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George Clooney, the world's highest-paid actor, earns more than the 10 highest-paid actresses combined

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Actor George Clooney
Gareth Cattermole | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

George Clooney is the highest-paid actor in the world, having earned $239 million before taxes last year.

That's according to Forbes' 2018 list of top male earners, which tallied on-screen and off-screen earnings between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018.

Clooney, whose millions came from a lucrative business venture, endorsements and older movies, made nearly twice as much as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the second highest-paid actor. And he earned more than the 10 highest-paid actresses combined.

Cumulatively, the top female earners took home $186 million before fees and taxes. Scarlett Johansson led the way with $40.5 million in earnings.

Scarlett Johansson, the highest-paid actress of 2019
Jason Merritt | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Forbes' ranking includes extracurricular earnings. Most of Clooney's earnings actually came from his tequila company, which he sold to Diageo for as much as $1 billion, rather than from onscreen gigs.

Still, a Hollywood pay gap very much persists, even for A-listers.

"Women, in general, are making four-fifths at best," Oscar-winner Emma Stone said of the Hollywood gender pay gap in a conversation with Out Magazine in 2017. "In my career so far, I've needed my male co-stars to take a pay cut so that I may have parity with them. ... That's something that's also not discussed, necessarily — that our getting equal pay is going to require people to selflessly say, 'That's what's fair.'"

Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman has brought up the same issue. "Compared to men, in most professions, women make 80 cents to the dollar," she said in a 2017 interview with Marie Claire "In Hollywood we are making 30 cents to the dollar."

Although some defenders of the system point out that the disparity could be chalked up to the fact that more men star in profitable action and superhero franchises, women often make less even in romantic comedies. Portman, for example, says she was paid three times less than her male co-star Ashton Kutcher for the 2011 movie "No Strings Attached."

"I mean, we get paid a lot, so it's hard to complain," the star continues, "but the disparity is crazy."

Hollywood's male stars make millions more than its A-list actresses
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Hollywood's male stars make millions more than its A-list actresses

Here's the breakdown of how much the 10 highest-paid actors earn, according to Forbes. All figures are pre-tax.

10. Chris Evans: $34 million
9. Salman Khan: $38.5 million
8. Adam Sandler: $39.5 million
7. Akshay Kumar: $40.5 million
6. Will Smith: $42 million
5. Jackie Chan: $45.5 million
4. Chris Hemsworth: $64.5 million
3. Robert Downey Jr.: $81 million
2. Dwayne Johnson: $124 million
1. George Clooney: $239 million

And here's how much the 10 highest-paid actresses earn. Again, all figures are pre-tax:

10. Gal Gadot: $10 million
9. Melissa McCarthy: $12 million
8. Cate Blanchett: $12.5 million
7. Julia Roberts: $13 million
6. Mila Kunis: $16 million
5. Reese Witherspoon: $16.5 million
4. Jennifer Lawrence: $18 million
3. Jennifer Aniston: $19.5 million
2. Angelina Jolie: $28 million
1. Scarlett Johansson: $40.5 million

Don't miss: How George Clooney accidentally started a billion-dollar tequila company

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George Clooney just sold his tequila business for up to $1 billion
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George Clooney just sold his tequila business for up to $1 billion