'A' List Actors Earning Outrageous Amounts Of Money

Amitabh Bachchan

While Americans tend to be familiar with Hollywood, they are only slowly recognizing Bollywood, India's movie industry, as a huge industry. Amitabh Bachchan is one of the biggest stars with the most impressive longevity in Bollywood films. His career began in the 1970s, and last year, he ranked on Forbes highest paid actors list with 33.5 million dollars.

In the forty years of Bachchan’s career, he has appeared in more than 180 films, earning himself nicknames like Shahenshah of Bollywood (similar to calling him the King of Kings), Star of the Millennium, and Big B. He first found an audience in movies like Zanjeer and Deewar, which are Bollywood films that gained international attention.

Over his career, Bachchan has received numerous awards at international award ceremonies and film festivals. He also won four Best Actor National Film Awards. In 2013, he made his Hollywood debut, playing Meyer Wolfstein (a Jewish, non-Indian character) in The Great Gatsby. The French government named him Knight of the Legion of Honor in 2007, citing his exceptional career in film.

Bachchan has received recognition in India for his charitable works. He has used his fortune to clear debts for farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha and assist the family of a policeman injured protecting anti-rape protestors. The actor was also declared a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for helping eradicate polio in India. He has worked with PETA and TeachAIDS as well.