Tom Cruise tops Forbes' highest-paid actors list

Tom Cruise arrives at the premiere of "Rock of Ages" on June 8, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif.

/ Getty

(CBS News) Tom Cruise topped Forbes' list of Hollywood's highest-paid actors.

The actor, who turned 50 Tuesday, raked in an estimated $75 million between May 2011 and May 2012, according to Forbes.

Pictures: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Pictures: Tom Cruise
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He has 2011's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" to thank for the title, as the movie earned $700 million at the box office worldwide.

The news comes just days after Katie Holmes, Cruise's wife of five years, filed for divorce. Forbes called the split "a blight on an otherwise stellar year for the star."

Leonardo DiCaprio came in second on the list, with $37 million. "DiCaprio is still one of the few actors who can demand a $20 million paycheck for serious, adult films," Forbes explains.

Tied with DiCaprio was Adam Sandler, also with $37 million. Although critics blasted his 2011 film, "Jack and Jill," Sandler fans still hit the theaters.

Rounding out the top five were Dwayne Johnson, Ben Stiller and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Forbes came up with the tally based on upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising. Magazine editors also spoke with managers, agents and attorneys.

See the complete list here.

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

[marcie10000]

I have enjoyed all of Tom Cruise' movies and he deserves to be rich. But the Scientology beliefs, which worked for him in the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's and 2000's are too weird for the rest of us. Those beliefs served him well - just not his spouse and child. So sad. I wish him well - but there's a whole world out there which frowns on the intimidation and isolation and money-grabbing Scientology does.

[SUZAMBA]

WOW, he gets paid that much for movies that are flops, imagine if his movies were worth watching!

[jdbynum3]

Well, he just makes too much money. We should have the big O and pelosi and all the others take it from him and give it to the poor afganastan soldiers so they can snort it.

[sevdalisk]

50 percent of marriages end in divorce.....sad when kids are involved!

[167irishboy]

Cruise, along with the rest of the celebrities involved with Scientology, may have fame and fortune, but that won't stop them from being weird, which they are. Their "church," in my opinion, was created as some kind of way to keep from paying taxes.

And for Cruise, once you have had four, five, or six spouses, that tends to raise the "control freak weirdo" flag on Cruise's ship.

I'd rather be the "middle class production worker in a factory" guy that is average looking and content with a less lavish lifestyle that I am, then some freak like Cruise or Travolta that has fame, money, and power. You can see the lust of power and control in the eyes of both of them.

Non-verbal communication flows out of all of us like Niagra falls. The non-verbal communication of Scientology members shouts,"we are disfunctional, power hunger, control freaks that enjoy cult like lifestyles that recruit weak minded people."

[SUZAMBA]

Sanity finally smacked her in the face and she said WHOA!!, stop the train and let me off. You know money is nice, but it it worth your life? HUMH!!!

[hypnotoad72]

Good for him.

While religious texts tell us that envy is wrong, the other thing religious texts say - apart from ethics as to how one earns wealth* - that pride is also a sin. Forbes' flaunting this information is just as bad as people being jealous of Tom for being rich.


* so a guy was born pretty... Tom's acting skills are pretty sub-par (think "Valkyrie", amongst others, where he just walks around looking like pretty and phoning in his lines), but he has that polished celebrity look. Good genes. He's never really exploited or extorted anyone, so I don't care he used his looks to get rich. My IQ just isn't low enough to be able to watch one of his movies from beginning to end.