Right Cinema

Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio. These were the names I expected to see top the list of highest paid film salary of all time. Imagine my surprise when I was sobered with the reality that we live in a world where Keanu Reeves is the highest paid actor of all time for his performance in The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions. That’s $185 million after his $20 million salary plus 15% gross.

Seriously, if highly intelligent beings visited us from another planet what would they think of us as a species for rewarding Keanu’s “acting” more than any other thespian? Be afraid aliens, be very afraid.

After Keanu/Neo, Tom Cruise has four of the top 13 highest salaries for War of the Worlds, Mission Impossible I & II, and Vanilla Sky.

Oddly enough, one of the top two highest paid female actors of all time is Tom Cruise’s ex, Nicole Kidman. Kidman has 5 of the 25 highest salaries for female actors all time. To put this into perspective, Kidman received $17.5 million for Bewitched, while Tom received $100 million for War of the Worlds. Unfortunately, women are not anywhere close in salaries and have to be content with getting half after the divorce.

Buyer beware, highest salaries do not show the highest quality. Aside from Keanu, who actually was pretty good as Neo, Julia Roberts received $20 million for The Mexican, Sandra Bullock received $17.5 million for Miss Congeniality 2, and good ‘ol Adam Sandler received over $30 million for Little Nicky.

Compare that to the total budget of $40 million for There Will Be Blood in which Daniel Day-Lewis gave one of the greatest performances of all time. I guess in this case, Little Nicky is the one drinking the milkshake.

You be the judge: Click below to compare Sandler’s and Day-Lewis’ performances in Little Nicky and There Will Be Blood.