The biggest stars of Hollywood and Bollywood don't just make their fortunes by appearing in movies and TV shows.
This savvy bunch use their fame to boost their income in other ways. Brand deals, endorsements, and directing are just some of the ways the screen stars on our list have significantly boosted their net worths.
Read on to find out today's richest actors and actresses really are – and discover the stories behind the fortunes of the surprise names at the top of the list.
All dollar values in US dollars
Denzel Washington is best known for his roles in hits such as Malcolm X, Philadelphia, and The Siege. The critically acclaimed star has won two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for war movie Glory (1989) and Best Actor for crime thriller Training Day (2001).
The popular leading man has also established himself as a director and producer, making his directorial debut in 2002 with biopic Antwone Fisher.
Washington was the 10th highest-paid actor of 2023, grossing $28 million (£22m). This was largely due to the third instalment of his action-packed The Equalizer franchise dropping. In total, his showbiz career has earned him an estimated fortune of $300 million (£236m).
Leonardo DiCaprio began his career as a child and he appeared in a number of TV commercials in the 1980s.
Fast forward to today and he's a bona fide Hollywood star, with hit movies including Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Revenant under his belt.
The Academy Award-winning icon is reportedly worth $300 million (£236m). In the last year alone he grossed $48 million (£38m) thanks to his starring role in the Western drama Killers of the Flower Moon. In addition to a hefty upfront salary, he negotiated a savvy backend deal, earning a share of the box office profits.
Harrison Ford rose to fame in the 1970s when he was cast as Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise. His star power rose further thanks to his lead role in the Indiana Jones series, and he later went on to star in blockbusters such as Blade Runner and The Fugitive.
Most recently, the veteran actor once again played the iconic archaeologist Indy in 2023's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. His decade-spanning career has earned him an estimated net worth of $300 million (£236m).
Robert Downey Jr. got off to a rocky start in Hollywood. Following moderate success in Saturday Night Live and movies such as Weird Science in the 80s and his 1992 Academy Award-nominated turn in Chaplin, he became addicted to illegal substances. After a stint in prison, his acting career was in a slump.
His luck changed when he was offered the lead role in 2008's Iron Man. He's since raked in a fortune from the iconic role, with Forbes reporting that he earned an eye-watering $75 million (£59m) for his appearance in 2019's Avengers: End Game. Since leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he's starred in the family flick Dolittle and recently appeared in Christopher Nolan’s hit blockbuster Oppenheimer, picking up the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his efforts.
While most of his $300 million (£236m) net worth comes from movies, he’s also lined his pockets as a brand ambassador for the Chinese phone company OnePlus.
Edward Norton became a household name in the 90s after starring in Fight Club alongside Brad Pitt. Since then, he's gone on to appear in movies like Red Dragon, The Incredible Hulk, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
The screen star has further boosted his fortune with some seriously savvy investments. He was an early investor in Uber, funded the analytics companies Kensho and EDO, and was a co-founder of the crowdfunding platform CrowdRise.
As a result, Norton's estimated net worth is an impressive $300 million (£236m).
Jennifer Aniston made her name playing Rachel Green in the 90s sitcom Friends. The actress then established herself as a movie star, appearing in flicks like Marley & Me, Horrible Bosses, and Murder Mystery.
She returned to the small screen in 2019, landing a lead role in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show. She reportedly takes home more than $2 million (£1.6m) per episode of the drama series, which also stars Reese Witherspoon.
In 2023, Aniston was the second-highest-paid actress in the world, bettered only by Margot Robbie. She grossed $56 million (£44m) thanks to income streams such as Friends residuals, movie roles, and her juicy endorsement portfolio, which includes brands like Uber Eats and Pvolve Fitness. In total, she's worth an estimated $320 million (£252m).
Michael Douglas is famed for movies such as Romancing the Stone, Fatal Attraction, and Basic Instinct. Throughout his decade-spanning career, Douglas has won two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Hollywood hotshot has added to his fortune by producing projects such as the thriller flick Flatliners and TV series Ratched.
His net worth is estimated to be an enviable $350 million (£276m).
Will Smith launched his career in the 80s as a rapper and, alongside his childhood friend DJ Jazzy Jeff, won the first-ever Grammy for the newly formed Best Rap Performance category in 1988 .
Smith then transitioned into TV, starring in the popular series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air between 1990 and 1996. When the show ended, he began a lucrative movie career, with Men in Black, I Am Legend, and Ali among his credits.
The star reportedly banked an incredible $40 million (£32m) for his leading role in the 2021 biopic King Richard. He scored his first-ever Oscar for the part, but his achievement was marred by controversy after he slapped event host Chris Rock, resulting in Smith receiving a 10-year ban from the Academy Awards.
Scandals aside, Smith is estimated to be worth $350 million (£276m).
