Introduction

Jordan Peele is an American professional actor, comedian, and filmmaker with an estimated net worth of $50 Million. 

Before Wealth & Fame

Growing up in New York City, Jordan Peele was raised by his single mother in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. He attended The Calhoun School, a prestigious private school in the city, and was passionate about sketch comedy and horror movies from a young age. Peel later stated that some of his early influences included Eddie Murphy, Tim Burton, and Monty Python.

Although Jordan briefly attended Sarah Lawrence College, where he majored in puppetry and film, he dropped out after just two years to join Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago improv group. He lived there for roughly two years while performing with the group, and after this, he met Keegan-Michael Key while the pair worked together on MADtv in 2004. The duo would form a great friendship and, later, an iconic working relationship.

Key & Peele

Having already established a solid friendship, Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key co-developed and hosted the Comedy Central sketch-comedy show Key & Peele. The show featured numerous comical characters created by the duo, including DeVon, a paranoid landlord; Mr. Garvey, a substitute teacher; and Luther, an anger translator for Barack Obama.

From 2012 to 2015, the show aired on Comedy Central for five seasons and 54 episodes. Although it wasn’t the first project of Key and Peele’s career, it cemented their position in the comedic industry.

TV Career

Before, during, and after Key & Peele, Jordan landed various roles in popular television shows. Many of these roles were single-episode appearances in series such as Reno 911!, The Mindy Project, Workaholics, and Modern Family.

Peele is also well-known for his voiceover work in adult animated television shows, including Bob’s Burgers, American Dad!, Robot Chicken, Rick & Morty, and Big Mouth. In fact, in recent years, Netflix’s Big Mouth has been Peele’s most significant series, playing multiple characters throughout the show’s eight seasons.

Monkeypaw Productions

In 2012, Jordan Peele launched Monkeypaw Productions, his film production company. While the company was founded at the same time as Key & Peele aired, it would later serve as the production company for all of Peele’s horror films.

In 2017, desperate to revisit his childhood passion for horror movies, Peele produced his first horror flick, Get Out, through Monkeypaw Productions on a $4.5 million budget. The film featured a never-before-seen plotline and was a massive success in the genre, grossing over $255 million globally.

This led to Monkeypaw Productions inking a five-year exclusive deal with Universal Pictures, resulting in a string of unique horror films produced in the late 2010s and early 2020s. These films, including Us (2019), BlacKkKlansman (2018), Candyman (2021), and Nope (2022), have featured stars such as Daniel Kaluuya, Bradley Whitford, Keke Palmer, and Winston Duke. While the company is best known for its films Get Out, Us, and Nope, it has also produced several hit TV shows, including Lorena, Weird City, The Twilight Zone, and The Last O.G.

Highest-Grossing Films

The films produced by Jordan Peele through Monkeypaw Productions have performed well at the box office, grossing over $800 million. Get Out and Us produced the highest returns on investment, with budgets of $5 million and $4.5 million, respectively. Nope had the highest production budget of any film the company has produced, costing a total of $68 million. However, it struggled to reach the heights of the earlier films, grossing just $172 million.

Here’s a list of the highest-grossing films that Moneypaw Productions has produced:

1. Us – $256 million
2. Get Out – $255 million
3. Nope – $171 million
4. BlackKkKlansman – $93.4 million
5. Candyman – $77.4 million
6. Monkey Man – $35.3 million
7. Keanu – $20.7 million

What do you think about Jordan Peele’s net worth? Leave a comment below.

He’s known for his incredible work in the comedy category of the film industry. Carrey brought a fresh style to film comedy, which gained him millions of followers throughout his career.

Quick Facts

• The world’s first actor to earn $20+ million per film
• Earned an estimated $163.5 million between 1996 and 2000
• Received an upfront salary of $20 million for at least six films

Acting Career

Jim Carrey requires little introduction to anyone with even a passing interest in movies, having collaborated with some of the world’s most renowned directors during his career. Before becoming a household name, Carrey began his career in Canada, where he honed his skills in the local stand-up scene. Here, he developed his unique talent for imitating famous people in Yuk Yuk’s comedy club while dressed in a comical leisure suit.

Before Jim Carrey rose through the ranks of the richest comedians in the world, he took on a string of more minor roles in various Hollywood movies. Thanks to his regular slots in the Comedy Store in LA, Carrey picked up a small role in the Clint Eastwood film The Dead Pool in 1988. In the same year, he also made minor appearances in Copper Mountain and Peggy Sue Got Married, which co-starred Nicolas Cage and Kathleen Turner.

He continued to play parts in Hollywood comedies throughout the late 1980s, with Earth Girls Are Easy and Pink Cadillac as two notable examples. His exposure to the Hollywood scene allowed Carrey to refine his many impressions by incorporating Jack Nicholson and Eastwood into his routines.

Mainstream Fame

Jim Carrey’s major Hollywood breakthrough came in 1991 with one of the biggest comedy hits of the decade, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Co-starring another up-and-coming comedy performer, Courteney Cox, the film launched Carrey into the spotlight and made him a major star. A starring role in the effects spectacle The Mask, which co-starred Cameron Diaz, soon followed, paving the way for a long run of successful comedies.

