Top 10 Actresses That Bring In Money

Paul @ Gone Hollywood | Monday, October 12, 2009

We all know that the likes of Angelina Jolie and Cameron Diaz earn the most money in Hollywood, but they aren’t always the names that bring in the big money for studios.

Forbes have put together a list of 10 women in Hollywood who make the studios a big return for every dollar that they are paid. When coming up with this list they counted actresses who have been in at least three movies in the past five years, they didn’t include animated movies because who goes to see a cartoon based on who is voicing it?

10. Hilary Swank

In addition to earning two Oscars, Swank has proven herself to be a good investment with movies like P.S. I Love You. The romance (which cost an estimated $30 million) earned $157 million at the worldwide box office. Swank is expected to earn yet another Oscar nomination for her upcoming film Amelia, in which she plays the iconic aviator Amelia Earhart. For every $1 Swank was paid, her films earned an average of $23.

9. Anne Hathaway

The 26-year-old actress is one of the youngest on our list. Hathaway earned a Best Actress nomination for her work in Rachel Getting Married last year but because the movie only ever opened on 390 screens, we didn’t include it in our survey. Instead she makes the list for movies like Get Smart, which earned $230 million at the worldwide box office. For every $1 Hathaway was paid, her movies earned an average of $23.

8. Cate Blanchett

Like many of the women on our list, Blanchett likes to mix big budget fare with smaller art house movies. She appeared in all three Lord of the Rings movies but earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as one of the Bob Dylan characters in I’m Not There. She lands on our list mostly due to her work in last year’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. For every $1 Blanchett was paid, her movies earned an average of $23.

7. Hallie Barry

Berry has been mostly out of the spotlight lately, but her work as Storm in three X-Men movies helps land her on our list of actresses with the best return on investment. Her most recent movie, Things We Lost in the Fire, was a flop, earning only $8.5 million at the box office, but that didn’t stop her from making our Top 10 list. For every $1 Berry was paid, her movies earned an average of $23.

6. Jennifer Aniston

The most successful of the former Friends stars, Aniston is a regular on the red carpet and in the tabloids, where her romances are endlessly speculated about. Recently she’s had some pretty successful movies too. He’s Just Not That Into You and Marley & Me helped improve her ROI, which had been slipping due to duds like Rumor Has It. For every $1 Aniston was paid, her movies earned an average of $26.

5. Meryl Streep

Streep earns a bigger paycheck than most women on our list, but thanks to the massive box office of last summer’s Mamma Mia ($610 million), she also offers a good return on investment. Her latest film, Julie & Julia, came out too late to make our list but the movie’s $96 million in earnings (so far) should help her remain one of Hollywood’s most desirable actresses. For every $1 Streep was paid, her movies earned an average of $27.

4. Natalie Portman

Thanks to her work in the new Star Wars movies, Portman has appeared in some of the highest-earning films of all time. But she ranks on our list because of movies like The Other Boleyn Girl, which earned $78 million at the worldwide box office. Like many of the actresses on our list, Portman appears in her fair share of art films, like 2007’s little-seen Paris J’Taime. For every $1 Portman was paid, her films earned an average of $28.

3. Rachel McAdams

Thanks to films like The Notebook and this year’s The Time Traveler’s Wife, McAdams is quickly becoming the go-to actress for romantic movies. Despite her rising profile, McAdams still commands a relatively modest paycheck. This winter she’ll star opposite Robert Downey Jr. in an update of Sherlock Holmes. For every $1 McAdams was paid, her movies earned an average of $30.

2. Jennifer Connelly

February’s He’s Just Not That Into You helped several actresses, including Connelly, with their ROI numbers because each star took a pay cut to appear in the ensemble comedy, which earned $177 million at the worldwide box office. Connelly’s work in The Day The Earth Stood Still and Blood Diamond helped her take second place. For every $1 Connelly was paid, her films earned an average of $41.

1. Naomi Watts

The 41-year-old Australian actress first made her mark with 2002’s The Ring. The low-budget horror film earned $250 million at the worldwide box office and put Watts in demand. For the most part the actress has kept a low profile, appearing mostly in artsy fare like last year’s Funny Games. But thanks to 2005’s King Kong, her average return on investment is the best in Hollywood. For every $1 Watts was paid, her films earned an average of $44.

source: Best Actresses For The Buck [Forbes]

Top 10 Actresses That Bring In Money

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