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Hollywood is extremely competitive and very few artists become an A-list professional that makes millions per year. However, for the selected number of actors and actresses that make it into this exclusive niche, the sky is the limit for salaries.
Every year, Forbes releases a list with the highest-paid actors and actresses in Hollywood. They make a list considering the paycheck for movies, but also endorsement contracts and other business. Although there is still a considerable gender gap in terms of salaries, some actresses are making millions every year in the show business. Here is a list of the highest-paid actress in the last 10 years.
Sandra Bullock - $56.000.000 in 2010
Sandra Bullock made $56.000.000 million between June 2009 and June 2010, according to Forbes. The amount comes from The Proposal and The Blind Side, both high grossing movies. Bullock was 46 years old that year, which raised discussions about how rare it is to actress above 40 still get relevant roles in the movie industry.
The actress is still on the top of her game and releasing successful movies today. Two other actresses ranked in the top three were Cameron Diaz and Reese Witherspoon.
Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker - $30.000.000 each in 2011
Angelina Jolie made $30 million in 2010 thanks to the success of Salt and The Tourist. She also directed In the Land of Blood and Honey. Angelina was on the top of her career and the coming years would be even more profitable.
It was also a great year to Sarah Jessica Parker. On a tied with Angelina Jolie, the actress pocked $30 million thanks to her new Sex and the City movie. She was the star and the producer in the film, which helps to increase the salary. Parker was also under the spotlight and had several contracts with fashion and beauty brands.
Kristen Stewart - $34.500.000 in 2012
Twilight was one of the most successful franchises in the last decade. The books were bestsellers, and the films brought thousands of people to the cinemas to watch the love triangle of a human, a vampire, and a wolf.
The final film made Kristen Stewart $34.5 million richer and she was the highest-paid actress in 2012. Stewart made more money than other A-list stars like Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts. Twilight was the biggest commercial success of her career and it was the only time she ranked first on this list.
Angelina Jolie - $33.000.000 in 2013
Angelina Jolie made $33 million between June 2012 and July 2013. The incredible amount made again her the highest-paid actress of the year. She was the star of Maleficent, and according to Forbes, she made $15 million for her role as the iconic villain. She reprised the nefarious role in Maleficent 2, released in 2019.
Jennifer Lawrence ranked second with $26 million. It was the first time the rising star appeared on the Forbes list. Kristen Stewart appeared again on the third place, with approximately $22 million still thanks to Twilight.
Sandra Bullock - $51.000.000 in 2014
Sandra Bullock did it again topped the Forbes list as the highest-earning actress of 2014. She made the astronomical amount of $54 million that year thanks to her successful film Gravity. According to the Business Insider, the movie grossed $716 million around the globe, and it was among the most-watched productions of that year. Critics and public loved it, and Gravity received seven award nominations.
Jennifer Lawrence also had a memorable year and made $34 million with The Hunger Games and the new X-Men movies. However, Forbes reinforced that "women are still earning less than men in Hollywood. Our ten top-earning actors brought in a combined $419 million during our time frame while the top ten actresses brought in just a little over half of that - $226 million."
Jennifer Lawrence - $52.000.000 in 2015
Jennifer Lawrance made $52 million in 2015 thanks to the successful The Hunger Games trilogy, the highest-earning franchise since Twilight. Lawrence became a hit and appeared as a great option for female roles in action movies, which helped her to negotiate better contracts. She was also the star in the drama Joy, where she shared the screen with Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro once again.
The actress also has contracts with high-fashion brands like Dior, which increased her income that year. Scarlett Johansson ranked second with $35.5 million, and Melissa McCarthy was on the third position with $23 million.
Jennifer Lawrence - $46.000.000 in 2016
Jennifer Lawrence was on the top of the list again in 2016. She made $46 million between June 2015 and June 2016. That means that in two years, Lawrence earned almost $100 million. More money than most people can spend in a lifetime.
Besides her salary, Lawrance also made a profit with The Hunger Games' box office. Lawrence is one of the most successful actresses of her generation, and she will probably appear on this list in the coming years. Melissa McCarthy ranked second with $33 million thanks to the Ghostbusters remake, and Scarlett Johansson made $25 million with Ghost in the Shell.
Emma Stone - $26.000.000 in 2017
Emma Stone was the star of La La Land in 2017, and she made $26 million that year, more than any other actress in the film industry. It was also the year she received her first Oscar-award for her performance, so it was a remarkable year for her.
The movie had a $30 million budget, humble if compared to other Hollywood productions, and had a phenomenal $445.3 million box-office. Jennifer Aniston ranked second with $25.5 million, and Jennifer Lawrence dropped to the third position with $24 million.
Scarlett Johansson - $40.500.000 in 2018
Scarlett Johansson is often among the top ten highest-paid actresses in the world. In 2018, Johansson topped the list for the first time and made $40.5 million, according to Forbes. It was four times more than she made the previous year, thanks to her role as Black Widow in Marvel's Avengers. In 2020, the Black Widow will have her first solo movie.
Angelina Jolie appeared again in the second position with $28 million, and Jennifer Aniston was in the third position with $19.5 million.
Scarlett Johansson - $56.000.000 in 2019
In August Forbes released the list of highest-earning actresses of the year. Scarlett Johansson topped the ranking for the second year in a row, and she made $56 million. The highest amount in this list (Sandra Bullock also made the same salary in 2010). According to Forbes, the actress received $35 million for her role in the upcoming movie Black Widow and the blockbuster Avengers: Endgame.
Sofia Vergara ranked second with $44 million, and Reese Witherspoon got the third position with $33 million.