IT has become conventional wisdom that stars aren’t worth what they used to be. Maybe so — but that doesn’t mean they’re poorly paid. A survey of producers, agents and executives indicates that at least six actors are earning as much as US$20 million a picture — right up there with the heyday of star salaries during the 1990s, when a handful of actors (including Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise) reached that magic number.

    The US$20 million club includes Robert Downey Jr., Leonardo DiCaprio, Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie, Denzel Washington and Matt Damon — depending on the type of movie they star in. Downey gets that number for the “Iron Man” films (plus a generous backend worth tens of millions more), and Damon will get it for his next “Bourne” venture, but neither came close with “The Judge” and “The Monuments Men.”

    The top quote belongs to DiCaprio, who was paid US$25 million up front for “The Wolf of Wall Street.” But this came with a catch: It also included his producing fee, and budget overruns meant he had to defer some of his salary.

    Following the success of “American Sniper” and his three Oscar nominations as an actor, Bradley Cooper is expected to command US$15 million to US$20 million a picture — lifting him above the US$15 million he got for the third “Hangover.” Ben Affleck and Channing Tatum could be in the ballpark for the right role. But Tatum might find that harder to come by for nonsequels, following the disappointment of “Jupiter Ascending.”

    In the action category, Dwayne Johnson has become the go-to guy and can command US$14 million to US$15 million a studio picture. That’s what he got for “Hercules” and the upcoming summer release “San Andreas” — though insiders say he made a lot less to be part of the ensemble cast of “Furious 7.”

    Four women are in the US$15 million-plus range: Bullock, Jolie, Melissa McCarthy and Jennifer Lawrence. Bullock remains the highest-earning actress after a spectacular deal for “Gravity” saw her make more than US$70 million, once profits were factored into her pact, with US$20 million up front against 20 percent of first-dollar gross. Jolie earned more than US$15 million for Disney’s “Maleficent,” and sources say they expect her to be paid US$20 million (her fee for “Salt”) in the event of a sequel. Lawrence earned US$10 million for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” and insiders believe she could easily get US$15 million or more for another franchise film, though not for her current David O. Russell picture “Joy.”

    (SD-Agencies)