Forbes: 2016’s 10 Highest-Paid Actresses

Photo By: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection

When it comes to all of Hollywood’s biggest moneymakers, Forbes always has the inside scoop of the biggest box-office films and broken down categories of highest-paid celebrities. Now, they have released their annual ranking of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses, and there are some of the usual suspects as well as some new faces, not to mention the return of some who have missed out on the past few years. This list is garnering much attention because of the ongoing issue of the gender wage gap in the industry where many of these women are supplementing their acting income with endorsement deals. Interestingly enough, with ageism as another hot topic in Hollywood, half of the list are actresses who are over 40, and only one is under 30! Regardless of obstacles, these ladies are extremely talented and are getting paid as such! Check out 2016’s highest paid actresses according to Forbes’ ranking:

10. Deepika Padukone

2016 Earnings: $10 Million. For the first time, Deepika Padukone has made her entrance on the ranking thanks to her immense popularity as one of Bollywood’s biggest stars. One of her biggest hits is Bajirao Mastani, and while she makes less than the rest of the Hollywood women on this list, Padukone has become a darling for endorsements, and adds to her income with over a dozen endorsement deals, landing her with earnings of $10 million for 2016.

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9. Mila Kunis

2016 Earnings: $11 Million. Despite being out of any major acting gigs for awhile after she decided to take a break to stay home with her daughter, Wyatt, Mila Kunis still made the list with $11 million. The fan favorite star was helped along with her new comedy Bad Moms, and her ongoing voice role of Meg on Family Guy. Kunis also rakes in the cash thanks to endorsements and advertisements with Gemfields Jewelry and Jim Beam whiskey.

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8. Julia Roberts

2016 Earnings: $12 Million. It’s always a shock when Hollywood darling Julia Roberts does not appear on the list, but of course with her talent and endless roles, that rarely happens. This year Roberts came in at number eight with earnings of $12 millions thanks to her leading role in two films: Mother’s Day and Money Monster. Mother’s Day didn’t perform as well at the box office, but the actress was paid $3 million for the gig, and of course, there is also the income she gets as the face of Lancome.

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7. Amy Adams

2016 Earnings: $13.5 Million. Amy Adams missed the list in 2015, but she is right back in the rankings thanks to a yearly earning of $13.5 million. The stunning star makes her return thanks to her role as Lois Lane in Warner Bros.’ highly anticipated film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Adams also added to her earnings as an advertiser for Italian designer brand Max Mara.

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6. Charlize Theron

2016 Earnings: $16.5 Million. It has been three years since Charlize Theron was last on the list but she has made big comeback! Although her recent film The Huntsman: Winter’s War was panned by critics and performed poorly in theaters, rumor has it that Theron was paid $10 million upfront for her role, helping her greatly to land at number six. She also pulls in a considerable paycheque as the face of Dior J’Adore perfume, and with a role in the upcoming Fast 8, look for her to make the ranking in 2017 as well.

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5. Fan Bingbing

2016 Earnings: $17 Million. Fan Bingbing is the only Chinese actress to make the list, but she made her presence known landing at number five with an impressive $17 million. She is best known for movies such as Skiptrace and Lady of the Dynasty, but is most recognizable to American audiences thanks to her role in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. She also has endorsement deals with Chopard and L’Oreal.

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4. Jennifer Aniston

2016 Earnings: $21 Million. There is a pretty big jump in earnings from the fifth to fourth spot as Jennifer Aniston raked in $4 million more than Fan Bingbing, ending up with $21 million. Although she is still a busy actress and pulled in seven figures upfront for her upcoming film Office Christmas Party, Aniston now is making a lot of her money thanks to her many endorsement deals. She does advertisements for Emirates Airlines, Smartwater, Aveeno and Living Proof, all adding to her multi-million dollar income.

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3. Scarlett Johansson

2016 Earnings: $25 Million. Scarlett Johansson made headlines earlier this year for being the top earning actress at the box office which is of course thanks to her lead role in the hit Avengers franchise, for which she was paid an incredible $20 million for in 2015. But her third place spot in this ranking with $25 million is thanks to the $17.5 million she was paid for her role in Ghost in the Shell. Johansson also boosts her on-screen earnings with her lucrative Dolce & Gabbana endorsement.

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2. Melissa McCarthy

2016 Earnings: $33 Million. Melissa McCarthy beat out Johansson by a whopping $8 million, thanks in large part to her eight-figure earnings to star in the highly criticized Ghostbusters remake. Of course she also launched her own clothing line and is the biggest dollar earner year over year for the ranking after adding $10 million to her 2015 ranking of $23 million and boosting her up the list.

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1. Jennifer Lawrence

2016 Earnings: $46 Million. For the second year in a row, Jennifer Lawrence has landed in the top spot and blew her fellow actresses out of the water with yearly earnings of $46 million. She is the youngest earner on the list, and a lot of her success is thanks to her cut from the profits of the final Hunger Games movie which brought in $653.4 million. Most interesting? The $46 million is actually 11.5 % down from her 2015 earnings of $52 million!

Photo By: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection
Telisa Carter

Telisa Carter

Telisa enjoys learning and writing about all things entertainment in the world of Hollywood. When she isn't catching up on her favorite TV shows, she likes to read, and obsess over all things football.

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