCaprio - $29m
Channing Tatum - $29m
Chris Hemsworth - $27m
Daniel Craig - $27m

Best
Jim