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Forbes' List Of Top Five Best Paid Actors

By Robert Paul Reyes

1. WILL SMITH

"Smith, 39, made 80 million dollars between June 1, 2007 and June 1, 2008, thanks to blockbusters like 'I Am Legend,' 'Hancock' and 'The Pursuit of Happyness,' for which he was nominated for best actor in the 2007 Oscars."

Quotation from AFP

Will Smith, the champ of the summer blockbusters, tops the list. Smith is the Barack Obama of Hollywood, he is a proven commodity who strikes a chord with middle America. Smith is a comfortable non-threatening presence, he is loved by blue-haired old ladies and punkers with purple hair.

The typical rapper, with his menacing demeanor, scares most white folks silly. Back in the day, Will Smith used to rap, but he had a light-hearted approach that even old ladies found endearing.

2. JOHNNY DEPP

"Depp, 45, who straddles both commercial movies - including the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series - and more challenging, independent roles, earned 72 million dollars in same period."

Quotation from AFP

Smith is a pleasant fellow, but he's not much of a thespian. Depp on the other hand, is one of the best actors of his generation. Smith usually plays it safe, but Depp has taken on many challenging roles.

3. EDDIE MURPHY

Time has mellowed this "Saturday Night Live" alum and he's transformed himself in a family-friendly commodity. As an actor he sucks, I'd rather watch him in "Saturday Night Live" reruns. With his $55 million take, Murphy can afford to hire a stable of transvestite hookers.

4. MIKE MYERS

Providing the voice for Shrek allowed Myers to tie for third place. Myers wasn't very good when he was on "Saturday Night Live", and he's not very good on the big screen. Myers should be thanking the gods all the way to the bank. Myers' live-action films bombed at the box office, but with a new Shrek movie coming out every couple of years he's financially set for life.

5. LEONARDO DICAPRIO

His handsome face was good enough to to earn him $45 million and land him in 5th place. But to be fair DiCaprio is more than just a Hollywood heartthrob, he's versatile and gifted actor.

Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.