Health and Wellness
Only one black person has made Forbes’ list of highest-paid actors – guess who?
TOPSHOT – The Hollywood Sign photographed during a ceremony marking the a centesimal anniversary of its first lighting in Los Angeles, California, on December 8, 2023. (Photo: DAVID SWANSON/AFP) (Photo: DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
We have already got the numbers and we already know which actor earned essentially the most money last yr Forbes’ 2023 Highest-Paid Actors List. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much diversity within the rankings.
The 10 highest-paid stars earned $449 million last yr from film work and minor TV stints amid the writers’ strike. According to the outlet, Adam Sandler tops the list with $73 million ($97 million gross). He is followed by Margot Robbie – $59 million ($78 million gross), Tom Cruise – $45 million ($53 million gross), Ryan Gosling – $43 million ($50 million gross), Matt Damon – $43 million ( $50 million gross), Jennifer Aniston $42 million ($56 million gross), Leonardo DiCaprio $41 million ($48 million gross), Jason Statham $41 million ($48 million gross) and Ben Affleck $38 million ($45 million gross), million dollars).
Denzel Washington ranks last on the list and is the one non-white actor to be recognized within the rankings for his 2023 acting earnings of $24 million.
The rankings reflect criticism in regards to the wide pay gaps faced by minorities in Hollywood. Earlier this yr, while promoting the feature film The Color Purple, co-star Taraji P. Henson made headlines by decrying financial inequality within the industry and the way it particularly affects her as a black woman.
During a 2023 SiriusXM interview with Gayle King, Henson fought back tears when asked if she was fascinated about quitting acting amid the growing turmoil within the entertainment industry. Henson said she finds it most difficult to take care of pay inequality.
“I’m just tired of working so hard and being gracious in what I do [and] get a fraction of the cost,” Henson said in an interview. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over again. You’re getting tired. I hear people say, “You work a lot.” Well, I have to. Math is not math. When you start working a lot, you have a team. There are big bills for what we do. We don’t do it alone. The whole team is behind us. They have to make money.”