World’s Highest Paid Actors and Actresses of 2016; No. 1 Will Actually Surprise You

Payday has always been amazing to most of us. Being one of the much-awaited “seasons” every month, our earnings have been one of the things that we look forward to in keeping us motivated and inspired to work harder. Imagine how it is like for the following celebrities who are included in the list of the world’s highest paid stars of last year, with their earnings computed from June 2015 to June 2016.

These 16 musicians, athletes, comedians, actors, and actresses, as well as some multimedia stars, are certified multi-millionaires. Get a glance of who they are and make sure you get to see the first on the list as you wouldn’t believe he made it to the top!

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BRAD PITT: $31.5 MILLION

Perhaps with several decades ago, when he was starring in Troy, Oceans Twelve, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Brad Pitt would’ve been closer to the top of this list. However, it’s still quite impressive that the Hollywood heartthrob is on this list at all, considering he hasn’t headlined a big blockbuster since 2013’s World War Z.

Pitt made $31.5 million, thanks to roles on and off the big screen. Pitt produced and acted in “The Big Short,” which won an Oscar and grossed over $133.3 million at the worldwide box office. He also did double-duty for the upcoming “War Machine,” which Netflix reportedly paid $60 million to procure. This is the first year since 2007 that the 53-year-old’s earnings surpassed $30 million.

AKSHAY KUMAR: $31.5 MILLION

Known for his action films, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar is a talented martial artist and a very influential product endorser. The 49-year-old actor has been tagged as the “Brad Pitt of India” and once named in 2008 as the “sexiest man alive”– living a super-active lifestyle with a combination of charity work, kickboxing, swimming, basketball, parkour). He was married to a former award-winning actress over there named Twinkle Khanna, who herself is the daughter of actors.

MELISSA MCCARTHY: $33 MILLION

McCarthy showed how hilariously and cluelessly obnoxious she could be and it made her a star. After that, her first starring role was in Identity Thief (2013), and she helped it earn nearly $174 million.With a gross of $33 million this year, McCarthy reportedly earned eight figures upfront for her role in the “Ghostbusters” all-female remake. In addition to acting, McCarthy also designs her own clothing line for plus-size women, Seven7, sold in major retailers like Macy’s and Nordstrom.

SHAH RUKH KHAN: $33 MILLION

Another Bollywood star, endorser, and businessman, Shah Rukh Khan is nicknamed the “King of Bollywood” and tagged as India’s Tom Cruise – starring in romantic comedies and action thrillers, playing villains, and getting rave reviews in dramas like My Name is Khan in 2010, playing a man with Asperger syndrome – a role we’d label Oscar bait on this side of the pond.

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ROBERT DOWNEY JR.: $33 MILLION

Iron Man can really get the big bucks. Hence, last year’s highest-paid actor, Downey had a quieter year with just “Captain America: Civil War” – having his earnings down up to 58% from $80 million last year. It’s almost a decrease of more than $50 million, but it’s still $33M for this guy, truly not bad, right?

VIN DIESEL: $35 MILLION

The man who’s synonymous with the Fast and Furious franchise has done pretty well for himself. With an upfront paycheck for the latest Diesel-powered installment, “Furious 8,” plus a sequel to “Guardians Of The Galaxy,” the gravelly-voiced actor joins the list for the third time. A key user of Facebook’s “Facebook Live” feature, he has over 100 million Facebook fans.

Ask this superb action star as to how you can make $35M in a year, and he’d probably tell you this: by being really busy, hard-working, and yes, really famous!

JENNIFER LOPEZ: $39.5 MILLION

It’s got to be hard to maintain your humble status as “Jenny from the block,” as her song goes when you’ve pocketed nearly $40 million in the past year alone. “American Idol” may have drawn to a close–and with it, Lopez’ reported $17.5 million paychecks but she really has plenty of other ways to get her rocks. Among them are: deals with L’Oreal, Endless Jewelry, and her own fragrance, as well as an ongoing Vegas residency.

