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LOS ANGELES - When Cameron Diaz signed on to lend her voice to Princess Fiona in 2001's animated fairy tale Shrek, she earned a modest six figures for the work. But after the third installment of the Paramount/DreamWorks Animation franchise earned more than US$320 million domestically, Diaz saw her paycheck balloon to more than US$30 million (NZ$39.3m), thanks to her generous share of the film's profits.
But even though actress salaries seem to be bigger than ever, the news this year is not how large the paychecks of Hollywood's hottest female stars have become, it is how low they are prepared to go to fill in their schedules.
While Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon are now asking for US$15 million-US$20 million per movie, they frequently agree to no-quote deals -- deals in which the studios actually pay them far less than their usual fee.
Jolie, who is believed to have made more than US$20 million (including profits) for pictures like 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith, earned around US$8 million for her latest release, Beowulf -- the reason being that she played a supporting role in Paramount's picture, involving only a few weeks of work. Similarly, Witherspoon took a major pay cut to star in New Line's Rendition, but asks for -- and gets -- more than US$15 million per picture when she headlines a comedy. (Sources strenuously denied reports that Witherspoon is being paid as much as US$29 million for her next movie, Universal's Our Family Trouble.)
While Hollywood's list of the 10 highest-earning actresses includes only names that have dominated the screen for several years, a few promising stars are climbing up the pay scale, including Katherine Heigl, Rachel McAdams and Jennifer Garner.
What follows is our annual breakdown of the 10 highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.
1. Reese Witherspoon -- US$15m -US$20m
America's sweetheart is returning to her romantic comedy -- and box office green -- roots with the slated Christmas 2008 release of New Line's Four Christmases, which Witherspoon is also producing. Her upcoming schedule remains active with the horror flick Our Family Trouble, produced by her own Type A Films, but the hardworking actress and producer recently took a hit with the flop of New Line's Rendition, which received more action from its behind-the-scenes romance rumors than at the box office.
2. Angelina Jolie -- US$15m -US$20m
While 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a smash for Jolie, her reunion with partner Brad Pitt proved not so prosperous this year with the Pitt-produced A Mighty Heart, from Paramount Vantage. But she went on to lend her voice to Paramount's 3-D take on the epic poem Beowulf, which netted Jolie around US$8 million for five weeks of work and opened at No. 1. On deck, Jolie will return to animation with DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda, which pairs her with an all-star cast on her first family-oriented film since 2004's Shark Tale. Jolie will also appear in Universal's upcoming Wanted, based on Mark Miller's graphic novel with Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy, and Universal's mystery The Changeling, with John Malkovich.
3. Cameron Diaz -- US$15+ million
Diaz might have cashed in on her biggest payday to date this year courtesy of franchise cash cow Shrek the Third, which brought her more than US$30 million. And while a paycheck like that could weigh down any girl's handbag, it probably didn't break the bank for the studio, which has grossed almost US$800 million worldwide from the third Shrek installment. Diaz will join the franchise for a fourth outing in 2010. In the near future, she will continue to tickle audiences' funny bones with Fox's What Happens in Vegas ... , co-starring Ashton Kutcher, and she will take a stab at the horror genre in the Weinstein Co.'s The Box.
4. Nicole Kidman -- US$10m -US$15m
Oscar's golden girl hit another rough patch this year with Warner Bros.' Invasion -- Kidman's largest check ever, cashing in at US$15 million-US$16 million -- underperforming at the box office, while Noah Baumbach's Margot at the Wedding, from Paramount Vantage, failed to awe audiences. Kidman will look to put an end to the downward spiral with the December 7 release of New Line's The Golden Compass, which reteams her with Daniel Craig. Looking ahead, Kidman could return to Oscar's podium sooner than she thought when she joins director Baz Luhrmann again for the pre-World War II drama Australia and later stars opposite Ralph Fiennes in MGM's postwar romantic drama The Reader.
5. Renee Zellweger -- US$10m -US$15m
With paydays of US$15 million apiece for 2004's Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and 2005's Cinderella Man, the buzz surrounding Zellweger was helped this year with the success of Paramount/DreamWorks Animation's Bee Movie. Next, she will appear alongside George Clooney in Universal's football-centric romantic comedy Leatherheads (the sports movie thing worked before for Zellweger), followed by Paramount's thriller Case 39.
6. Sandra Bullock -- US$10m - US$15m
Bullock proved her boxoffice pull with the first installments of the Speed and Miss Congeniality franchises, allowing her to tackle juicier roles like the reclusive Harper Lee in last year's Infamous. While she carried this year's moderately well-received thriller Premonition, from MGM, she hasn't forgotten why audiences love her: She's taking her humor and fun-loving snort back to the big screen in Fox's All About Steve, pairing her with Thomas Haden Church.
7. Julia Roberts -- US$10m -US$15m
A couple of years back, Roberts' bankability was unarguable, but then she took some time away from the spotlight to be a mom. This Christmas she's back to reclaim her throne as one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses with Universal's Charlie Wilson's War, reuniting Roberts with director Mike Nichols. Later, Roberts hooks back up with Clive Owen in Tony Gilroy's provocative thriller Duplicity, from Universal, and tackles the family drama Fireflies in the Garden.
8. Drew Barrymore -- US$10m - US$12m
Barrymore returned to the romantic-comedy genre this year with two Warner Bros. outings after audiences failed to catch Fever Pitch in 2005: She flexed her vocal cords alongside Hugh Grant in Warner Bros.' Music and Lyrics, but failed to get lucky with audiences in Warners' Lucky You. Dynasties will collide when the Barrymore progeny takes on the Kennedy's Camelot in HBO Films' Grey Gardens, following the lives of Jackie O.'s aunt and cousin. Later, Barrymore will return to comedy in Disney's animated South of the Border. But don't let that giggle fool you, the girl also commands the big bucks with her smart producing choices, including New Line's upcoming He's Just Not That Into You, based on the best-selling book.
9. Jodie Foster -- US$10m - US$12m
Foster is swinging back into the top moneymakers category with Warner Bros.' surprise hit The Brave One, which performed better than expected at the box office and brought the actress home around US$10 million-US$12 million for both her acting and executive producing duties. A look at Foster's call sheet reveals she's been taking on projects at a rate of just one per year, though that's not a reflection of her fans being silenced -- they've packed the theaters for recent hits like 2006's Inside Man and 2005's Flightplan.
10. Halle Berry -- US$10m
While many didn't turn out to see it, Berry reminded a small audience why she has an Oscar on her mantel with her performance in Paramount's Things We Lost in the Fire. She's set to reteam with Monster's Ball co-star Billy Bob Thorton for Lionsgate's crime drama Tulia.
- REUTERS/Hollywood Reporter
