The Highest-Paid Actresses That Rule Hollywood

Hollywood studios still pay male actors such as Tom Cruise, Ryan Gosling, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Denzel Washington millions of dollars per movie, but now a few in-demand actresses command equal pay.

For example, Margot Robbie produced and starred in Barbie, which became not only the highest-grossing movie of 2023, but also the top-grossing film in Warner Bros. history.

Although pay disparity between male and female actors remains a frustrating issue, women such as Robbie are rewriting the narrative. These women are reportedly some of the highest-paid actresses working today in Hollywood.

Sandra Bullock

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sandra Bullock is the highest-paid actress in history for a single production. Bullock's role as Dr. Ryan Stone in 2013's Gravity earned her a $20 million salary, plus more than $50 million in a profit-participation deal.

Bullock won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in The Blind Side and has starred in more than 50 movies, including Speed, While You Were Sleeping, Practical Magic, Bird Box, and The Lost City.

Margot Robbie

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Margot Robbie reportedly got paid $12.5 million for playing the lead in Barbie, but she also made a total of approximately $50 million for producing the box office phenomenon.

Robbie has received two acting Oscar nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Bombshell, and Best Actress for I, Tonya. The Australian actress also gained fame for her roles in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and for playing Harley Quinn in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe.

Cameron Diaz

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Before Cameron Diaz retired from acting in 2014 to focus on family, the actress reportedly earned a whopping $42 million for the 2011 comedy Bad Teacher thanks to a profit-sharing deal.

Audiences know Diaz for her roles in Charlie's Angels, There's Something About Mary, My Best Friend's Wedding, Being John Malkovich, and for voicing Princess Fiona in the Shrek movies. Diaz returned to acting in 2022 and appears opposite Jamie Foxx in the Netflix action-comedy Back in Action.

Scarlett Johansson

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According to Celebrity Net Worth, Scarlett Johansson reportedly scored $20 million for reprising her role as the superhero Black Widow in Black Widow. She then sued Disney for releasing the movie on Disney+ after being promised a theatrical release. The parties settled out of court, resulting in an additional $40 million for Johansson.

Johansson commands $10-20 million per movie and has a total estimated net worth of $165 million. Outside of the MCU, viewers recognize her for her roles in Ghost World, Match Point, Lucy, Her, and Jojo Rabbit.

Jennifer Lawrence

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As Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games franchise, the odds were forever in Jennifer Lawrence's favor from a financial standpoint. Lawrence reportedly earns $15-20 million a picture, making her the highest-paid action heroine of all time according to Celebrity Net Worth. In 2021, Lawrence reportedly made $25 million for the Netflix movie Don't Look Up.

Lawrence won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook. She gained notoriety for roles in the X-Men franchise, Winter's Bone, American Hustle, Joy, and No Hard Feelings.

Angelina Jolie

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At one point about a decade ago, Angelina Jolie ranked as the highest-paid actress in the world. Jolie reportedly made $20 million for Salt and a whopping $33 million for her performance plus bonuses for 2014's Maleficent. For the less-profitable sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Jolie still made an estimated $28 million from her salary and bonuses.

Winning an Academy Award raises any actor's asking price, and Jolie won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in Girl, Interrupted.

Julia Roberts

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Julia Roberts reportedly earned $20 million or more for each of her roles in Erin Brockovich, Mona Lisa Smile, and Closer. According to industry reports, Roberts netted a whopping $25 million for the recent Netflix movie Leave the World Behind.

Roberts won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Erin Brockovich, which only drove up her asking price. She also played acclaimed roles in Pretty Woman, Hook, My Best Friend's Wedding, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, and Eat Pray Love.

Emma Stone

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Emma Stone earned an estimated $26 million from La La Land, including her salary and profit participation. According to Celebrity Net Worth, that amount made Stone the highest-paid actress in the world in 2017.

Stone has won two Best Actress Oscars, for La La Land and Poor Things. She also starred in popular films such as Zombieland, two of The Amazing Spider-Man movies, The Help, and Cruella.

Reese Witherspoon

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Reese Witherspoon reportedly earned between $15-20 million for her role in Sweet Home Alabama. In addition to acting, Witherspoon works as a producer who founded the production company Hello Sunshine, giving her an estimated net worth of $400 million. Forbes named her the world's highest-earning actress in 2021.

Witherspoon won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance as June Carter in Walk the Line.

Gal Gadot

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Gal Gadot only earned a reported $300,000 for the first Wonder Woman movie, which increased to $10 million for her next appearance as the superhero in the DCEU. Her success as Wonder Woman prompted Netflix to fork over a reported $20 million for Gadot to headline its movie Red Notice.

Now that the DCEU has ended with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Gadot will need another major hit to keep demanding salaries of $20 million per picture. The Israeli actress has also appeared in Fast & Furious and Death on the Nile.

Kristen Stewart

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Kristen Stewart's biggest paycheck to date was a reported $25 million plus 7.5% of the gross for both The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn movies. For comparison, she only made $2 million for her role in 2008's Twilight. Stewart also made a magical $9.5 million for Snow White and the Huntsman.

With The Twilight Saga in the rearview mirror, Stewart has turned her attention to roles in lower-budget movies such as Crimes of the Future, Love Lies Bleeding, and Love Me. These movies help diversify her filmography and improve her acting chops, but they don't pad her wallet like The Twilight Saga did.

Charlize Theron

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Like her costar Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron earned approximately $10 million for her role as the evil sorceress Queen Ravenna in Snow White and the Huntsman. Theron's endorsement deals and acting roles have given her a net worth of approximately $200 million.

Theron won a Best Actress Oscar for her chilling performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. The South African-American actress-producer also played high-profile roles in several Fast and the Furious movies, Prometheus, Tully, and Young Adult.

Emily Blunt

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Emily Blunt reportedly earns $12-15 million per movie thanks to the success of the A Quiet Place movies. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Blunt earned about $22 million between 2019 and 2020 from her acting roles, making her one of the highest-paid actresses today.

The British actress earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Oppenheimer, but did not win. Even without an Oscar, Blunt's roles in movies such as The Devil Wears Prada, Edge of Tomorrow, and Pain Hustlers keep her on the Hollywood A-list.

Anne Hathaway

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Anne Hathaway reportedly earns $5-10 million per movie. According to Celebrity Net Worth, her films have grossed more than $6.8 billion globally, giving her an estimated net worth of $80 million.

Hathaway won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Les Misérables. She balances her résumé with roles in comedies (The Devil Wears Prada, The Hustle), indie films (Eileen), and big-budget studio films (Interstellar, The Dark Knight Rises, Alice in Wonderland).

Nicole Kidman

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Nicole Kidman earned a reported career-high $17.5 million for her role in Bewitched. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she also made approximately $15 million each for Cold Mountain, The Stepford Wives, The Interpreter, and Birth, giving her an estimated net worth of $250 million.

Kidman earned a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in The Hours, which boosted her asking price and kept her on the A-list. Between September 2019 and September 2020, Kidman pulled in $22 million for all of her acting work, including a reported $10 million payday for the Netflix movie The Prom.