Canadian-born Ryan Reynolds has a string of box office hits under his belt including Deadpool, Free Guy, and The Proposal. However, it's away from the silver screen where the actor has really made his money.
The star has made a series of lucrative investments over the years, including a rumoured 20% stake in Aviation American Gin which was sold to Diageo in 2020 in a deal that could be worth up to $600 million (£470m) in the coming years. He also purchased a minority stake in telecoms firm Mint Mobile which was snapped up by T-Mobile last year in a deal worth around $1.3 billion (£1bn). In 2020, along with Rob McElhenney, Reynolds purchased Welsh football club, Wrexham AFC.
Today he's estimated to be worth a tidy $350 million (£276m).
Clint Eastwood's career took off in the late 1950s when he starred in the TV Western series Rawhide. His subsequent film roles in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and Dirty Harry cemented his status as a Hollywood icon.
The veteran actor has also found success behind the camera, scoring the coveted Academy Award for Best Director for his films Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004).
With an accomplished career that spans seven decades, it's hardly surprising that Eastwood has an estimated net worth of $375 million (£295m).
Keanu Reeves is best known for his starring roles in the John Wick and The Matrix franchises, though he's also had lead parts in the likes of Speed, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and Constantine over the years.
His most lucrative role was as Neo in The Matrix movies, with Reeves earning around $250 million (£197m) from the first three films in the franchise. As for 2021's The Matrix Resurrections, Reeves earned between $12 million (£9.5m) and $14 million (£11m) as a base salary according to Variety, although this sum doesn't factor in money-spinning backend profit deals.
Today, Keanu Reeves is reportedly worth a hefty $380 million (£299m).
Actor, writer, director, and producer Tom Hanks rose to fame in the 1980s, when he starred in movies such as Splash and Big.
In 1994, Hanks became only the second actor in history to win the Best Actor Oscar two years in a row. He first snagged the prestigious award for his role in Philadelphia in 1993 and then won again for Forrest Gump, arguably his most famous role.
His other notable movies over the years include Saving Private Ryan, You’ve Got Mail, and Toy Story.
One of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, his estimated net worth is $400 million (£315m).
Hong Kong-born Jackie Chan is famous for movies such as Rush Hour and the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid and for his ability to perform his own dramatic stunts. According to Forbes, his films have grossed an impressive $2.6 billion (£2.1bn) at the worldwide box office.
The martial arts pro, who’s estimated to be worth $400 million (£315m), further boosts his fortune from brand deals, producer credits, and Jackie Chan Cinema, his chain of movie theatres.
Jennifer Lopez began her career in music, rising to fame with her hit song Jenny from the Block. She seamlessly transitioned into acting, demonstrating her talent in movies such as Anaconda, Maid in Manhattan, and Hustlers.
Most recently, she starred in the Netflix thriller The Mother. The movie attracted an estimated audience of over 250 million viewers within its first six weeks on Netflix, making it the streaming platform's biggest hit of 2023.
She also reportedly boasts an extensive real estate portfolio and has lucrative endorsement deals with a number of brabds. As of 2024, her estimated net worth is an impressive $400 million (£315m).
Sylvester Stallone starred in the 1976 film Rocky after penning the screenplay in just three days. The movie was a huge hit and won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards.
Stallone went on to write, direct, produce, and act in many other successful films, most notably the Rambo franchise. In 2018, he formed the film production company Balboa Productions with his friend Braden Aftergood, which has produced hit flicks such as Rambo V . He also owns the boxing promotion company Tiger Eye Productions.
His Hollywood career and other ventures have earned him an estimated net worth of $400 million (£315m).
Actor, writer, director, and producer Larry David is best known for creating the comedy shows Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. While he only made cameo appearances in the former series, he starred as a fictionalised version of himself in the latter.
The showbiz icon owns 15% of Seinfeld's backend equity, and most of his $400 million (£315m) net worth comes from royalties generated by the popular sitcom.
Mark Wahlberg first rose to fame in the 1990s as a rapper who performed under the moniker Marky Mark. He then transitioned into movies, and is now a bona fide actor and producer, with blockbusters like The Departed, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and Uncharted under his belt.
The business-savvy star further boosts his fortune with his Wahlburgers restaurant franchise and the stake he owns in the F45 Fitness gym chain. His estimated net worth is an incredible $400 million (£315m).
While relatively unknown in Hollywood, Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan is one of the most successful Bollywood stars of all time. He's appeared in Hindi hits like Zanjeer, Sholay, and Adalat, and eagle-eyed movie buffs may have spotted him in the Western blockbuster The Great Gatsby, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio.
Bachchan has also profited from some seriously savvy investments, including his 10% share in Indian internet company Just Dial and a 3.4% stake in cloud computing venture Stampede Capital.
The 81-year-old actor has an estimated total fortune of $400 million (£315m).
