Kevin Hart dethrones Jerry Seinfeld as highest-paid comedian

@kevinhart4real/Instagram
Photo credit: @kevinhart4real/Instagram

Kevin Hart has much to celebrate. The funnyman turned actor has secured his place at the top of Forbes magazine’s list of the highest-paid comedians, with a humble $87.5 million in earnings.

To put things into perspective, the 37-year-old has dethroned longtime earnings leader Jerry Seinfeld, doubling his $43.5 million, the business publication reports. This year alone, the newlywed has appeared in big blockbusters including Central Intelligence, Ride Along 2 and Secret Life Of Pets. Top it off with his lucrative What Now? comedy tour and he’s basically having the biggest year of his career.


Compiling estimated income from June 2015 to June 2016, the list also features newcomers Amy Schumer, 35, who took fourth place behind ventriloquist and impressionist Terry Fator with earnings of $17 million. A major accomplishment for Schumer, who happens to be the only woman to ever nab a spot on the highest-paid comedians list. Meanwhile, Jeff Dunham landed in the fifth slot with $13.5 million, followed by Dave Chapelle with $13 million and Jim Gaffigan with $12.5 million in seventh place.

Hart is currently filming alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas and Jack Black for the highly anticipated Jumanji reboot. “It’s official. We’ll produce and deliver to a whole new generation a title that I love and is one of my all time favs: There’s games you play for fun… then there’s games that change your life. JUMANJI Working on edging up an already very good script with my @sevenbucksprod team. Up next is meeting with our producer Matt Tolmach and director Jake Kasdan. Shooting starts this fall. Promise to deliver something cool and special.. and not screw the whole damn thing up;). As always I’ll keep you posted. Casting this should be fun!,” Johnson wrote via Instagram in April.


The film, which comes more than 20 years after the release of the 1995 original starring Robin Williams, is scheduled for release in July 2017. In the meantime, Hart is working on yet another untitled stand-up TV series in addition to starring opposite Bryan Cranston in the upcoming comedy/drama The Untouchables, as well as lending his voice as a character in next year’s animated feature film Captain Underpants.

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