Hollywood's top-earning actresses
Some actresses have bigger box-office pull than others. See which leading ladies made Forbes' Top-Earning Actresses List for 2012.
Whether they are proven box-office staples or newcomers on the scene, some actresses have bigger box-office pull than others.
Whether they are proven box-office staples or newcomers on the scene, some actresses have bigger box-office pull than others.
See which leading ladies made Forbes' Top-Earning Actresses List for 2012.
10. Jennifer Aniston. $11 million. Aniston's biggest recent movie was "Just Go With It", but she earned more praise for her other recent film, "Horrible Bosses" where she played a sexually aggressive dentist.
8. Kristen Wiig. $12 million. The "Saturday Night Live" star's "Bridesmaids" earned more money than anyone thought it would: $288 million on an estimated budget of $32 million. Wiig, who just left SNL, followed up that movie with the "Friends With Kids."
8. Meryl Streep. $12 million. The most nominated actress of all time, Streep won her third Academy Award this year for "The Iron Lady," a biopic about Margaret Thatcher. At the age of 62, Streep has an enviable career.
7. Sarah Jessica Parker. $15 million. Parker had a major flop this year with "I Don't Know How She Does It," but the actress still earns big thanks to reruns of her HBO hit show "Sex and the City."
6. Julia Roberts. $16 million. Roberts has reached that age where many actresses struggle to find good roles. Instead of taking everything that's offered to her, Roberts has been picky about her projects, like this year's "Mirror, Mirror."
5. Charlize Theron. $18 million. Theron is in the middle of a major career surge that kicked off with the 2011 movie "Young Adult." The film might not have earned a lot of money, but it gave Theron the kind of buzz she hasn't had in several years.
4. Angelina Jolie. $20 million. Even when she's not starring in a big studio flick, Jolie still earns millions from residuals and endorsement deals. Jolie also attracts plenty of attention wherever she goes. The actress appeared on 78 magazine covers between May 2011 and May 2012.
3. Sandra Bullock. $25 million. Bullock's most recent film, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" was not a box office hit but the actress is still in demand. Her 2009 film, "The Blind Side" was the kind of massive hit studios dream about.
2. Cameron Diaz. $34 million. Diaz' 2011 film "Bad Teacher" was a quiet hit, earning $216 million on a tiny budget of $20 million. That massive profit helped Diaz earn $34 million between May 2011 and May 2012.
1. Kristen Stewart. $34.5 million. At the young age of 22 Stewart earned more than any other actress between May 2011 and May 2012.
Most of that money came from the "Twilight" series where Stewart stars as Bella Swan. But she also earned big buck for starring in "Snow White and the Huntsman."
To read more about Forbes' top-earning actresses, please click here.