Another popular comedy by Carrey during this era, Liar Liar, cemented his growing reputation and received widespread praise from critics. While he continued to appear in comedies throughout the 2000s, his career would also broaden into more serious roles in dramatic works.

Dramatic Roles

In addition to his numerous comedy films, Jim Carrey has garnered high praise for his performances in more serious and dramatic roles, showcasing his range. The first notable example was the biopic The Man In The Moon, which co-starred Danny DeVito and featured Carrey playing the iconic actor Andy Kaufman. The performance led to many acting award nominations and wowed audiences who, until that point, had only seen Carrey as a wacky comic actor.

His 2004 movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, cast out any doubts that his performance as Kaufman had been a fluke. Performing alongside Kate Winslet, Carrey again received impressive notices from critics and many award nominations for his work on the film. Carrey was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame the following year for his contributions to the arts and comedy world.

Post-2000 Career Highlights

By the early 2000s, Jim Carrey was ranked among the richest actors in the world, working with many of the biggest names in the industry. He has continued to work steadily to the present day, spanning multiple styles and genres in movies and television shows.

Notable serious roles include those alongside Ewan McGregor in I Love You, Phillip Morris, which explores the relationship between two prisoners. He also performed motion capture work and voice work for the 2009 hit animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.

Earnings History

Between 1996 and 2000, Jim Carrey was one of the world’s highest-paid celebrities, typically earning a minimum of $32 million/year from all endeavors. This was primarily due to a string of successful films during that timeframe, earning him a minimum of $12 million per film.

In 1996, as we will discuss in further detail below, Carrey was the first actor in history to earn $20 million for a single role, which helped him earn an estimated $34 million that year. In 1997, his earnings briefly dropped to $19 million, but several paydays of $12 million and $20 million in 1998, 1999, and 2000 kept him on the list.

Between 1996 and 2000, Jim Carrey earned an estimated $163.5 million.

Film Salaries

Earliest Paychecks

In 1994, when Jim Carrey broke into mainstream acting with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, he reportedly earned $350,000 for the role. The same year, Carrey starred in The Mask, for which he received $540,000, and Dumb and Dumber, which was his first high-paying movie role. According to reports, he received $7 million to star in the film.

In 1995, Carrey earned an additional $7 million for starring in Batman Forever and a whopping $15 million for the sequel to Ace Ventura, When Nature Calls. A substantial difference from the $350,000 he was paid for the first film.

$20+ Million Club

In 1996, Jim Carrey became the world’s first actor to earn $20 million for a single film, starring alongside Matthew Broderick in The Cable Guy. Produced by fellow actor Ben Stiller, the movie flopped at the box office, but Carrey still set the record for his $20 million payday.

From then on, Carrey began regularly earning $20 million per film, including for Liar Liar (1997), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), and Fun with Dick and Jane (2005). Jim’s highest-recorded salary was $25 million for starring alongside Jennifer Aniston in Bruce Almighty (2003).

Additional Film Salaries

Carrey didn’t earn over $20 million for every film from 1996 onwards. He had a couple of $12 million paydays in the late 1990s from The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. He also earned approximately $10 million from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Highest-Grossing Movies

While not all of Carrey’s comedy hits can make his top ten list, several of his iconic films from the 1990s remain on it today. Four of his ten highest-grossing films were released in the 1990s, including The Mask, which grossed $352 million at the box office. Other films from the era include Liar Liar ($303 million) and The Truman Show (1998). However, Bruce Almighty (2003) is the best-performing film of Carrey’s career, grossing $485 million worldwide against an $81 million production budget. 

In recent years, his role as Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and its sequel has added two more films to the list, grossing a combined $725 million. Some notable mentions that didn’t make his top ten include Dumb and Dumber ($247 million), Yes Man ($223 million), Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls ($212 million), and Fun with Dick and Jane ($205 million).

Here’s a complete list of Jim Carrey’s ten highest-grossing movies:

1. Bruce Almighty – $485 million (2003)
2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $405 million (2022)
3. The Mask – $352 million (1994)
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas – $347 million (2000)
5. Batman Forever – $337 million (1995)
6. A Christmas Carol – $325 million (2009)
7. Sonic the Hedgehog – $320 million (2020)
8. Liar Liar – $303 million (1997)
9. Horton Hears a Who! – $299 million (2008)
10. The Truman Show – $264 million (1998)

While Murphy’s career began in the 1980s as a stand-up comedian, it didn’t take long for him to start earning millions as an actor. Some of Murphy’s most significant movie salaries include earning $52 million for The Beverley Hills Cop tetralogy, and $28 million for the Shrek movies.

Between acting and comedy, Murphy is estimated to have earned between $300 million and $400 million during his career. He was once one of the top ten highest-grossing actors at the global box office. Eddie’s net worth is the result of over four decades of earning 7-figure and 8-figure sums for his work.

Acting & Comedy Career

Murphy began his career as a comedian in 1981 on NBC’s popular late-night comedy show ‘ Saturday Night Fever’. He started to perform periodically on the show after one night, when a few minutes of airtime were left without any content, and he was asked to fill it with his stand-up performance.

