IT’S quite obvious how African American actors have taken a prominent place in mainstream Hollywood movies over the recent decade. Quality films with meaty-roles are now casted to African American actors that have proven to draw hordes of fans to the box-office.

Here’s a list of some of the highest paid and consequently richest African American actors in Hollywood today based on the net worth from Celebrity Net Worth,  Forbes and other sources. Tyler Perry, who’s the richest African American in Hollywood with an estimated net worth of $350 million, didn’t feature in our list mainly because he is more of a producer and director. Let’s see who made the list.1. Will SmithEstimated net worth: $215 MillionMention ‘Will Smith’ and movies like Men in Black and Hancock will immediately come to mind. Incidentally, Will pocketed a whopping $20 million talent fee for the latest installment of the hit Men in Black III, and around the same amount for the 2008 superhero film Hancock. 2. Samuel L. JacksonEstimated net worth: $150 MillionSamuel’s most recent box-office appearance were for the Marvel hit flicks Iron Man and Avengers, where he is said to have signed a contract for movie appearances in some nine other Marvel-related comic book movies. Reports say he earns around $10 million each year.His first movie was 1981’s Jungle Fever. Some of his important roles were in the movies Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction where he received an Oscar nominee, and Die Hard III.2. Denzel WashingtonEstimated net worth: $150 MillionDenzel’s striking good looks and amazing acting skills are definitely paying off by the millions. Born and raised in New York, Denzel began his acting career in theater and slowly moved to made-for-TV-movies  Denzel is the second African American actor who ever won a Best Actor Oscar; he won for the movie Training Day. Denzel is an actor, scriptwriter, producer, and director with an annual pay of around $40 million. 4. Martin LawrenceEstimated net worth: $110 MillionWhoever said comedy couldn’t earn millions? Martin is popular for his comedic roles as a thief, a cop, or both. He established his name in Hollywood after starring in hit movies Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma’s House.5. Ice CubeEstimated net worth: $110 MillionO’ Shea Jackson a.k.a Ice Cube began as a rapper and songwriter for the controversial band N.W.A. His first movie was Boyz in the Hood, followed by others such as Higher Learning and Three Kings. And as if he wasn’t earning enough, Ice Cube went on to directing and producing films.6. Morgan FreemanEstimated net worth: $90 MillionNo one will dare argue that Morgan Freeman is by far one of the most respected figures in US cinema. His long biography of movies starred and supported are literally too many to mention in this review. Did you know that Morgan began his career on stage as a dancer first even before he went into acting? 6. Jamie FoxxEstimated net worth: $80 MillionJamie definitely set himself high among Hollywood’s A-list after winning an Academy Award for his lead role in the 2004 film Ray— including 18 other citations from other award-giving bodies! His going rate is now estimated at $10 million which is what he snagged for the movie Miami Vice in 2006.He has been in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years. Starting off as a stand-up comedian, then landing a role for a TV comedy, starring in his own TV show, doing R&B music, and finally starring in hit movies and earning millions— Jamie has definitely come a long way earning his box-office clout. 6. LL Cool JEstimated net worth: $80 MillionIt didn’t take long for America to fall in love with Cool J. His single I Need a Beat sold more than 100,000 copies across the US. It was clear that he was going to be a huge part of the rap industry. Cool J also tried out his luck in acting and landed roles in films like H2O and Deep Blue Sea. His most recent appearance is in the hit TV series NCSI: Los Angeles where he is said to be earning a six-figure salary of around $125,000 per episode!8. Eddie MurphyEstimated net worth: $75 MillionVery few Hollywood celebrities would earn a whopping $10 million just to lend their voice to a movie. Eddie easily raked in this amount for doing the voice of Donkey in the hit animated Shrek. His more recent movies include The Nutty Professor and Doctor Dolitttle. Whether doing voices behind the scenes in animated movies, doing impersonations, or acting as lead, Eddie’s comedic powers will continue to earn love and big bucks from his fans.9. Chris RockEstimated net worth: $70 MillionA favorite among the New York comedy bar circuit, Chris Rock spent years building a career in stand-up comedy. In 1990 he was given his first big break on TV in the show Saturday Night Live. His amazing talent and experience in stand-up landed him roles in movies such as Beverly Hills Ninja and The Longest Yard. As awards kept coming in from Emmy’s to Grammy’s so did bigger salaries for the comedian!10. James Earl JonesEstimated net worth: $45 MillionWho doesn’t remember the voice behind Mufasa in the animated Lion King? Yes, the voice was James Earl Jones’. His 40-year acting career began with dramatic lessons in his earlier years. Winning three Emmy Awards, two Tony’s, and a Golden Globe, James has built a name for himself in Hollywood.Richest.org