Introduction

Ben Stiller is an American professional actor, comedian, and producer with an estimated net worth of $200 Million.

Although Stiller began his professional acting career in the late ’80s, his breakthrough came in the 2000s, with releases such as Meet the Parents (2000), Zoolander (2001), and Starsky & Hutch (2004). Since then, he’s played roles in over 130 projects, and his films have grossed $6.54 billion worldwide.

Stiller’s biggest box office successes include Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which grossed $747 million on a $145 million budget. Night at the Museum also performed on the big screens, grossing $574 million worldwide.

In 2010, Stiller was the world’s second-highest-paid actor, earning $53 million from three film releases within the year. That figure included a $20 million payday from Little Fockers and an estimated $23 million from the Battle of the Smithsonian.

Quick Facts

• Earned an estimated $40-$50 million from the Meet the Parents trilogy
• Second-highest-paid actor in 2010, earning $53 million
• Movies have grossed $6.54 billion at the worldwide box office
• His highest-grossing film is Madagascar 3 ($747 million worldwide)

Earnings & Salary

While many of Stiller’s film salaries have never been publicly disclosed, there is information regarding at least half a dozen. The earliest recorded salary of his career was $3 million for There’s Something About Mary (1998). The movie was one of the year’s highest-grossing films and remains one of Stiller’s top-grossing films. For comparison, co-star Cameron Diaz earned $2 million for her titular role as Mary.

Some of Stiller’s more modest career salaries include $2.5 million for Zoolander (2001) and $1 million for The Big Year (2011).

Meet the Parents Trilogy Salary

While reports of cast salaries for each film of the Meet the Parents trilogy are slightly sporadic, Stiller’s role as Greg Focker is estimated to have earned him between $40 million and $50 million.

Stiller’s salary for the original Meet the Parents (2000) was undisclosed; however, co-star De Niro earned a reported $13.5 million for his role. For the sequel, Meet the Fockers (2004), Stiller earned an estimated $10 million; for the third film in the trilogy, Little Fockers (2010), both De Niro and Stiller were paid $20 million each. Despite having the highest budget of the three films, Little Fockers performed the worst at the box office, grossing $311 million against a $100 million budget.

Madagascar & Night at the Museum

While the Madagascar and Night at the Museum franchises are responsible for some of Stiller’s biggest box-office hits, his salaries have never been disclosed. Naturally, that doesn’t stop other websites from throwing out random numbers.

When Forbes listed Stiller as one of the highest-paid actors in the world in 2010, it reported that he had earned an estimated $53 million for the year, thanks to Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Little Fockers, and Greenberg. We know he received a $20 million salary for Little Fockers, leaving $33 million between the two remaining films.

Forbes also mentioned that Greenberg only earned $6 million at the box office, but they didn’t say “at the box office,” so low-quality publications took that to mean Stiller earned $6 million for his work in the film.

Highest-Grossing Movies

Stiller’s top ten list comprises primarily three franchises: Madagascar, Night at the Museum, and Meet the Parents. The highest-grossing movie of his career is Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which grossed $747 million worldwide. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa came in second, grossing $604 million worldwide. Overall, the trilogy grossed $1.9 billion.

The Night at the Museum trilogy didn’t succeed as much, grossing a combined $1.35 billion. The original movie, released in 2006, was the top-grossing of the three. With every new Madagascar movie, its box office numbers grew. The opposite is true for Night at the Museum.

An unusual entry on the list was 1998’s There’s Something About Mary, the 3rd-highest-grossing movie of the year domestically ($176.5 million) and 4th overall ($370 million). Notable Stiller movies that didn’t make the list include 2008’s Tropic Thunder ($196 million), 2004’s Dodgeball ($168 million), and 2001’s Zoolander ($61 million).

