Jennifer Lawrence tops highest-paid actresses' list

Jennifer Lawrence may have been made famous by The Hunger Games, but she's certainly not short of bread: The 25-year-old banked $52 million pre-tax over 12 months to be the best paid actress in the last year – $16.5 million more than second-ranked Scarlett Johansson, who earned $35.5 million.

For the first time, the ranking examined the world's highest-paid leading ladies to create a global list of actress earnings. Despite the broader valuations, only one non-American made the list: Chinese actress Bingbing Fan, who ranked No. 4 with a $21 million haul. Fan, who joins the ranking thanks to roles in movies such as “The White-Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom” and endorsements with Chopard and L'Oreal, is likely best-known to US cinema-goers for her role as Blink in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”.

Bingbing Fan

Scarlett Johansson

Melissa McCarthy, ranked third with $23 million, is the only other actress to bank over $20 million in the scoring period. The “Bridesmaids” star has proven her ability to carry movies solo– “Spy” and “Tammy” grossed a combined $335 million worldwide.

Last year's top-earning actress, Sandra Bullock, saw her payday drop to $8 million from $51 million after a quiet year. Other big stars, such as Emma Stone (tied at No. 16 with Mila Kunis) and Kristen Stewart (No. 9), this year received critical acclaim for indie films over major box office successes.

Many of the names on the list are mainstays who make fewer movies but still earn from endorsements. Fifth-placed Jennifer Aniston ($16.5 million) had two films in the scoring period which grossed just $108.6 million, but she makes bank shilling for Aveeno, SmartWater and Living Proof.

Julia Roberts also returns to the ranking just behind Aniston with a $16 million haul, thanks largely to deals with Lancome, Givenchy and Calzedonia.Other actresses in the top 10 are Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon (tied at no.7 spot) and Anne Hathaway and Kristen Stewart (at no. 9). 

Source: Forbes