Wahlberg is world’s highest-paid actor

RAPPER-TURNED-ACTOR Mark Wahlberg ( right) was named the world’s highest paid actor, earning an estimated US$68 million (RM290.2 million) before taxes over the past 12 months.

The 46-year-old star won his place at the top of the list compiled by Forbes magazine, thanks to earnings from Transformers: The Last Knight and comedy sequel Daddy’s Home 2, due out in November.

“The former may have scored a miserable 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the lowest gross of the franchise to date, but Wahlberg need not worry – fixed compensation means he benefits even when movies don’t do well,” said Forbes.

Dwayne Johnson, who placed first in 2016, is in second place with US$65 million (RM277.4 million), after starring in the big-screen reboot of lifeguard action-comedy Baywatch and in HBO comedy Ballers.

The former wrestler appears in fantasy adventure remake Jumanji in December and Rampage, a monster movie based on the 1980s arcade game, in April next year.

The top 10 men continue to outearn their female counterparts by a huge margin – US$488.5 million (RM2.08 billion) compared with just US$172.5 million (RM736 million) – a disparity Forbes attributed in part to the preponderance of superhero movies and action blockbusters that offer few starring roles for women.

Vin Diesel, who co-stars with Johnson in the Fast and Furious franchise, came in third on the men’s list with US$54.5 million (RM232.6 million).

This puts him just ahead of comedy actor Adam Sandler, who made US$50.5 million (RM215.5 million), largely because of a 2015 deal with Netflix that allows him to produce his own movies. Rounding out the top five is Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, still hugely popular in China, who made US$49.5 million (RM211.24 million) over the last year. Robert Downey Jr, Tom Cruise and Bollywood’s Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar rounded out the top 10. – AFP