There is no reliable, comparable public record establishing which seven Star Wars actors earned the most and which eight earned the least. Available reports do give several film-specific figures—from weekly rates for the 1977 original to salary estimates for The Force Awakens—but they measure different things and cannot support a 15-person ranking.
Why a 7-and-8 ranking cannot be verified
The requested split implies a complete roster and a consistent way to compare pay. The accessible reporting does not provide either. It gives selected actors’ reported compensation for particular films, not an audited account of their earnings across the franchise. Nor does it establish realized profit distributions for everyone involved.
A weekly rate, a one-film salary estimate, and a share of profits are different measures. They also come from different eras and, in one case, use a different currency. Combining them into a single order would create a ranking the evidence does not establish. Celebrity net worth is not a substitute: it reflects a person’s assets and career more broadly, not what they earned from Star Wars.
Reported pay for the 1977 original
ABC News/Good Morning America reported these weekly rates on December 20, 2019, drawing substantially on J.W. Rinzler’s book The Making of Star Wars. These are reported contract terms, not an audited calculation of actors’ final earnings.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#1 Best Overall
| Actor | Reported compensation | What the figure describes |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Hamill | $1,000 per week | Reported pay for the 1977 film |
| Carrie Fisher | $850 per week | Reported pay for the 1977 film |
| Harrison Ford | $750 per week | Reported pay for the 1977 film |
| Alec Guinness | £15,000 per week plus 2% of the film’s net profits | Reported compensation terms; no realized profit total is established here |
| James Earl Jones | $7,500 | Reported fee for recording Darth Vader’s lines on the original film |
Guinness’s reported participation matters: the weekly figure alone does not describe the full arrangement. But without a sourced amount for profits actually paid, it cannot be converted into a final total or fairly compared with another actor’s salary.
Reported salaries for The Force Awakens
In 2015, GameSpot, attributing its figures to Variety, reported estimates for several cast members. They are period-specific salary estimates, not confirmed final totals. The report distinguished salary from backend or percentage arrangements and said reported participation did not begin until the film passed a stated box-office threshold.
Rank #2
- The Skywalker saga’s center trilogy introduces Luke Skywalker, who is drawn into the rebellion against the evil Galactic Empire when he is recruited by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Strong in the Force, Luke is confronted with a shocking truth — while Sith Lord Darth Vader faces a supreme decision.
| Actor | Reported The Force Awakens salary | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison Ford | $10 million–$20 million | 2015 estimate attributed by GameSpot to Variety |
| Mark Hamill | Low-seven-figure range | 2015 estimate attributed by GameSpot to Variety |
| Carrie Fisher | Low-seven-figure range | 2015 estimate attributed by GameSpot to Variety |
| John Boyega | $100,000–$300,000 | 2015 estimate attributed by GameSpot to Variety |
| Daisy Ridley | $100,000–$300,000 | 2015 estimate attributed by GameSpot to Variety |
| Adam Driver | Mid-to-high-six-figure range | 2015 estimate attributed by GameSpot to Variety |
| Oscar Isaac | Mid-to-high-six-figure range | 2015 estimate attributed by GameSpot to Variety |
These estimates concern one film and should not be presented as total franchise earnings. A salary estimate also does not establish the value of any backend deal or the amount ultimately received through it.
What the available figures do—and do not—answer
- They show that reported pay varied by film and role. The original-film figures are weekly rates or a recording fee; the sequel figures are estimated salaries.
- They do not identify the franchise’s highest- and lowest-paid actors overall. The reports cover only selected performers and do not use one common measure.
- They do not establish final lifetime totals. The accessible reporting does not provide realized participation payments or an audited franchise-wide ledger.
- They are not net-worth figures. Earnings for a specific film and wealth accumulated across an entire career answer different questions.
Production context is not a salary record
In a 2020 interview with StarWars.com about The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas discussed financing the sequel himself to gain control over its production. That helps explain the production context, but it does not provide a cast salary ledger. Similarly, Anthony Daniels’s StarWars.com interview discusses his experience as C-3PO performer and early publicity, not his compensation.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
![Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vmUHMpYfL._SL160_.jpg)
- THE PHANTOM MENACE(PG),A NEW HOPE(PG),ATTACK OF THE CLONES(PG),THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK(PG),REVENGE OF THE SITH(PG-13)and RETURN OF THE JEDI(PG)
For more behind-the-scenes history, ABC News/Good Morning America points to J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of Star Wars as an important source for its reporting. That reference is useful production reading, but the specific salary figures above should be attributed to the published report, not treated as independently verified here from the book.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
