Canadians love to go to the movies—especially, the super heroes shot in Canada. According to a 2019 study, Canadians spend 11 hours every day on screens making Canada one of the countries with the high TV viewing time globally.
Now, not everyone who works on a film set is a celebrity actor with a huge salary. Salaries vary greatly depending on experience and seniority in a production crew or cast position, as well as where the project’s funding comes from. There are some interesting numbers available for Canadian actors, though!
What do they earn?
According to Statista, and some data provided by top essay writing websites, here are Canada’s top-paid actors of all time:
- Samuel L Jackson. Estimated Earnings of $5 655.2 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Jackson got his big break in 1972 in an unaccredited role in the film “That Certain Summer,” but it was not until 1991 when he appeared in “Jungle Fever” that Jackson received critical acclaim. Since then, Jackson has appeared in over 100 films and is well known for playing Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Robert Downey Jr. Estimated earnings of $5 474.2 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Downey Jr. began acting at a young age, appearing in his first film at the age of five. After landing several minor roles throughout the ’80s and ’90s, Downey Jr. landed a role as Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic “Chaplin,” which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Since then, he has appeared in major box office hits like “Iron Man” (2008) and “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
- Tom Hanks. Estimated Earnings of $5, 033.9 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Hanks got his first acting role in the 1980’s sitcom “Bosom Buddies,” after which he appeared in several films with modest success. He rose to fame with his roles in “Big” (1988), “A League of Their Own” (1992), and “Philadelphia” (1993). Since then, Hanks has gone on to appear in many successful movies like Castaway (2000) and Saving Private Ryan (1998), for which he won his two Oscars.
- Scarlet Johnson. Estimated Earnings of $4 915.7 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Johnson got her big break in “The Twilight Saga” (2008-2012), which earned her several awards, including Choice Summer Movie Star: Female at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards. She would later go on to appear in mainstream films like “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006) and “Now You See Me 2” (2016).
- Bradley Cooper. Estimated Earnings of $4 286.7 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Cooper got his first big role in a TV series called “Alias,” which led to a successful film career that included roles in The Hangover trilogy and Silver Linings Playbook. In 2016, Cooper received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for his movie American Sniper.
- Harrison Ford. Estimated Earnings of $4 051.3 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Ford got his big break in American Graffiti (1973) but is most known for playing Han Solo in the Star Wars trilogy and as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner (1982). He also received critical acclaim for his role as John Book in Witness.
- Chris Evans. Estimated Earnings of $3 970.7 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Evans got his big break in the role of Johnny Storm/Human Torch in Fantastic Four (2005) and its sequel. He later went on to appear in many other popular films, including Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), and Gifted (2017).
- Chris Hemsworth. Estimated Earnings of $3 959.6 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Hemsworth is one of the highest-paid actors in the world, receiving critical acclaim for his role as Thor. He has also appeared in many other popular films, including Rush (2013) and The Avengers (2012).
- Zoe Saldana. Estimated Earnings of $3 956.4 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Saldana rose to fame with her role in “Avatar” (2009). Since then, she has appeared in many successful films, including Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Star Trek (2009). She also played Neytiri opposite Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully in Avatar.
- Chris Prat. Estimated Earnings of $3 951.1 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Prat got his big break from playing Matthew McConaughey’s evil twin Donnie in the film The Dallas Buyers Club (2013). In 2017, Prat won the BTVA People’s Choice Voice Acting Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game for his performance in the movie game; Lego Dimensions.
- Tom Cruise. Estimated Earnings of $3 937.7 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Cruise got his big break with a role in “Endless Love” (1981). He first gained international attention for his role as the young Naval pilot Maverick Mitchell in the action film Top Gun (1986) and has since become one of Hollywood’s most famous actors, appearing in such films as Rain Man (1988), Jerry Maguire (1996) and A Few Good Men (1992).
- Johnny Depp. Estimated Earnings of $3 684.7 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Depp rose to fame with his role as Officer Tom Hanson in the police television series 21 Jump Street (1987). He is most known for his roles as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and as Edward Scissorhands (1990).
- Eddie Murphy. Estimated Earnings of $3 583.1 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Murphy got his start on Saturday Night Live, where he won several Emmy Awards. His films have grossed over $3 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors in North America. He received critical acclaim for his role as James “Thunder” Early in Dreamgirls (2006).
- Will Smith. Estimated Earnings of $3 526.4 Million (US.)
Career in brief: He is one of the most popular and highest-earning actors in Hollywood, known for his roles as the charming and lovable protagonist in blockbuster movies and as the title character in Ali (2001). After his portrayal of Muhammad Ali, he became known for playing personality-based characters, which used his distinctive comedic style to build upon previous acting work.
- Mark Ruffalo. Estimated Earnings of $3 371.5 Million (US.)
Career in brief: Ruffalo got his big break with a role in You Can Count on me (2000). He also received critical acclaim for appearing in films such as Shutter Island (2010) and The Kids Are All Right (2010).
Conclusion
Movie stars are some of the highest-paid celebrities in Canada, with Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, and Eddie Murphy all ranking high on the list. Since there is no easy way to look up how much each actor earned in 2019 or 2020 (for example), this article has categorized some of Hollywood’s biggest names based on statistical reporting from Statista. We hope you enjoyed the read!
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