Think of the top actors in the world today, and chances are names like Tom Cruise, Tom Holland, Dwayne Johnson, Margot Robbie, Ryan Reynolds, or even Shah Rukh Khan and Prabhas will come to mind. But the highest-paid actor in the world this year is someone who has not had a box-office hit in five years. Yet, he earns more than any of the names mentioned here.

World's highest-paid actor

Adam Sandler is the surprise name atop the list of the highest-paid actors in the world in 2023. The actor, best known for his zany comedies in the 90s and 2000s, earned a staggering $73 million last year, according to Forbes. Sandler managed this feat by having four releases in 2023, three as an actor and one as a producer. He starred in Murder Mystery 2 and had a supporting role in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, both of which were released on Netflix. In between, he produced The Out-Laws, starring Adam Devine. Adam Sandler rounded off the year with another Netflix film - Leo - in which he voiced the titular tuatura. He was a producer in all three films he acted in, earning a considerable share of the digital sale revenues, contributing to his massive income.

Curiously enough, Adam Sandler's films have exclusively hit streaming over the last few years instead of getting theatrical releases. This includes Hustle (2022), Hubie Halloween (2021), and Murder Mystery (2019). His only theatrical release since the pandemic—Spaceman (2024)—was not a commercial success. The last time an Adam Sandler film did well at the box office was in 2019 when his Uncut Gems earned $50 million on a $19-million budget.

Other highest-paid actors

Adam Sandler beat Margot Robbie in the list of highest-paid actors for 2023. The Australian actor earned $59 million, largely on the back of her blockbuster Barbie. Her co-star in the film Ryan Gosling was also in the top five, along with Tom Cruise and Matt Damon, both of whom starred in summer blockbusters last year. All these three earned over $40 million. No Indian name was in the top 10 list from Forbes, even though the magazine mentioned in a separate list that Shah Rukh Khan likely earned over $30 million last year due to his three box office successes - Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki.

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