Mark Wahlberg named world’s top actor
Mark Wahlberg was named the world’s highest paid actor, earning an estimated $68 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 percent 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 $65 million.
The top ten men continue to out-earn their female counterparts by a huge margin – $488.5 million compared with just $172.5 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 came in third with $54.5 million, just ahead of comedy actor Adam Sandler, who made $50.5 million, largely because of a deal with Netflix that allows him to produce his own movies.
Rounding out the top five is Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, who made $49.5 million over the last 12 months.
Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise and Bollywood kings Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar rounded out the top ten.