Here’s a complete list of Ben Stiller’s ten highest-grossing movies:

1. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted – $747 Million (2012)
2. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa – $604 Million (2008)
3. Night at the Museum – $574 Million (2006)
4. Madagascar – $542 Million (2005)
5. Meet the Fockers – $523 Million (2004)
6. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – $413 Million (2009)
7. There’s Something About Mary – $370 Million (1998)
8. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – $363 Million (2014)
9. Meet the Parents – $330 Million (2000)
10. Megamind – $322 Million (2010)

Real Estate

In December 1999, Ben Stiller and his wife, actress Christine Taylor, purchased a 5,334-square-foot home in Los Angeles, California. They paid $1.83 million for the property, which features five bedrooms and five bathrooms. The house also features some rather interesting amenities, including a billiards room, a screening room, and, most notably, a hidden speakeasy pub. They relisted the house on the market in 2011 and sold it to actor Jason Statham for $7.33 million.

In 2016, the couple purchased a 3,395-square-foot condo in the West Village, New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. The four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom unit set them back $15.31 million. The building itself features many luxurious amenities, including a 75-ft lap pool, a gym, a hot tub, a plunge pool, and a juice bar.

Introduction 

James Franco is an American professional actor, screenwriter, and film producer with an estimated net worth of $30 Million.

Quick Facts

• Reportedly earned $6.5 million from The Interview
• Settled a sexual misconduct lawsuit for $2.23 million in 2021
• Absent from Hollywood for five years between 2019 and 2024

Film Earnings

Unfortunately, there isn’t much information online about James Franco’s film salaries. During our research, we found salaries for just three of his films. This included a $2 million paycheck for starring alongside Neve Campbell in the 2003 film, The Company.

Reports suggest he earned $7 million from Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), which featured actors such as Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, and Mila Kunis. Additionally, Franco earned approximately $6.5 million from his infamous film with Seth Rogen titled The Interview. This film was banned in multiple countries and led to North Korea threatening the United States.

Highest-Grossing Movies

Franco’s recurring role as Harry Osborn in the first three Spider-Man movies contributed to a total box-office gross of $2.5 billion. The original Spider-Man movie grossed $821 million globally. It became the third highest-grossing movie of 2002, behind only LOTR: The Two Towers ($936 million) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ($879 million).

The following two movies on the list were Oz the Great and Powerful ($493 million) and Rise of the Planet of the Apes ($482 million). Franco’s remaining box office hits are mainly from cameos and minor appearances, so here are some of his lead roles that didn’t make the overall list:

1. This is the End – $126 million (2013)
2. Why Him? – $118 million (2016)
3. Pineapple Express – $102 million (2008)
4. 127 Hours – $61 million (2010)
5. Spring Breakers – $32 million (2012)
6. The Interview – $12 million (2014)

Some of Franco’s most beloved characters are from R-rated comedies that had to take risks at the box office. One of the most notorious is 2014’s The Interview with Seth Rogen. The film was banned in multiple countries, including China, Egypt, Sri Lanka, and North Korea. The North Korean government reportedly threatened action against the US if Sony were to release the film. 

Here is the complete list of James Franco’s ten highest-grossing movies:

1. Spider-Man 3 – $896 Million (2007)
2. Spider-Man – $826 Million (2002)
3. Spider-Man 2 – $790 Million (2004)
4. Oz the Great and Powerful – $493 Million (2013)
5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $482 Million (2011)
6. Alien: Covenant – $241 Million (2017)
7. The Green Hornet – $228 Million (2011)
8. Knocked Up – $220 Million (2007)
9. The Holiday – $206 Million (2006)
10. Eat Pray Love – $205 Million (2010)

Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit

In 2014, James Franco established the Studio 4 acting school, which operated for roughly three years before closing down in 2017. Two years later, in October 2019, two of Franco’s former students filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against him. They alleged that the actor sexually exploited them and coerced them into performing scenes involving nudity. The suit also alleged that the students were misled about possible acting opportunities.

In 2021, Franco agreed to pay a settlement of $2,235,000, which comprised $894,000 for the sexual exploitation claim and $1,341,000 for the claims of fraud. Despite settling the lawsuit, Franco denied the allegation, and no admission of wrongdoing was included in the proceedings. After the suit was settled, he admitted to sleeping with his students and stated that, though it was consensual, it was wrong.

