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16 of the highest paid movie roles of all time - including $100 million for a single film

Travis Clark   

16 of the highest paid movie roles of all time - including $100 million for a single film
Finance1 min read

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Warner Bros.

It's rare for actors to rake in huge salaries today, at least compared to the days when audiences were drawn to a movie primarily based on its leading star.

Years ago, if a certain actor's name was attached to a movie, it was almost a guaranteed success. Stars like Will Smith, Tom Cruise, and Jim Carrey were paid big bucks in the 1990s because they attracted a crowd.

For instance, Carrey was paid $20 million - a rarity today - for "The Cable Guy" in 1996, because it was expected that he could deliver a $20 million opening weekend at least.

Now, audiences are more attracted to a franchise than a star. Whether a movie has "Avengers" or "Star Wars" in its title is more important than if it has Robert Downey Jr. or Harrison Ford in its credits.

But some big name actors have the recognition and leverage to still strike gigantic deals, such as Vin Diesel for "The Fate of the Furious" ($20 million) and Daniel Craig for the next James Bond movie ($25 million).

Below are 16 of the highest paid movie roles of all time, ranked:

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