This is more out of curiosity than anything else.

I was just reading an article about actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry and Drew Barrymore that earn between $10 million and $20 million per movie, and actors like Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey that get up to $25 million per movie.

My main question is, how is a movie star's salary determined? I'd really like to know how it's decided that having someone in a movie is worth millions of dollars and how some stars are worth more than others. My secondary question is why are male stars worth more than female stars, but it's more how is the salary determined in general.

This is more out of curiosity than anything else.

I was just reading an article about actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry and Drew Barrymore that earn between $10 million and $20 million per movie, and actors like Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey that get up to $25 million per movie.

My main question is, how is a movie star's salary determined? I'd really like to know how it's decided that having someone in a movie is worth millions of dollars and how some stars are worth more than others. My secondary question is why are male stars worth more than female stars, but it's more how is the salary determined in general.
It's a combination of several factors:

1) What their last fee was
2) How much money their last picture made
3) What a similar star would be asking

I think you'll find as a movie stars reputation grows based on past performances and the amount their movies make, they demand a fee from the produces and it is up to them whether they wish to pay the actor or not.

The stars who's movies generate the most money for the movie makers obviously demand the highest fee!

Just like any business in many aspects!

And you will probably find that movies with male actors as the lead make more money on average than moves where a female plays the lead. Not exactly sure but I'm pretty sure that would be the case!

Ok I get all that and thanks. I still want to know why it is that these stars are making millions of dollars. From what I see, and I may be wrong, but it would probably be a lot cheaper to make movies if the actors' salaries weren't so high, which would in turn make movie tickets (and possibly concessions as well) a lot cheaper and the movies would still be profitable because it would be cheaper to make them to begin with.

Its called greed blondie.

Greed by all parties involved. The actors, the movie maker, the cinemas etc.

If a movie make $100 million then it is fair for the actor who stars in it to want his / her share of the pie.

It is just the way of the world and it isn't changing anytime soon. In the mean time go to a smaller cinema and watch some of the great independently made films that don't have the massive budgets and overheads of the massive production companies in Hollywood!

It seems unfair that Jim Carey would get 20 million and someone who is just as good an actor would get 1 million. But, Jim Carey is going to fill the theaters with bodies. Also, there are certain actors who can "greenlight" a movie, which means get a movie made, investors like to make money, they won't gamble on a noname. All of this adds up, and you get a higher salary. It's like becoming CEO of the Acting industry, they are now getting Corporate rates.

Hey Blondie, you might want to check out these articles. They should answer both of your questions thoroughly.

Are Celebrities Paid Too Much Money? - Stars Are The Focus (http://www.celebsystem.com/cgi-bin/articles.cgi?title=celebrity-salary)
Are Celebrities Paid Too Much Money? - Stars Have Followings (http://www.celebsystem.com/cgi-bin/articles.cgi?title=celebrity-following)
Why Celebrity Actors Are So Important - Case Study: Vanilla Sky (http://www.celebsystem.com/cgi-bin/articles.cgi?title=case-study-vanilla-sky)

As for your second question, it could be chalked up to simple, old-fashioned sexism, or it could be chalked up to that the films of female stars gross lower on average than male stars. This is, of course, a result of male stars' films being written to be more commercially appealing, another result of (probably inadvertent sexism).

But when you consider the perks that female movie stars happen upon (photo shoots, magazine interviews, modeling contracts, product endorsements, etc.) that are also worth millions of dollars, things balance out okay.

-K