Leading Ladies: Who are the highest paid actresses in Hollywood?

Karen GEORGE 24 Aug 2015 updated the 6 October 2015 à 22:52

1/10
Jennifer Lawrence
Hollywood’s latest It-Girl has moved up from last year’s number two spot to lead the field with an estimated USD52 million salary, thanks no doubt to The Hunger Games franchise along with a string of other top box office draws like American Hustle, X-men, Serena and Silver Linings Playbook.
2/10
Scarlett Johansson
With the highly successful Avengers: Age of Ultron that played in cinemas just recently, Scarlett Johansson has no doubt earned her number two spot in this year’s list. You can bet anything with Ms Johansson’s name plastered on the movie poster will be a top draw, as Luc Besson’s Lucy proved, earning upwards of USD450 million, And with a number of high-profile projects in the pipeworks, including endorsement deals with Dolce & Gabbana, it looks like the actress is going to be holding on to her top spot for a long time to come.
3/10
Melissa McCarthy
Many people are probably surprised to see Melissa McCarthy’s name so early on this list but ever since her show stopping performances in Bridesmaids and Tammy, to name a few, the actress has fast become one of the most bankable names in Hollywood, taking home a cool USD23 million per year. And with a number of movies in the works, including the much anticipated Ghostbusters, it looks like Melissa is about to be laughing her way to the bank more often.
4/10
Fan Bingbing
The Chinese actress, the only non-American leading lady on the list pocketed a cool USD21 million in the past month, thanks no doubt to roles in X Men: Days of Future Past, The White-Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom and numerous endorsement deals with L’Oreal and Chopard. If you aren’t already familiar with her, then you’re about to get more acquainted with the Chinese actress who’s set to appear alongside Jackie Chan in a Renny Harlin movie.
5/10
Jennifer Aniston
America’s sweetheart, Jennifer Aniston has survived a post-Friends career to go on to act in a slew of movies that are always a big draw at the box office. Case in point: Marley & Me, Horrible Bosses, and We’re The Millers to name a few. But rom-coms aren’t the only thing she’s good at as she did earn the praise of movie critics and fans alike with her emotional role as a damaged woman in need of a support group in the drama, Cake. No matter what, we can never have enough of Jennifer Aniston on our screens and by the looks of it, she’s set to hog our cinemas with upcoming roles, including one in Gary Marshall’s star-studded Mother’s Day movie.
6/10
Julia Roberts
We fell in love with her in Pretty Woman, and now, America’s original sweetheart, who earns an impressive USD16 million a year is set to return to the big screen with a couple of big movie deals on her plate. Expect to see her this fall in the Oscar-bait drama The Secret in Their Eyes alongside Nicole Kidman. And even if it doesn’t score an Oscar, Julia can take comfort in the numerous endorsement deals she has with Lancome and Givenchy to continuously line her pockets well into retirement.
7/10
Angelina Jolie
Having cinched top spot in the 2014 Forbes poll of the same kind, we think the only reason Angelina Jolie fell 6 spots below is because she’s hardly been on the silver screen as of late. Regardless, her last big outing, Maleficent which earned a massive USD758 million is proof that the actress is worth her 15 million paycheck. And lest you think Angelina has gone off Hollywood for good, the Goodwill ambassador will be appearing in the 1970s drama By the Sea alongside husband Brad Pitt. The movie, which she wrote and directed is expected to hit films this November.
8/10
Reese Witherspoon
We already know Reese Witherspoon is a phenomenally talented actress, what with an Academy Award under her belt and Oscar nominations for Wild, but it looks like the actress is not content to sit still, having recently formed a production company to champion films with female leads. Her upcoming movies, Downsizing and Wish List are sure to add to her already enviable USD15 million earnings.
9/10
Anne Hathaway
She’s played a plethora of versatile roles, from geeky teenager-turned-royalty in The Princess Diaries to crime-fighting superhero in Catwoman and it’s this willingness to explore various roles that has put Anne Hathaway’s earnings in the ballpark of USD12 million. Expect to see the Oscar winner alongside Robert De Niro in the upcoming dramatic comedy The Intern, followed by a collaboration with Johnny Depp in Alice Through the Looking Glass.
10/10
Kristen Stewart
Having made a name for herself in the Twilight franchise, Kristen Steward has gone on to appear in a variety of other projects like Still Alice, Camp X-Ray and more recently American Ultra. If that isn’t enough to line her pockets than her lucrative contract with Chanel should keep her sitting pretty for a long time to come.

Which of your favourite female film stars are earning top dollar in Tinseltown? Find out in our gallery!

It’s no secret that movie stars, especially those who are top box office draws earn by the millions for one film alone. But even in a world of over-the-top paychecks, it’s clear that some entertainers get paid more than others for their works.

Forbes just released its annual list of the highest paid actresses and what do you know, The Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence beat top contenders like Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston for a pretty spot at the top. American actresses round up 9 of the 10 spots on the list, with Fan Bingbing being the only Asian representative to have made it to the top.

While the totals are significantly smaller in comparison to the earnings of their male counterparts, with the male leads reportedly taking home a two percent higher cut than female leads, the salaries of some of Tinseltown’s top actresses are no small affair in themselves. Head to our gallery for a closer look at the top-earning actresses for 2015.

Perhaps it’s time to for a career switch?

Karen George

Catwalk to Camera: 10 Models turned actresses

Staff Picks: Marie France Asia’s favourite actresses

Work Woes: Long hours increases the risk of...