Los Angeles: Actor Tyler Perry, who has his own film and TV studio in Atlanta, ranks atop the list of Hollywood's highest paid men, in a new ranking from Forbes.com that includes director Steven Spielberg and singer Elton John.
Perry topped the list by making $130 million from May 2010 to May 2011, financial website Forbes.com reported on Monday.
The actor, writer, director and producer had his Hollywood breakthrough with 2005 film Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which he created as a stage play. He dressed in drag to portray tough-talking family matriarch Madea, a crowd-pleasing role.
That movie led to a number of sequels, and most recently Perry has seen success producing the television show Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which runs on TBS.
Holding the No 2 position on the Forbes list with $113 million is producer Jerry Bruckheimer. He is behind the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and had a hit with the latest movie in the series, which came out this year and earned over $1 billion at global box offices.
Steven Spielberg ranks at No 3 with $107 million, Forbes said. The last film directed by Spielberg was released in 2008, but he has kept himself busy on a number of projects since then where he was the producer or executive producer, including action flicks Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Cowboys & Aliens and the upcoming science fiction TV show Terra Nova.
Rocket Man singer Elton John, whose most recent tour grossed over $200 million, takes the No 4 spot on the list with $100 million in earnings, Forbes said.
TV personality and music executive Simon Cowell, whose The X Factor singing contest is about to make its US debut, ranked No 5 with $90 million, Forbes said.
Writer James Patterson, author of The Women's Murder Club series of novels and such titles as I, Alex Cross, ranks at No 6 on the Forbes list with $84 million.
Rounding out the top 10 on the entertainment world list are: Phil McGraw, the TV psychologist and Oprah Winfrey protege from the show Dr Phil, with earnings of $80 million; actor Leonardo DiCaprio with $77 million; radio shock jock Howard Stern with $76 million; and pro golfer Tiger Woods with $75 million.
DiCaprio and Perry were the only actors on the list, and Forbes.com noted that Perry earned most of his money from producing and directing projects instead of appearing on-camera.
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