Jack Nicholson is one of the most successful actors of all time. He's won the Best Actor Oscar twice for his performances in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and As Good as It Gets, as well as Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment.
His biggest single payday came when he took on the role of The Joker in Tim Burton's Batman. He was paid an upfront fee of $6 million for the role but also secured a deal that included a percentage of the film's box office gross and Joker-related merchandise. In total, he's said to have walked away with $90 million, the equivalent of around $228 million (£180m) in today's money.
His decade-spanning career has banked him an estimated total fortune of $400 million (£315m).
Brad Pitt is one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, with leading roles in cult flicks like Se7en, Fight Club, and Bullet Train.
The star won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2020, while 12 Years a Slave, which Pitt produced and appeared in, also won Best Picture in 2014. His Plan B production company, which he sold for over $100 million (£784m) in 2022, also churned out a string of critical hits
His onscreen success had translated nicely into financial gain, and his reported net worth is $400 million (£315m).
Mel Gibson has been a successful actor, director, and producer since the 1980s. He earned his first million starring in the Mad Max film franchise and went on to form Icon Productions in 1989, which was responsible for his smash hit Braveheart. The historic epic earned him Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture.
His next big win was The Passion of the Christ, which he produced and directed. Gibson invested a lot of his own money into the project and received 50% of the film's profits. His estimated total wealth today is $425 million (£333m).
Reese Witherspoon first achieved A-list status thanks to her iconic role as law school student Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
The actress is also known for other hits such as Wild and Walk the Line. She's currently starring in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show and reportedly takes home over $2 million (£1.6m) per episode for her efforts.
In 2021, Witherspoon sold a majority stake in her production company, Hello Sunshine, for a staggering $900 million (£706m). The star still owns an 18% stake in the firm, which is behind TV shows like Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere.
According to Forbes, her total net worth is a staggering $440 million (£345m).
Comedian Adam Sandler got his big break on Saturday Night Live as a writer and cast member. Following his stint on the popular TV sketch show, he forged a successful Hollywood career in the 1990s, with cinematic hits such as Happy Gilmour, Billy Madison, and The Wedding Singer.
Sandler formed Happy Madison Productions in 1999, with the company behind comedy flicks like 50 First Dates, Click, and Murder Mystery.
The sought-after star can reportedly command upwards of $20 million (£16m) per movie, and his estimated net worth is an impressive $440 million (£345m). Sandler was the highest-paid actor of 2023, grossing a remarkable $97 million (£76m). In addition to creating content for Netflix, including the comedy hit Murder Mystery 2, the busy star did more than 40 comedy gigs last year.
American comedian, actor, and producer Kevin Hart rose to fame by starring in funny flicks such as the Scary Movie franchise, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Ride Along.
He's further built his fortune thanks to comedy TV shows like Laugh Out Loud by Kevin Hart, stand-up gigs, and touring.
In 2022, the entrepreneurial Hart combined his companies Laugh Out Loud Productions and HartBeat Productions to form the media brand HARTBEAT, scoring a $100 million (£79m) investment from private equity firm Abry Partners to launch the project.
His estimated net worth is a whopping $450 million (£353m).
George Clooney first found fame in the medical TV drama ER, which he starred in from 1994 to 1999. From there, he went on to have leading roles in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, including the Ocean's 11 franchise, Batman & Robin, and Gravity.
But despite his undeniable on-screen success, much of his net worth is derived from other business ventures. Clooney founded Tequila brand Casamigos with two friends in 2013. The company was sold for $1 billion in 2017 and it's estimated he pocketed around $237 million from the sale, that's the equivalent of just over $300 million (£236m) in today's money.
Clooney’s A-list status means he also rakes in cash from numerous brand deals and endorsements, such as his partnership with coffee brand Nespresso. His net worth today is estimated to be $500 million (£392m).
Screen legend Robert De Niro is estimated to be worth a staggering $500 million (£392m), which is hardly surprising when you consider that his resume includes Hollywood hits like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Godfather Part II.
The star doesn’t solely rely on his on-screen success to make his millions, though. De Niro is behind the popular Tribeca Film Festival and is also a co-founder of the luxury Nobu hotel and restaurant chain, which has more than 40 locations around the world.
Tom Cruise has been one of Hollywood's top stars since the 80s, with hits including Top Gun, Cocktail, and Rain Man under his belt.
When the hotly anticipated Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, was released in 2022, it earned almost $1.5 billion (£1.2bn) globally, making it the second highest-grossing movie of the year, defeated only by Avatar: The Way of Water. Leading man Cruise reportedly took home $100 million (£79m) from the movie thanks to lucrative backend profit deals.
Cruise was the third-highest-paid actor of 2023, banking $53 million (£42m) thanks to the success of blockbusters like Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One. In total, his estimated net worth is $600 million (£470m).
