When Ashton

Kutcher replaced Charlie Sheen on the hit comedy Two And a Half Men, he also took his place as television's highest-paid actor, according to Forbes' annual survey released on Wednesday.

Forbes estimated Kutcher earned $24 million from May 2011 to May 2012, while Sheen, now starring in Anger Management on cable television following a very public firing from the hit CBS show, didn't even make the top 10. Sheen's $40 million a year ago however easily out-earned Kutcher by some $16 mil-lion. Steve Carell, also in the top 10 last year with $15 million before he left The Office, was also nowhere to be found this year. Earnings runners-up included House star Hugh Laurie and Ray Romano of the now-cancelled Men of a Certain Age, with $18 million each.

Other highly compensated actors in the top 10 list included Emmy winner Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock, Last Man Standing star Tim Allen, Men co-star Jon Cryer and The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki.

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