Hollywood's highest-earning actors [ DNC's 1% Greedy Hollywood Wing ]

MSN ^ | Nov 2 2011 | By Dorothy Pomerantz

[NoLibZone]

Hollywood careers are built on smart (and not always obvious) choices. The two men who top our list of Hollywood's highest-earning actors are living proof of that. While Johnny Depp topped our list last year with $75 million, Leonardo DiCaprio jumps from fifth to first place to beat Depp for the first time. Over the past year Depp earned $50 million to DiCaprio's $77 million. Both actors have achieved wealth and fame by making some unusual choices with their careers.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Johnny Depp

Adam Sandler

Will Smith

Tom Hanks

[NoLibZone]

Occupy Hollywood , Malibu and Aspen.

Keep downloading “undocumented” DVD’s.

[Vigilanteman]

I've read that the average member of the screen actor's guild earns about $4000 per year. Most of the star wannabes spend most of their days waiting tables or washing cars for an occasional gig as an extra or a commercial shoot.

Hollywood should try practicing the system which they want to impose on America in their own industry just to see how well it works.

[originalbuckeye]

The only Conservative in the top 5 is Adam Sandler. Why don’t the rest voluntarily donate more in taxes? No conscience with conviction?

[xp38]

Exactly. It would be hard to find a more hierachical system than the movie biz.

[NewinTexsas]

I've read that the average member of the screen actor's guild earns about $4000 per year. Most of the star wannabes spend most of their days waiting tables or washing cars for an occasional gig as an extra or a commercial shoot.

My wife's daughter went to LA and lived with four other dudes that did this. I remember one of them being so elated that his 'dumb white guy' pepsi commercial was going national and he would get $15,000 and not have to work the rest of the year!

[americanophile]

I'm from L.A. The whole Hollywood system is built on unemployment benefits. That's the dirty secret. The big production companies, directors and marquee actors make all the money, all the ‘little people’ who work on the films in the hundreds of jobs required to make them go from film to film hoping to get work. As soon as their job on a film comes to an end, they immediately file for unemployment until the next film comes along; it's a lifestyle. So while you see profits like $100 million on a film, realize that it's really been subsidized to a huge degree by taxpayers and that only a few people are getting rich. Hollywood is unbelievably hypocritical; they don't spread the wealth at all, they socialize the cost of living for their workers (to taxpayers) and privatize all the gains in the hands of a very few, while receiving huge corporate tax breaks and subsidies for keeping the production in the state.

[napscoordinator]

Adam Sandler, WIll Smith, and Tom Hanks deserve every penny. Leo just has a lot of fans I guess.

[DaxtonBrown]

[Most of the star wannabes spend most of their days waiting tables or washing cars for an occasional gig as an extra or a commercial shoot.]

I’ve wanted to figure out what the B-list actors make for a long time. You know, supporting cast members in a detective series for example. They get maybe three years work and then poof they are out of work.

[vbmoneyspender]

http://www.solarmovie.eu

[NoLibZone]

Each deserves what they earned.

Hypocrites if the support a central authority to decide what any one deserves.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

It's much the same in the music biz, pro sports, book writing, and even fine art. These are all highly desirable occupations — you are essentially being paid to play. In addition, (at the top levels) they're considered glamorous, and they come with plenty of boosts for the ego.

The huge lineups of wannabes depress the wages for most. If you break through to the top ranks, it's better than winning a lottery.

[Vigilanteman]

Wow! I always suspected that type of crap was going on, but never suspected just how much. I spent about two years of my life living in the outer ring suburbs of LA/Hollywood.

I lived in the same neighborhood as people who lived on the periphery of this lifestyle. One neighbor (nice guy actually) was Barbara Mandrell's valet. Others were these less than B grade type actors and actresses who only seemed to work a couple of days out of the week. I always wondered how they managed to make ends meet since eastern LA county was a pretty expensive place to live even back in the 1980's and I was working long hours and living fairly frugally just to pay for a so-so apartment and sock a little money away in savings.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Johnny Depp is married to a French woman and actually
lives in France, where I am sure he pays taxes out the
wazoo.

[NewinTexsas]

I always wondered how they managed to make ends meet

There were at least six living in one house that was built in the backyard of another house. From the street, you only see half of the houses. Google shows all. If the main house is rented out to individuals, you are talking like 10+ living on many lots. Of course, waitressing, bartending, selling Red Bull and other misc activities support their lifestyle which is mainly sitting around BS'ing between tryouts.

[DrDavid]

Hollywood should try practicing the system which they want to impose on America in their own industry just to see how well it works.

My thought exactly!

[democratsaremyenemy]

I wish everybody would boycott these mterosexual punks. I hate Hollywood, I hate everthing about it. There are no more men left there, they are all punks.If it were up to me Hollywood and these punks like Depp and Decaprio would all be slinging burgers at McDonalds and Rodeo drive would be a slum. I have not been to a movie in years,I don’t rent them and I don’t watch them...screw hollywood.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

Am I the only one who is not overly impressed with Leonardo DeCaprio?