His successful performance was delightful, and he became one of the foremost comedians on the show. Murphy created memorable characters, such as Mister Robinson, an urban version of TV’s Mister Rogers, and Tyrone Green, an illiterate convict and poet. Murphy had his debut film performance in 1982 when he starred in ’48 Hours’.

Two years later, Murphy’s performance in the film ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ made him a worldwide superstar, and he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the movie. His next successful movie was a romantic comedy, ‘Coming to America’, with Arsenio Hall, which also became a huge success.

In 1996, Murphy appeared in the comedy ‘The Nutty Professor’, which was a success at the box office. He also voiced the role of the donkey in the ‘Shrek’ movie franchise. Murphy’s next performance was in the 2006 movie ‘Dreamgirls’. However, after that, he appeared in movies including ‘Meet Dave’, ‘Imagine That’, and ‘Tower Heist’.

Earnings History

While we will cover Eddie Murphy’s film salaries in more detail later in this article, we also provide estimates for his total income from all endeavors for the years between 1991 and 1999. During this period, Murphy was consistently ranked among the highest-paid comedians in the world, typically earning between $25 million and $48 million per year. He earned an estimated $246.5 million in total throughout the decade.

Film Earnings

Earliest Film Salaries

The earliest recorded paycheck of Eddie Murphy’s career was $450,000 for starring in 48 hrs. (1982). However, the following year, he began commanding salaries of seven figures per film role. Murphy earned $1 million a piece for starring in Trading Places (1983) and Best Defense (1984). 

Beverly Hills Cop Salary

Murphy quickly went from earning $1 million per film to an impressive $14 million for starring in the first Beverly Hills Cop film in 1984. The franchise was an instant hit, initially spawning a second and third installment in 1987 and 1994. For Beverly Hills Cop II, Murphy was reportedly paid $8 million, followed by $15 million for Beverly Hills Cop III. For the 2024 reboot, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Eddie earned an estimated $15 million. This would bring his total for all four films to approximately $52 million.

Comedy Film Salaries

In between the Beverly Hills Cop films, Eddie Murphy starred in numerous comedy hits, earning as much as $20 million per film. In 1988, he was reportedly paid $8 million for starring in Coming to America. Next came The Nutty Professor and The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, earning him $16 million and $20 million, respectively.

The Doctor Dolittle series was also another smash hit, earning Murphy $17.5 million for the first installment and $20 million for Dr. Dolittle 2.

Shrek Salary

When Eddie Murphy began his iconic voiceover role as Donkey in 2001’s Shrek, he earned a reported salary of $3.35 million. He was paid approximately $10 million for Shrek 2, $12 million for Shrek the Third, and $4 million for Shrek Forever After. However, for the latter, he was reportedly given a share of the backend, which could have brought his total earnings closer to that of the second and third. Overall, Murphy is estimated to have earned at least $29.35 million from the Shrek franchise.

Highest-Paying Franchises

Now that we’ve covered Eddie Murphy’s film salaries, here’s a quick breakdown of his estimated earnings per franchise:

1. Beverly Hills Cop – $52 million
2. Doctor Dolittle – $37.5 million
3. The Nutty Professor – $36 million
4. Shrek – $29.35 million

Highest-Grossing Movies

When Murphy landed the role of Donkey in the Shrek franchise, little did he know it would lead to some of his biggest box-office successes. What’s interesting about Murphy’s list is that, other than the Shrek films, all the films on the list are from the 20th century. In fact, three of Murphy’s ten highest-grossing films were released in the 1980s.

Murphy starred in all four Shrek films, grossing a combined $2.99 billion at the worldwide box office, with Shrek 2 performing the best at $932 million. Shrek the Third came in second place with $813 million, and Shrek Forever After grossed $753 million. The original 2001 installment grossed $489 million globally. It’s worth noting that the original film had a production budget of just $60 million, compared to the other three films, which had budgets ranging from $150 million to $165 million each.

The three films from the ’80s that still remain on Murphy’s highest-grossing list include Beverly Hills Cop ($316 million), Beverly Hills Cop II ($300 million), and Coming to America ($289 million). From the 1990s, Mulan grossed $304 million, Doctor Dolittle scored $294 million, and The Nutty Professor earned $274 million.

Beverly Hills Cop produced the highest return on investment of any film on the list, grossing $316 million worldwide on a production budget of just $13 million.

Here’s a complete list of Eddie Murphy’s ten highest-grossing movies:

1. Shrek 2 – $932 Million (2004)
2. Shrek the Third – $813 Million (2007)
3. Shrek Forever After – $753 Million (2010)
4. Shrek – $489 Million (2001)
5. Beverly Hills Cop – $316 Million (1984)
6. Mulan – $304 Million (1998)
7. Beverly Hills Cop II – $300 Million (1987)
8. Doctor Dolittle – $294 Million (1998)
9. Coming to America – $289 Million (1988)
10. The Nutty Professor – $274 Million (1996)

Summary

Eddie Murphy has been a famous actor throughout his whole career. Murphy’s net worth will undoubtedly continue to increase, as he has consistently demonstrated his talent as an actor.