Harry Potter & The Hollywood Rich-ListRSS

Harry Potter & The Hollywood Rich-List

Time to re-evaluate what you’ve done with your meagre life – a couple of young Harry Potter upstarts are amongst Hollywood’s highest paid.

Vanity Fair has released a list of the top 40 highest paid actors, actresses and filmmakers in Hollywood for 2009. Asides from male directors and producers, who take positions one through to five, the highest paid actor was Harry Potter, 20-year-old Daniel Radcliffe, who earned $US 41 million last year. The highest paid actress is his 19-year-old Potter co-star Emma Watson, who earned $30 million – placing her higher than mega-stars Cameron Diaz and Sarah Jessica Parker.

The intriguing, if disturbingly materialistic, rankings take into account work outside of movies. For instance Watson was reportedly paid $10 million for her part in the two-part Potter finale Deathly Hollows, but got some extra pocket money from being the face of luxury British fashion house, Burberry.

The other surprise is 27th placed Oren Peli. A couple of years ago Peli was computer programmer who raised $10,000 to make indie-thriller Paranormal Activity. This got bought by Paramount Pictures for $22.5 million, and then got signed for $5 million to direct forthcoming UFO movie Area 51. Not bad.

Number one is Transformers director/producer Michael Bay ($125 million), second is Spielberg ($85 million). Here’s the full list with their main line of work and 2009 earnings in $US...

1. Michael Bay (filmmaker, producer): $125 million
2. Steven Spielberg (filmmaker, producer): $85 million
3. Roland Emmerich (filmmaker, producer): $70 million
4. James Cameron (filmmaker, producer): $50 million
5. Todd Phillips (filmmaker): $44 million
6. Daniel Radcliffe (actor): $41 million
7. Ben Stiller (actor, filmmaker, producer): $40 million
8. Tom Hanks (actor, producer): $36 million
9. JJ Abrams (filmmaker, producer): $36 million
10. Jerry Bruckheimer (filmmaker, producer): $35.5 million
11. Tyler Perry (filmmaker, producer, actor): $32.5 million
12. Adam Sandler (actor, producer): $31.5 million
13. Denzel Washington (actor): $31 million
14. Emma Watson (actress): $30 million
15. Rupert Grint (actor): $30 million
16. Owen Wilson (actor): $29 million
17. Nicolas Cage (actor): $28 million
18. Russell Crowe (actor): $28 million
19. Cameron Diaz (actress): $27 million
20. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard (filmmakers, producers): $25.5 million
21. Johnny Depp (actor): $25 million
22. Steve Carell (actor): $25 million
23. Robert De Niro (actor): $24.5 million
24. Sarah Jessica Parker (actress): $24 million
25. Katherine Heigl (actress): $24 million
26. Shawn Levy (filmmaker): $23 million
27. Oren Peli and Jason Blum (filmmakers, producers): $22.5 million
28. Robert Downey Jr. (actor): $22 million
29. George Clooney (actor, producer): $22 million
30. Matt Damon (actor): $22 million
31. Reese Witherspoon (actress, producer): $21 million
32. Angelina Jolie (actress): $21 million
33. Jennifer Aniston (actress): $20 million
34. Sandra Bullock (actress): $20 million
35. Robert Pattinson (actor): $18 million
36. Clint Eastwood (filmmaker, actor): $17 million
37. Kristen Stewart (actress): $16 million
38. Mark Wahlberg (actor): $16 million
39. Shia LaBeouf (actor): $15 million
40. Brad Pitt (actor): $13.5 million