Adam Sandler tops Forbes' highest-paid Hollywood actors list

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston at the premiere of Netflix hit Murder Mystery 2. Credit: AP

Adam Sandler is officially Hollywood's top earner of 2023 as he managed to rake in 73 million dollars (£57.3 million).

Following the success of his Netflix film Murder Mystery 2 and his stand-up comedy tour, Sandler topped Forbes' list, released this week.

Australian actress Margot Robbie, 33, is the youngest actor on the list by a decade and the second highest earner, achieving 59 million dollars (£46.3 million) for the year.

Actionman Tom Cruise came in third after cashing in on the latest Mission: Impossible as well as continuing to receive streaming profits from 2022's widely popular Top Gun: Maverick.

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Barbie herself Margot Robbie nabbed second. Credit: AP

Canadian actor Gosling, 43, who starred opposite Robbie in Barbie playing Ken, was placed joined fourth on the list alongside Matt Damon, with both earning 43 million dollars (£33.7 million).

Friends star Jennifer Aniston, who was Sandler’s co-star in the Murder Mystery films, was placed sixth with 42 million dollars (£32.9 million) and is one of the two women who feature in the top 10.

Elsewhere, Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in Martin Scorsese’s epic Killers Of The Flower Moon, managed to rake in 41 million dollars (£32.2 million) placing him joint seventh with the only English actor to make the cut – Jason Statham.

In 2023, the 56-year-old starred in films Fast X, Meg 2: The Trench, Expend4bles and Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre.

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Jason Statham is the only English actor to make the cut. Credit: AP

In ninth place, with 38 million dollars (£29.8 million), is actor Ben Affleck, who serves as chief executive of artist-led studio Artists Equity, which he co-founded with Damon.

In 2023 his sports film Air, which he had directed and starred in alongside his friend and co-worker Damon, was released.

Denzel Washington, who starred in the third instalment of The Equalizer franchise in 2023, landed in 10th place and is the only non-white actor to make the cut.

He made 24 million dollars (£18.8 million) and is also the oldest movie star to feature on the list.

Forbes' highest paid actors of 2023 in full:

1. Adam Sandler - $73m2. Margot Robbie - $59m3. Tom Cruise - $45m4. Ryan Gosling and Matt Damon - $43m6. Jennifer Aniston - $42m7. Leonardo Dicaprio and Jason Statham - $41m9. Ben Affleck - $38m10. Denzel Washington - $24m

Forbes’ estimations are calculated through a host of interviews including with agents and industry experts, as well as using data sources such as IMDB Pro and Polestar.

The business magazine said its figures represent taxed earnings for the calendar year 2023 and only include income related to entertainment.

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