To understand how much actors of 2023’s movies earn or are projected to earn per minute, experts at ARKA conducted research for already released and upcoming movies.
The compilation includes data for released movies and projected calculations for anticipated films based on similar trends. To find out the rough estimates a pretty straightforward method was used: knowing the film’s duration and the actors’ salaries, an “average screen time coefficient” was calculated.
From the Guardians of the Galaxy and Little Mermaid to Barbie and Oppenheimer, here’s a roundup of the highest-earning actors of 2023, broken down per screen minute:
Chris Pratt is the leader of the list with the highest screen-time earnings with an impressive $347,222 per minute in the recently released “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Pratt’s total salary, accounting for $25M, comes from his 72 minutes of screen time in this blockbuster.
Zoe Saldana, Pratt’s co-star in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” claims the second spot, with an earning ratio of $319,148 per minute. Despite a shorter screen time of 47 minutes, Saldana’s substantial paycheck totals $15M. Zoe’s impressive film career, spanning Marvel Universe to recent Avatar franchises, is the reason behind her high salary, especially as the only actor starring in four $2 billion + worldwide movies.
Coming in third, Margot Robbie’s role in the much-awaited “Barbie” film is projected to net her $197,275 per minute. The internet is collectively losing their mind over this huge project with a budget of $100M leaving Margot with a total $12.5M paycheck.
Audience-favorite Timothée Chalamet, who is bringing his unique approach to the highly anticipated film “Wonka,” holds the fourth spot with earnings of $123,511 per minute. His estimated screen time for the film is 72.87 minutes and with a total salary of $9M.
Keanu Reeves, known for his iconic action roles, ranks fifth with his performance in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” with $118,110 per-minute earnings. Despite an extensive movie length of 169 minutes, Reeves’s impressive per-minute earnings add up to a substantial $15M paycheck. During the movie Keanu said only 380 words, which makes him earn $39,474 per word.
Marvel’s Paul Rudd takes the sixth spot with his role in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” With 80 minutes on screen and a film budget of $200M, Rudd earns $100,000 per minute, resulting in an overall salary of $8M.
Cillian Murphy is seventh in the list with the highly anticipated “Oppenheimer.” His role in this high-concept film is projected to net him a total of $10M. With an estimated 114 minutes of screen time, Murphy’s per-minute earnings reach $87,678.
Zendaya, appearing in the sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two,” secures the eighth position. Her estimated 31.2 minutes on screen will yield $64,102 per minute. In contrast with the seven minute role in the first part of the franchise, the actress will have more screen time for the second part securing her an estimated $2M salary in total.
Box office champ Michael B. Jordan, returning to the ring in “Creed III,” occupies the ninth spot in the list. His per-minute earnings of $55,555, despite a shorter movie length, add up to a total salary of $5M.
Halle Bailey ranks tenth and in the last position of the compilation with per-minute earnings of $14,285, despite her movie “The Little Mermaid” making a big splash at the global box office. Her 105 minutes of screen time in this fairy tale adaptation earns her a $1.5 million paycheck. While the movie itself is set to pass in profits multiple times its spending of $250M, the lead actress ranks last in this list based on per minute earnings.
Findings summed up:
|
Actor |
Project |
Actors screen time |
Salary |
Per minute |
|
Chris Pratt |
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 |
72 |
$25,000,000 |
$347,222 |
|
Zoe Saldana |
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4 |
47 |
$15,000,000 |
$319,149 |
|
Margot Robbie |
Barbie |
63 |
$12,500,000 |
$197,276 |
|
Chalamet |
Wonka |
72 |
$9,000,000 |
$123,512 |
|
Keanu Reeves – 15 million dollars |
John Wick: Chapter 4 |
127 |
$15,000,000 |
$118,110 |
|
Paul Rudd |
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania |
80 |
$8,000,000 |
$100,000 |
|
Cillian Murphy |
Oppenheimer |
114 |
$10,000,000 |
$87,678 |
|
Zendaya |
Dune: Part Two |
31 |
$2,000,000 |
$64,103 |
|
Michael B Jordan |
Creed III |
90 |
$5,000,000 |
$55,556 |
|
Halle Bailey |
The Little Mermaid |
105 |
$1,500,000 |
$14,286 |
- Chris Pratt dominates the list, earning an impressive $347,222 per minute in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” with a total salary of $25 million for 72 minutes of screen time.
- Keanu Reeves earned $118,110 per minute by only saying 380 words in action movie “John Wick: Chapter 4,” which makes him earn $39,474 per word.
- Despite “The Little Mermaid” dominating the global box office, lead actress Halle Bailey comes in tenth, earning $14,285 per minute.
- Margot Robbie’s iconic Barbie secures her the third position with a salary of $197,275 per minute and a total of $12,500,000.
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