10 Highest-Paid Actresses

The World's Highest-Paid Actresses 2015

A truly global dollar tally of film's leading ladies, our international list measures money earned from June 1, 2014 to June 1, 2015 before subtracting management fees and taxes; figures are based on data from Nielsen, Box Office Mojo and IMDB, as well as interviews with agents, managers and lawyers.

1. Jennifer Lawrence

 

$52 million

Jennifer Lawrence earns more than any other actress thanks to her signature role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games trilogy. Those films proved Lawrence's box office brawn as a female action hero and helped her negotiate a very favorable share of the more recent films' profits. Outside Panem, Lawrence is reuniting with her Silver Linings Playbook costar, Bradley Cooper, for the comedic drama Joy. Lawrence supplements her silver screen income with a lucrative Dior contract.

2. Scarlett Johansson

 

$35.5 million

Scarlett Johansson's reputation--and reimbursement--is on the rise. Through commercial Marvel fare such as Avengers: Age of Ultron and her first solo action hero role in Lucy, which grossed $459 million, Johansson has proven she is a box office draw. As a leading woman, she commands over $10 million a movie, while reports place her fee for forthcoming thriller Ghost in the Shell at $17.5 million. Johansson boosts her movie money with Dolce & Gabbana and Sodastream endorsements.

 

3. Melissa McCarthy

$23 million

The Bridesmaids star has proven her ability to carry movies solo--2015's Spy and 2014's Tammy grossed a combined $335 million worldwide and propelled her to her largest ever annual paycheck. Now McCarthy is turning to fashion, launching an all-sizes clothing line. “I started to think if I could do anything to build women up rather than the constant tear down I’m going to do it,” McCarthy said.

4. Bingbing Fan

$21 million

The only non-American on the international ranking is Bingbing Fan, who joins the highest-paid thanks to roles in movies such as The White-Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom and endorsements with Chopard and L'Oreal. She is likely best-known to U.S. cinema-goers for her role in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

 

5. Jennifer Aniston

$16.5 million

Jennifer Aniston is one of several list mainstays who makes fewer movies but still earns from endorsements. Her two films in our scoring period--indie flick Cake and comedy Horrible Bosses 2--grossed just $108.6 million combined. Eleven years after Friends ended, Aniston makes bank shilling for Aveeno, SmartWater and Living Proof.

 

6. Julia Roberts

$16 million

Julia Roberts returns to the ranking thanks largely to beauty and fashion deals with Lancome, Givenchy and Calzedonia. No longer a guaranteed hit maker, Roberts now picks and chooses the films she wants to make such as The Secret in Their Eyes,  a remake of the 2009 Oscar-winning Argentinian film, which also stars Nicole Kidman. 

7. Angelina Jolie

$15 million

Another regular on the ranking, Angelina Jolie has been spending more time behind the camera, writing, directing and starring in forthcoming drama By The Sea with husband Brad Pitt. A vocal advocate for human rights, Jolie is special envoy for the U.N. on refugee issue.

8. Reese Witherspoon

$15 million

Reese Witherspoon has had a phenomenal run of late, cop comedy flop Hot Pursuit not withstanding. Frustrated by a shortage of rich roles for women, Witherspoon formed a production company with producer Bruna Papadena to buy the rights to novels with strong female leads. First up was 2013’s Gone Girl ($368 million worldwide gross), which the duo co-produced, and the two-time Oscar nominated Wild ($52 million worldwide gross), which Witherspoon produced and starred in. A slew of new production and acting credits help her rejoin the list since dropping off in 2011.

9. Anne Hathaway

$12 million

The voice of Jewel in the big budget animation Rio 2, Anne Hathaway is set to star in Alice Through the Looking Glass, Tim Burton's 2016 Alice in Wonderland sequel.

10. Kristen Stewart

$12 million

Post-Twilight, Kristen Stewart has been working hard to prove herself as a credible actress beyond Bella. The Chanel model's recent flicks include The Clouds of Sils Maria and Julianne Moore-fronted Still Alice; after American Ultra she's set to star in Ang Lee's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk alongside Vin Diesel.