How Much The Cast Of The Fast And The Furious Is Really Worth

The Fast & The Furious seemed destined for the clearance DVD bin. Everything from its painfully early '00s aesthetic to the central conceit about souped up Hondas committing heists on Best Buy delivery trucks marked it as a meatheaded movie fit for afternoon TV marathons. But the series held out against all odds, morphing into a massive franchise built around a multi-culti core of superhumans who take down massive government organizations and fight small-scale wars around the world. Also, occasionally, they happen to race cars.

Following a retooling that began after the release of the much-derided third installment in the series, Tokyo Drift, the Fast saga has become a reliable summer blockbuster — one that's more likely to include a monologue about the importance of family after a showdown with a nuclear sub than a drag race. Along the way, it's also made many of the actors who believed in the series very, very rich. 

With that in mind, we'd like to dive into the economics of the Fast universe, running down the net worth of the series' stars as the franchise reaches the tenth-movie benchmark.

The series' star and the nexus for the Fast saga has an appropriately huge net worth. In 2015 — the year that Furious 7 was released — Vin Diesel was the third-highest-paid actor in the world, pulling in an astounding $47 million for his trouble. He repeated as a third place finisher in 2017, with a take of $54.3 million. His time as Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy makes him a fixture in two of the most-profitable movie franchises on Earth. We doubt his income will drop noticeably any time in the near future.

Outside of his acting, Diesel runs his own production company and spends time with his real-life family, wife Paloma Jimenez and their three children (their youngest, Pauline, was named after his late co-star and friend Paul Walker). And it looks like the Diesel clan won't need to worry for much — he's held on to quite a bit of those acting paydays and Celebrity Net Worth places his overall holdings at $200 million.

The Rock is one of the only people on Earth who can compete with Vin Diesel in terms of demanding a paycheck. He was the world's best-paid wrestler before he became a mainstay in summer blockbusters. And those years where Diesel was hanging around Hollywood's Top Ten? The Rock was frequently number one.

Dwayne Johnson is able to leverage his sizable following and untarnished public profile to guarantee massive paydays. He's run up the scoreboard with yearly incomes topping $125 million in the middle of the decade and $90 million between 2018 and 2019. The Rock makes money coming and going, as he's able to ask for millions of dollars to promote his own movies to his social media following. Celebrity Net Worth puts the cost of The Rock's press push at approximately $4 million.

All of this together makes The Rock one of the wealthiest Hollywood stars on the planet, with a net worth of $320 million.

As we move away from the cosmically large and downright goofy paydays pulled in by The Rock and Diesel, the net worth of their co-stars can seem paltry in comparison. But we shouldn't have to remind you that being a multi-millionaire several times over is nothing to scoff at, and only being worth $12 million is one hell of a consolation prize.

That's what CNW estimates as Jordana Brewster's net worth, which she earned largely by being the glue that holds the series together. Her supporting role in the Fast saga as Dominic Toretto's sister Mia literally gives the gang a reason to exist. Paul Walker's Brian marries her and starts a family, and it helps to soften the rougher edges of the leads' sometimes antagonistic relationship with one another.

She's managed to rack all that up in spite of a comparatively scant filmography. She's performed in fewer than 30 projects since beginning her career with appearances on All My Children. Sounds like nice work, if you can get it.

The one-time British diver has amassed a fortune since being discovered and pulled into the movie-making world after trying to make a life as an Olympian. He shined as a low-level tough and schemer in Guy Ritchie movies before finding his lane as a campy action star in the Transporter series. While it's unlikely that Statham would join a gritty little series like Crank now, it helped build his profile as a star of high-octane flicks. Now, he co-headlines his own spin-off franchise from the Fast saga. He clearly plans on sticking around the industry as he owns two homes in the Los Angeles area, one above the Strip and one out in Beverly Hills. The homes are worth a combined $15 million.

All together, Statham is worth a healthy $90 million. That's more than enough to make sure his long-time partner Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and their son are comfortable.

Actor Sung Kang is the nexus for one of the most confusing points about the Fast saga. His character Han is so beloved that the franchise had to tie its continuity into pretzels to justify his continued presence on screen. The perennially snacking Han dies in a car crash at the end of the third Fast movie, only to reappear in later films that we are told come before the events of Tokyo Drift. While Han's death is the reason that Jason Statham moves to the top of the Toretto gang hit list, it's revealed in the trailer for Fast 9 that Han is not dead.

The fan-favorite isn't relying on Fast to keep reviving him, though. CNW points out that the 47-year-old Kang is a former restaurateur and his other business ventures, when coupled with his acting paychecks, add up to make him worth $8 million.

Michelle Rodriguez might not be the first name you think of when you reach for "action star," but it's nearly impossible to survey the action movie landscape of the '00s and not see her. In addition to the Fast saga, she's also starred in big-budget films like Battle: Los Angeles, Avatar, SWAT and Resident Evil.

In the Fast world, she plays Dom's girlfriend (and eventual wife) Letty. Throughout the series, she's been kidnapped, brainwashed, and seemingly "killed," with her role in the gang only becoming more complicated as the lore of the franchise has deepened and darkened.

Outside of Fast, she might be best known for her role in Lost. She starred as Ana Lucia Cortez in the second season of the long-running and twisty drama. Her character was killed at the close of season 2, but she did reappear later in the series in flashbacks to help resolve the often confusing plot.

The consistent movie and television work has earned her quite a bit — she's worth a solid $30 million.

