Robert Downey Jr. is currently living every actor’s dream; earning millions of dollars a year without actually starring in any films. Forbes magazine recently revealed its rankings for the highest paid male actors of 2014 with Downey topping the list for a second year running. The ‘Sherlock Holmes’ star earned approximately 75 million dollars over the last year.
It was no surprise when he claimed the No.1 spot last year, as he had earned millions of dollars from Marvel’s ‘Iron Man 3’, which raked in over $1.2 billion globally and was the highest grossing movie of 2013.
This year, however, Downey did not star in any movies and his 75 million dollar income actually continued to roll-in from the back-end of the third Iron Man installment. He also ranked 10th in Forbes list of most powerful celebrities for 2014, with Pop princess Beyoncé taking the top spot.
Ten years ago, no one would’ve guessed Downey would see so much success as an actor, let alone reign supreme. With most of his time spent dealing with drug problems and shuttling between court and rehab, the actor’s credibility took a serious hit. After becoming sober in 2003, he set about ‘turning his life around’, and thanks in-part to director Jon Favreau was able to land the iconic Iron Man role.
Downey once said, “I think I’ve been lucky, being my frequent appearances on Court TV have brought to me another level than just the actor guy.”
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson had the second highest earnings of 2014 with a staggering $52 million. The former wrestler has been part of hugely-successful franchises including ‘the Fast and the Furious’ and ‘G.I. Joe’.
For a list of Forbes Highest Earning Male Actors of 2014 (please see below):
1. Robert Downey Jr., earned $75m
2. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, earned $52m
3. Bradley Cooper, earned $46m
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, earned $39m
5. Chris Hemsworth, earned $37m
6. Liam Neeson, earned $36m
7. Ben Affleck & Christian Bale, earned $35m
8. Will Smith & Mark Wahlberg, earned $32m