The Rock Named World's Highest-Paid Actor
Former WWE Champion earns $64.5 million salary.
Forbes Magazine has released its annual listing of the world's highest-paid actors, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been ranked at number one.
During the period running from June 1, 2015 to June 1, 2016, Johnson was paid $64.5 million, more than double his pay for the previous year. Upfront fees for Central Intelligence, Fast 8, and Baywatch helped him outperform runner-up Jackie Chan, who made $61 million due to his booming career in China.
Last year's number one earner, Robert Downey, Jr., fell to eighth place with a total salary of $33 million. During the grading period, he was only paid for a single film - Captain America: Civil War.
Johnson's record-setting Hollywood career began with a bang, as his starring role in 2002's The Scorpion King earned him the highest salary ever for a first-time leading man. He continued to score headlining roles throughout the 2000s, but his casting as Luke Hobbs in 2011's Fast Five made him one of the world's top stars. Since then, he has kept a full schedule of roles in blockbuster films - including 2015's San Andreas, which made $474 million worldwide and helped Johnson command the salaries that led him to top Forbes's list.
Johnson has no shortage of upcoming films scheduled, including Rampage, a Jumanji sequel, The Janson Directive, Skyscraper, Doc Savage, two sequels to Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, a remake of Big Trouble in Little China, and Shazam.