Brendan Sandler topped the list of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors for 2025, earning around $48 million.
The 59-year-old star’s long association with Netflix has helped him make a lot of money, because he gets paid even if his movies don’t do well in theaters.
This year, Sandler starred in Happy Gilmore 2 and the Netflix movie Jay Kelly as his role in it even earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes and some critics’ awards.
These projects raised his earnings above most other actors.
Tom Cruise came in second place with $46 million thanks to his Mission: Impossible – The final reckoning.
Mark Wahlberg earned $44 million from streaming projects on Apple TV and Prime Video.
Scarlett Johansson earned $43 million, Brad Pitt $41 million and Denzel Washington $38 million.
Millie Bobby Brown became the youngest actress on the list at age 22, earning $26 million primarily for stranger things and other streaming projects.
Although the overall earnings of top actors are down a bit from last year, the list shows that big stars with loyal followings and strong streaming deals are still very valuable.
Adam’s first place finish proves that stable projects and fans can be just as powerful as big box office hits.
