Tom Cruise tops Forbes highest paid actor list
Actor Tom Cruise attends The Friars Club and Friars Foundation event in his honor at The Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan. (June 12, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
Tom Cruise turned 50 Tuesday, and despite the recent divorce filing by his wife, Katie Holmes, the film star did receive one positive birthday surprise: Forbes magazine has listed him as the highest-paid actor in Hollywood.
The "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" star earned $75 million between May 2011 and May 2012, the magazine estimates.
The fourth "Mission: Impossible" film, released in December, reaped $694 million worldwide on a budget of $145 million, with Cruise earning "a nice chunk of the film's profits," according to Forbes. The magazine noted he also received payment this year for the upcoming science-fiction film "Oblivion," which he has been shooting in Iceland.
Cruise currently stars in "Rock of Ages" and plays the title role in this December's "Jack Reacher," based on Lee Child's series of adventure novels. Leonardo DiCaprio topped last year's list, with estimated earnings of $77 million. Cruise, whose 2010 "Knight and Day" proved disappointing, did not make the 2011 chart.
Forbes determines its estimates based on upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work, and with input from industry professionals. The magazine separately produces lists of highest-earning actresses and highest-earning entertainers, which includes musicians, producers, authors and others.
The Forbes' list of high earners
After Tom Cruise, the list includes
2. Leonardo DiCaprio -- $37 million
2. (tie) Adam Sandler -- $37 million
4. Dwayne Johnson -- $36 million
5. Ben Stiller -- $33 million
6. Sacha Baron Cohen -- $30 million
6. (tie) Johnny Depp -- $30 million
6. (tie) Will Smith -- $30 million
9. Mark Wahlberg -- $27 million
10. Taylor Lautner -- $26.5 million
10. (tie) Robert Pattinson -- $26.5 million
