Leonardo DiCaprio, best actor nominee for his role in the film "The Wolf of Wall Street", arrives at the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood
Leonardo DiCaprio, best actor nominee for his role in the film "The Wolf of Wall Street", arrives at the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014. REUTERS/Adrees Latif REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Hollywood is known as a den of rich celebrities, but there are only few of them who really do well. Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Scarlett Johansson earn tens of millions of dollars for doing a few films. Some of their peers, including TV show cast, reality show actors and porn stars, earn considerably less, though.

As The Hollywood Reporter revealed, the salaries of people working in the showbiz industry in the U.S. go from insanely high to not so much. Big stars get paid big, but the gap between their earning and their showbiz colleagues is considerable.

“If you’re [a big star], you’re getting well paid,” a top agent told THR, “but the middle level has been cut out.”

Movie Stars

From June 2013 to June 2014, Johnson earned a whopping U$52 million for starring in films including “Hercules” and the upcoming “San Andreas.” DiCaprio got $45 million, Liam Neeson took in $40 million, and Bradley Cooper earned $35 million, which is the same figure as Lawrence’s figure for starring in the first two “Hunger Games” films. Cameron Diaz earned$18 million, Johansson took slightly less at $17 million, and Jennifer Aniston had $15 million.

Studio-cutting means that mid-level stars are paid just a fraction of their A-list co-stars in films. For example, DiCaprio earned U$25 million including bonuses for “The Wolf of Wall Street,” while his co-star Jonah Hill only received $60,000. That is an extreme example, though. Hill also apparently just accepted a big cut from his usual price just to star in a Martin Scorsese film.

TV Actors / Porn Stars / Reality Stars

For small screen actors, salaries also depend on how well their show is doing and how big their name is before they are cast. Reality stars practically receive nothing unless they are the Kardashians or a member of the “Duck Dynasty” family. Female porn stars earn more than their male counterparts as well.

Halle Berry, Katherine Heigl and Tea Leoni, who star on “Extant,” “State of Affairs” and “Madame Secretary” respectively, each earn $150,000 an episode for their shows. The high salary rate is apparently necessary to lure big-screen names to the small screen. In contrast, an unknown actor earns just $15,000 to $25,000 per episode for a series regular role.

There are those who have little to no film experience but are still doing well in TV, though. Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting hit it big when “The Big Bang Theory” became a top-rating sitcom. Each now earn $1 million per episode.

Female porn stars make around $120,000 annually, and the figure can even go upwards to $200,000. Male adult actors, on the other hand, earn less because “they tend to have longer careers.”

Reality stars just earn a minimal stipend as compensation to missed wages. Some earn extra by using their 15 minutes of fame through endorsement of a variety of products and paid appearances at events and nightclubs.

It’s a different story for Kim Kardashian and her family. They reportedly make $40 million for their three-year deal with E! channel. The Robertson family from the controversial “Duck Dynasty” also earn considerably well, over $200,000 per episode.