Adam Sandler was Hollywood’s top earner last year, according to a new list released by Forbes, which details the highest-paid actors of 2023. The veteran actor and comedian raked in a staggering $73 million—more than any of his peers—thanks, in part, to his partnership with Netflix.
Mr. Sandler, 57, has helmed more than a dozen projects with the streaming platform, including producing films by way of his production company, Happy Madison Productions, which he founded in 1999.
In 2023, he worked on four projects with Netflix, kicking off the year with the release of “Murder Mystery 2” in March. He starred opposite actress Jennifer Aniston, playing Nick and Audrey Spitz, respectively—a married couple and private detectives who find themselves in the middle of a baffling international investigation.
The action comedy flick is a sequel to 2019’s highly-acclaimed “Murder Mystery,” which was watched by nearly 40 million households in the first three days of its release. This reportedly marked the streaming platform’s biggest opening weekend for any of its films.
The actor also co-produced “The Out-Laws”—released in July of last year—via Happy Madison Productions. Despite the Netflix original film’s ensemble cast—led by Pierce Brosnan, Adam DeVine, Ellen Barkin, Nina Dobrev, and Richard Kind, among others—it acquired largely mixed reviews. It earned a 21 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the average audience score listed at 35 percent.
In August, Mr. Sandler starred in the Netflix comedy “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah,” which is based on Fiona Rosenbloom’s 2005 novel of the same name. The actor’s wife, Jackie, and daughters, Sunny and Sadie, also played roles in the film.
The “Happy Gilmore” star also penned the Netflix animated musical comedy “Leo,” along with Paul Sado and Robert Smigel. Additionally, Mr. Sandler co-produced the film, released in November, and lent his voice to the titular character.
Mr. Sandler last topped Forbes’ list of highest-grossing actors in 2002, grossing $47 million. Notable roles for the actor that year included “Mr. Deeds” and “Punch-Drunk Love,” among others.
‘Barbie’ Actress Nabs Second Place
Margot Robbie, who starred in 2023’s summer blockbuster film “Barbie,” nabbed the number two spot on Forbes’ list of highest-paid actors, earning $59 million for her role last year. At 33 years of age, she is the youngest actor to be featured on the list.
The film was the highest-grossing movie of 2023, bringing in over $155 million in the United States on its opening weekend. To date, the movie has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.
Ms. Robbie was also a producer of the film, through her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, which she co-founded in 2014. She told Deadline that one of the reasons she pushed for the film to be made was because the name “Barbie” was “so globally recognizable.”
“It’s like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. You can’t compare it even to something like ‘The Little Mermaid;’ it’s so much bigger than that,” she explained.
“It’s comparable to the biggest conglomerate brand names. So, that’s an immediate recognition of the potential outreach,” she added. “But more important than that was knowing that people had such strong feelings about Barbie, good or bad.”
Other Highest-Paid Actors of 2023
Trailing Ms. Robbie at $45 million is Hollywood icon Tom Cruise. Most notably, the 61-year-old again took on the role of Impossible Mission Force agent Ethan Hunt in 2023’s “Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning Part One,” which grossed over $566 million in international box offices.
After numerous delays, largely the result of the SAG-AFTRA strike, “Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning Part 2” is slated to hit theaters in May 2025.
Actors Ryan Gosling, 43, and Matt Damon, 53, tied for the number four and five spots on Forbes’ list, each making a cool $43 million. The former played Ken opposite Ms. Robbie in “Barbie,” while the latter starred in Christopher Nolan’s award-winning film “Oppenheimer,” which was released on the same day as the Greta Gerwig-directed film.
Rounding out the list are Jennifer Aniston at $42 million, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jason Statham tied in seventh and eighth place with $41 million, Ben Affleck at $38 million, and Denzel Washington in the number ten spot with $24 million.
Mr. Washington, 69, was the eldest actor to land on the list. He starred in the third installment of “The Equalizer,” released in September and directed by Antoine Fuqua.
From The Epoch Times