Known as the "King of Bollywood", Shah Rukh Khan has an estimated net worth of $600 million (£470m). The actor has appeared in over 80 films and earns upfront fees and box office cuts for his leading roles.
Khan has further grown his massive net worth by endorsing brands in his home country, India, and also owns the film production company Red Chillies Entertainment.
He's the co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders and the Caribbean Premier League team Trinbago Knight Riders.
A former professional wrestler, Dwayne Johnson has starred in a string of Hollywood hits, including The Scorpion King, the Fast and Furious franchise, and DC's Black Adam.
The sought-after star can command more than $20 million (£16m) per movie, according to Forbes.
Johnson further profits from his 30% stake in the tequila company Teremana, which was recently valued at $3.5 billion (£2.7bn). His total estimated fortune is $800 million (£627m).
Austrian-American former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a model, actor, businessman, and politician over the years. In 2024, Forbes confirmed that the star had achieved billionaire status.
While he's best known for the action-packed Terminator franchise, other notable movie roles include Conan the Barbarian, Total Recall, and Last Action Hero.
Outside of movies, he has an enviable real estate portfolio and has made a number of shrewd investments. He was a key investor in Starbucks in the 1990s and still owns shares in the coffee company today, and he also invested in Google's Series A round in 1999.
As one of China's biggest screen stars, Zhao Wei has earned millions from her roles. But it's her savvy investments that have earned her a place in the ranks of the super-rich.
As well as endorsing a dazzling array of products, Zhao has invested in real estate, a French winery, and a Singapore jewellery chain over the years. However, her shrewdest move was taking a stake in Jack Ma's then-failing Alibaba Pictures Group along with her husband, Huang Youlong.
The company's fortunes have since turned around and that stake has helped her build an estimated fortune of $1 billion (£784m) today.
Forbes estimates Jerry Seinfeld's enormous net worth to be $1.1 billion (£862m). He's best known for co-creating and starring in the hit sitcom Seinfeld. He owns 15% of the show's backend equity, which means he continues to make millions every year from syndication profits.
In 2020, Netflix announced it was paying out $500 million for the rights to stream Seinfeld for five years, the equivalent of $607 million (£476m) in 2024 money.
That same year, Seinfeld earned even more from Netflix, with the streaming giant paying $20 million ($24m/£19m today) to air his comedy special 23 Hours to Kill.
Actor, writer, and producer Tyler Perry is worth $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) according to Forbes. Following a career in theatre, Perry released his first feature film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, in 2005. The film was a roaring success and kicked off Perry's money-spinning Madea franchise.
Perry owns 100% of the content he's created, which has undoubtedly helped him achieve billionaire status. The business-savvy star also opened Tyler Perry Studios, a 330-acre production studio in Atlanta, in 2019.
That same year, he inked a deal with Viacom to create content in exchange for a 25% equity stake in the streaming service BET+.
Child actor Brock Pierce got his first major break in 1992 Disney movie The Mighty Ducks. He went on to star in the sequel and took on a host of other roles in the late 90s.
Pierce retired from acting at 16 and became an entrepreneur. He raised millions in funding for a tech startup that was an early forerunner of YouTube and founded several entertainment and investment-focused companies. He was also an early investor in Bitcoin and even ran for US President in 2020.
Described as the "Hippie King of Cryptocurrency" by Rolling Stone magazine, Pierce is estimated to have a staggering fortune in the region of $2 billion (£1.6bn).
For her Oscar-nominated role in the 1986 movie The Color Purple, Oprah Winfrey was reportedly paid $35,000, the equivalent of around $100,000 (£79k) in today's money.
Fast-forward to 2024 and the actress has a fortune in the region of $3 billion (£2.4bn), according to Forbes. The savvy star ploughed the earnings from her movie career and popular talk show into her own production company, a move that allowed her to produce her own show and sell it back to distributors, netting her a fortune in the process.
In 2011, she launched her own cable company, before selling it to Warner Bros. Discovery in 2020 in exchange for shares in the entertainment giant. Known for her philanthropy, earlier this year she donated her 10% stake in WeightWatchers to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Jami Gertz rose to fame in the 80s after starring in cult classics The Lost Boys and Crossroads. She's also appeared in numerous TV shows, including ER, Seinfeld, and Ally McBeal. Despite her success as an actress, a large portion of her gargantuan multibillion-dollar net worth comes from her marriage to Tony Ressler, the co-founder of investment company Ares Management.
The couple shares many investments and business ventures, including part-ownership of the NBA team Atlanta Hawks and a minority stake in the Major League Baseball team the Milwaukee Brewers.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Gertz is worth a whopping $8 billion (£6.3bn). Despite her mammoth fortune, she still acts, most recently appearing in the 2022 rom-com I Want You Back.
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