The merits of the inflammatory topic of equitable pay in Hollywood — especially in the aftermath of Taraji P. Henson’s poignant and tear-filled testimony — is further substantiated by the latest list of highest-paid actors.
Forbes‘ annual list of the highest-paid actors for 2023 was just released and, unsurprisingly, it had only one Black person on it.
The 10 highest-paid stars hauled in $449 million in box-office receipts. Comedic actor Adam Sandler topped the list with $73 million. He’s followed by Margot Robbie, $59 million ($78 million gross), Tom Cruise, $45 million ($53 million gross), Ryan Gosling, $43 million ($50 million gross), Matt Damon, $43 million ($50 million gross), Jennifer Aniston, $42 million ($56 million gross), Leonardo DiCaprio, $41 million ($48 million gross), Jason Statham, $41 million ($48 million gross), and Ben Affleck $38 million ($45 million).
Only Denzel Washington made the Forbes list
Washington, who earned $24 million for his roles from 2023, was the only African American on the list — and he came in last.
The issue of equitable pay that’s commensurate with skill set, experience, and comparable to their White counterparts became a lightning rod issue late last year. During Henson’s SiriusXM interview with Gayle King, she was overcome with emotion as she discussed the many struggles to try to eke out a prosperous living in Tinseltown.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said during the promotional tour for The Color Purple.
“I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ Well, I have to. The math ain’t math-ing. When you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. It’s a whole team behind us. They have to get paid.”
