Women On Top

Yesterday The Hollywood Reporter announced the top paid film actresses of the last year. The story was all over the press. From Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and all of the Cable News Channels, the list got a lot of mileage. What struck me most about the list was the fact that Julia Roberts, who commands $20 million a movie, (and didn't have a new film in '05 due to motherhood duties), still tops the list. That's not a dig or slight at her talents. I like her a lot in most of her movies. But it does say something about the industry that there's only one actress making that much money.

At number 2 is Nicole Kidman, who makes some $4 million less than Roberts, and even though she may have made Bewitched and The Interpreter this year, neither of those flicks is considered a "hit" (hey, I thought Bewitched was pretty good).

Here's the complete list of the Top 10 in case you missed it:

1. Julia Roberts: $20 million
2. Nicole Kidman: $16-17 million
3. Drew Barrymore: $15 million *Tie*
3. Reese Witherspoon: $15 million *Tie*
5. Cameron Diaz: $10-15 million *Tie*
5. Angleina Jolie: $10-15 million *Tie*
5. Renee Zellweger: $10-15 million *Tie*
8. Jodie Foster: $10-$12 million
9. Charlize Theron: $10 million
10. Jennifer Aniston: $9 million

I know the figures are tied into how successful the films are and all that. But it's still pretty interesting that a woman who hasn't had a film open in a year still leads the pack. I guess you tuly are only worth the revenue of your last few films in tinseltown