Ultimately, the lawsuit led to the actor’s five-year absence from Hollywood, and several projects were canceled. His last role prior to the lawsuit was as the voice of Lemmy in Arctic Dogs. He didn’t reappear in any project until the Karantina TV series aired in 2024.

Who’s the Richest Franco Brother?

All three of the Franco brothers (James, Dave, and Tom) are professional actors. At the time of writing, James is the richest in the family with an estimated net worth of $30 Million. His younger brother Dave has an estimated net worth of $10 Million, while Tom is worth roughly $500 Thousand.

Real Estate

In May 2006, James Franco paid $2.33 million for a 5,215-square-foot, three-bedroom, five-bathroom home in Los Angeles, California. He lived in the property part-time for several years before selling it for $3.3 million in February 2010.

In 2012, Franco purchased a 1,496-square-foot duplex in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, for $775,000. Following the purchase, neighbors complained that the house was being used to operate a production company and shoot scenes. Franco returned the home to the market in 2017 with an asking price of $949,000, though reports suggest he actually sold it for $1.35 million.

Introduction

Jussie Smollett is an American professional actor and singer with an estimated net worth of $300 Thousand.

Quick Facts

• Earned as much as $125,000 per episode on Empire
• Sued by the City of Chicago for $130,000 in police overtime costs
• Sold his 2,597-square-foot bungalow in Studio City for $1.655 million

Empire Salary

Jussie Smollett landed a role as Jamal Lyons on the showbiz drama, Empire, in 2015. He was one of the leading cast members alongside Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, and Bryshere Y. Gray. According to Variety, Smollett earned just $20,000 per episode in the show’s debut season. For comparison, Henson and Howard received a significantly higher salary of $120,000 per episode.

This would place Jussie’s earnings from season one at approximately $240,000. It’s believed that in the middle seasons, his pay increased to $65,000 per episode, earning him roughly $1.17 million per season. After his arrest in 2019, it was reported that Smollett was receiving $125,000 per episode for season five; however, he didn’t return for season six. According to another article from Variety, Jussie’s co-star Terrence Howard eventually filed a lawsuit against CAA over a pay dispute. His salary topped out at $325,000 per episode. 

Considering all the information above, Jussie Smollett could have potentially earned $7.15 million from his role on Empire. However, the actual number could be higher or lower depending on the timeline of his pay bumps. Nonetheless, it’s widely regarded as the highest-paying role of his career.

Chicago Attack & Lawsuit

In January 2019, Jussie Smollett and his team called the Chicago Police Department to report an alleged hate crime against the actor while walking back to his apartment. Smollett claimed that two masked assailants shouted racial and homophobic slurs at him, then attacked him, tied a noose around his neck, and poured a chemical substance on him.

The following month, the police concluded that Smollett paid two brothers $3,500 to execute the hoax. Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo had been working with Jussie on the set of Empire, and were seen on CCTV buying the rope and clothing on the night of the attack. He was indicted for disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. Smollett accepted a plea deal in March 2019, which saw the charges dropped in exchange for community service and forfeiting his $10,000 bond. 

A year later, Smollett was indicted again and convicted on five felony counts. As a result, he received a 150-day sentence in county jail, 30 months probation, and was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and $120,106 in restitution to the police department.

Despite the conviction being overturned in 2024, the City of Chicago filed a $130,000 against the actor for police overtime costs. They settled on a $50,000 donation to charity. All things considered, the event cost Jussie Smollett approximately $85,000, plus legal fees. He also lost his high-paying role on Empire and significantly damaged his reputation in the industry. 

Highest-Grossing Movies

Here’s a complete list of Jussie Smollett’s four highest-grossing movies:

1. Alien: Covenant – $241 million (2017)
2. The Mighty Ducks – $51 million (1992)
3. Marshall – $10 million (2017)
4. North – $7.2 million (1994)

Real estate

In March 2017, Jussie Smollett purchased a 2,597-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom bungalow in Studio City, California, for $1.687 million. He owned the home for just a couple of years and incurred a loss on the investment when he sold it for $1.655 million in July 2019.