SOFIA VERGARA: $43 MILLION

She might surprise many of us for making it on this list but Sofia Vergara acting as Gloria, the fiery Colombian trophy wife on the uber-popular ABC sitcom Modern Family. She’s great on the show, but she couldn’t possibly make $43 million in one calendar year from a sitcom, endorsements with the likes of Cover Girl, Head & Shoulders and others, plus her own talent management company, all help her to bring home the bacon.

BEN AFFLECK: $43 MILLION

The 44-year-old two-time Oscar winner made his controversial debut as Batman this year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and that alone will pad the old wallet. Of course, he also cameoed as Bats in this summer’s Suicide Squad and will parlay his somewhat surprising success in the role of directing a new solo Batman movie in the not-too-distant future, plus two Justice League movies, in 2017 and 2019.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE: $46 MILLION

Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), of course, plays Raven/Mystique in the X-Men franchise, appearing in X-Men: Apocalypse earlier this year to contribute a good chunk to her 2015-16 fortune. For the second consecutive year, Lawrence is Hollywood’s highest-paid woman. She took a cut of profits from the big box office gross of her final “Hunger Games” installment ($653.4 million) and plumped her checkbook with soaring upfront fees.It’s no wonder that she’s been so vocal about Hollywood’s wage gap.

JOHNNY DEPP: $48 MILLION

Mid-last year, though he was faced with many accusations, these alleged “rumors” did not impact his earnings during the said scoring period. He pocketed an estimated eight figures upfront for the latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” installment and box office bomb “Alice through the Looking Glass”–but his earnings will likely plummet in the years to come.

TOM CRUISE: $53 MILLION

Even at age 54, Tom Cruise can’t stop starring in blockbuster movies. So that’s why the diminutive superstar still takes home the big bucks. Hollywood’s favorite Scientologist banked a big backend paycheck for 2015′s “Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation,” plus upfront fees for a “Jack Reacher” sequel and “Mena.” At 53, he still manages to notch action hero roles thanks in no small part to his success as agent Ethan Hunt – the five-part M:I series has grossed nearly $2.8 billion globally.

MATT DAMON: $55 MILLION

The red planet turned green: Damon’s “The Martian” grossed a mighty $630.1 million on a $108 million budget. Damon earned handsomely from the film and nabbed the Best Actor while banking sizable checks for his return as Jason Bourne and an east-west co-production, “The Great Wall” – a period of mystery/thriller/action flick.

JACKIE CHAN: $61 MILLION

It’s still mega millions for this 62-year-old martial arts fella. With his stateside live-action smash in ages, he remains to be the king of China’s burgeoning box office, thanks in part to a cozy connection with Beijing. Chan starred in the latest installment of the Monkey King franchise and has several Chinese films in post-productions. As a director, producer/investor, and actor, he benefits from government censors looking kindly on his films. There’s really more to expect from this multi-talented Chinese guy.

DWAYNE JOHNSON: $64.5 MILLION

This ex-professional wrestler’s sizzling-hot acting career has taken the showbiz industry by storm. With Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s talent, humor, wit. And extraordinary charm, it’s no doubt he made blockbuster hits and captured the hearts of the global audience.

Rock-solid box office maker has become Hollywood’s go-to action hero. Next up for the beefy star is a starring role in the upcoming “Baywatch” remake. “I can kick ass better than anyone on the planet,” he once told Forbes. “And I have a decent smile.”

KEVIN HART: $87.5 MILLION

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Perhaps a large chunk of this jokester’s income streaming in from his wildly successful career as a stand-up comedian, playing his acts in soft-seat theaters and clubs, stadiums and arenas – grossing an average of over $1 million at each stop. A whopping earning of almost $88 million in a year can really keep you motivated and inspired to work and make people laugh. You’re really the man, Kevin!