The rapper and actor born Chris Bridges didn't need to jump into Hollywood to make money. He was and is a well-respected rapper whose punchline-heavy club music soundtracked most of the '00s. However, he saw an opportunity when director John Singleton approached him with a role.

Ja Rule balked at his payday for a possible starring role in 2 Fast 2 Furious, leaving a vacuum to be filled by Ludacris' techie Tej. He's starred in nearly every film in the franchise since, providing a snarky counterpart to Tyrese's prickly Roman. Outside of Fast, he's held his own in serious dramatic roles, comedic parts, and action movies. He snagged a SAG award for his role in eventual Best Picture winner Crash and was pulled into Guy Ritchie's orbit with RockNRolla.

CNW notes yearly earnings for the rapper turned actor, saying that Ludacris earned over $130 million between 2007 and 2018. He is estimated to be worth $25 million.

Tyrese is a magnet for big-budget blockbusters. The R&B star who became a sensation at just 19 years old behind singles like "Sweet Lady" has recurring roles in both the Fast franchise and the Transformers movies. His tenure with the Toretto family hasn't always been smooth, however, as the occasional clash of egos pitted him against The Rock during the making of The Fate of the Furious and the release of Hobbs & Shaw. 

Tyrese had a connection with 2 Fast 2 Furious director John Singleton before he even entered the Fast world. His acting career began with a starring role in Singleton's cult classic Baby Boy. He was able to parlay that almost immediately into spaces in both epic franchises, where he's appeared ever since. CNW estimates that Tyrese is worth $3 million and he's putting it to good use. In 2017, he shared an emotional video to Instagram after buying his mother a house to celebrate her being sober for 11 years.

We always knew Stringer Bell would find a way to make money. Idris Elba made his name as the menacing drug lord who oversees vast swaths of Baltimore in the beloved series The Wire and he used that as a springboard to become one of the most sought-after actors in all of moviedom. We're talking "people want him to be the next James Bond" levels of loved here.

Elba's a late-comer to the Fast franchise, having made his debut in the universe as the antagonist of the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw. He is perhaps the most-lauded actor in the entire series, not counting Helen Mirren's brief presence in Fate of the Furious and Fast 9. He's received raves for his portrayal of a haggard and traumatized police detective in Luther and for playing Nelson Mandela in the biopic Long Walk to Freedom.

Celebrity Net Worth estimates that the actor and occasional DJ has done well for himself, pinning his net worth at $25 million.

Reggaeton star Tego Calderon's involvement in Fast movies is a nod to the series' multicultural appeal. Alongside Don Omar, Calderon may form one half of the most low-key bit of stunt casting we've ever seen. While fans of Puerto Rican music could not miss Calderon, the movie plays it fairly straight and never winks about their decision to include the famous artist. As Leo Tego, he plays one half of an eccentric duo in the gang that handles explosives. The pair are frequently seen bickering and joking. Leo Tego's impulsiveness and energy shows through in his tendency to gamble with his cut of the gang's earnings after any heist wraps. In real life, Tego is a bit more cautious with his money. CNW claims he's worth a solid $3.5 million. 

Don Omar, meanwhile, did double-duty for Fast Five, performing his role as Rico Santos and aiding the crew while his song was the stand-out cut from the soundtrack. Though "Danza Kuduro" was already a worldwide hit, the push from Fast Five helped launch it to another level of success in the United States. He's done quite well for himself, working both as an actor and musician. Celebrity Net Worth estimates that he's worth $5 million.

English actress Nathalie Emmanuel is one of the most recognizable side characters of the Fast saga. While her turn as Ramsey, beginning with Furious 7, has proved to be a charming addition to the franchise, fans no doubt recognize her from her seasons-long arc on the most-popular television show in history. She played Missandei, the senior adviser to the Mother of Dragons who was killed ahead of the series-ending raid on King's Landing. In addition to returning for Fast 9, Emmanuel has kept one foot in the fantasy realm, lending her voice to wide-eyed Gelfling Deet in Netflix's Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Long before her roles for HBO and the Fast series, at the age of just ten years old, she starred on London's West End in a production of The Lion King. Emmanuel has made the most of her Game of Thrones and Fast paydays. Celebrity Net Worth estimates her overall holdings at $4 million.

Sometimes the Fast & Furious universe snags an A-list star, making you wonder what their decision process was. Since Charlize Theron is well beyond the point of needing a supporting role in a blockbuster franchise, we have to imagine she just thought it would be fun to play a comically evil cyberterrorist in an action movie.

Then again, who are we to question her? She's clearly made mostly correct choices throughout her career, from her Oscar-winning breakthrough in Monster to her blazing performance in Mad Max: Fury Road. In addition to her acting work, Theron rakes in endorsement money and frequently ranks among the highest-paid actresses on Earth. Celebrity Net Worth has examined her portfolio, and puts her overall net worth at $160 million.

Clearly Kurt Russell just wanted to get back in the game. The one-time action star behind such classics as Escape From New York and Big Trouble in Little China was a little too seasoned for a role like The Rock's, but he fits perfectly as the nameless spook who represents shady government interests throughout the franchise. As Mr. Nobody, Russell brings a bit of collectedness and cool to the admittedly musclebound franchise. Combined with his role as Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and a turn with Tarantino in The Hateful Eight, his entrance into Furious 7 represented something of a comeback.

Russell, who has long dated fellow megastar Goldie Hawn, is worth $70 million. If you add his wealth to that of his partner, they tip the scales at $171 million.