Way back before film was a thing, in a time where all performances were done live and on stage. Way back before human civilization had progressed far enough to have cameras or even electricity, we had people performing in front of an audience to make ends meet. And while people today are used to the typical lead / supporting actor and actresses, it wasn’t always like that. In fact, women used to be barred from being allowed to be on stage. All characters, even the women characters, were played by men.
It certainly was a different time back then, but luckily, those days are gone. Now we’re used to seeing woman of all ages on screen, and while Hollywood may not be perfect, we are finally getting to a place where all people are accepted. There may still be some bias and sexism in show business, but not like before, since as a culture we are starting to learn that all people, no matter their gender or race, should be treated equally. We’re all humans, and without women, there wouldn’t be men.
However, not all women have had to worry about that. Some women have been luckier than most, and have been able to solidify themselves in the industry. These women are able to command the screen. You go to the movies and buy popcorn just to see them for two hours out of your day. These are the women who have been in some of the biggest blockbusters of our time. And while money isn’t everything, you can’t deny the status about someone when they’re making millions of dollars per year.
The Richest Actresses in the World – 2018 Edition
#10 – Jennifer Lawrence (Net Worth: $60 million)
Jennifer Lawrence, or JLaw, as she likes to call herself, is one of Hollywood’s youngest A-list actresses, raking in millions of dollars each performance. Her break out film was the 2010 movie Winter’s Bone, followed by landing a role in X-Men: First Class (2011) as Mystique, however, it wasn’t until 2012, when The Hunger Games series was released in theaters that Jennifer Lawrence became a household name. Since her fame she has become a very outspoken woman, making statements regarding equal pay for leading women in Hollywood after finding out how much more money her male co-stars made in the movie American Hustle (2013).
Even though Jennifer Lawrence is very famous right now her net worth may seem relatively small compared to other women on the list, but keep in mind that she has only really been famous for the past five years. Since that time she has mainly stuck to the X-Men and Hunger Games series, which likely had her signing contracts before anyone knew who she was. Now that her contracts have expired for those movies, she’ll be able to negotiate much higher wages. Remind me in 10 years to write a 2026 version of the richest actresses in the world. I guarantee she’ll be in the top three.
#9 – Kristen Stewart (Net Worth: $70 million)
Kristen Stewart has been in a lot more movies than people think. One of her earliest performances, which is also one of her best, was in the 2002 thriller Panic Room, starring alongside Jodie Foster. It’s a movie about a mother (Foster) and daughter (Stewart) who recently purchased a new house. Just after they move in, three robbers break into their home. They expected the house to be empty, but they were wrong, so now Foster and Stewart must lock themselves in their panic room to survive. It was no surprise that after Stewart’s performance that she would later on become successful.
But it was the Twilight series that really launched Stewart’s career into overdrive. Since then, she has had a flock of paparazzi by her side, and at Twilight’s peak she was constantly in news tabloids with rumors about her and Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson. Were they dating? Were they getting married? It was a pretty crazy time for her, although in the end I’m sure it was worth it as she’s ranked one of Hollywood’s top-paid actresses.
#8 – Reese Witherspoon (Net Worth: $80 million)
One of Reese’s earliest roles was the 1998 movie Pleasantville, starring opposite Tobey Maguire. Since then she has been in a number of hits, including Legally Blonde (2001) and Walk the Line (2005), which actually won her the Oscar for Best Actress. She may come off being a ditzy blond in certain roles, but this actress is one of Hollywood’s greatest and certainly deserving of being called an American sweetheart.
#7 – Sarah Jessica Parker (Net Worth: $90 million)
Sarah Jessica Parker being on this list should be a surprise to no one. She was the main character of one of HBO’s most successful shows of all time – Sex in the City, a show about four women who live in New York and constantly gossip about their lives. It’s mainly a show for women, but no shame if you’re a man who enjoys it. Even though she was famous before the show, Sex in the City raised her fame to new heights, instantly making her one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces. She’s done a few more shows since Sex in the City, but nothing has topped the success of the HBO show, which went on to make two more movies after it ended. She also went on to do endorsements for The Gap, earning her well over 30 million dollars total.
#6 – Nicole Kidman (Net Worth: $120 million)
Nicole Kidman is one of Australia’s best and most famous actresses of all time. Born in Hawaii in 1967, 48 year old Kidman has dual citizenships in both continents, which really helped with her career by not having to worry about work Visa’s, like some celebs do. This elegant beauty is most known for her work in the thriller Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001), and who could ever forget her in the 1995 cinematic classic Batman Forever? After getting married to Hollywood icon Tom Cruise in 1990 they would later divorce after ten years, which Is practically a lifetime in Hollywood World. She would soon remarry to Country music singer/songwriter and fellow Australian, Keith Urban.
Her vast wealth may come as a surprise to you, however keep in mind that she has been acting since she was only 16 years old and has also been a producer for both movies and television. She is also very involved politically, in both the United States and Australia by donating and supporting the candidates she believes in.
#5 – Jennifer Aniston (Net Worth: $150 million)
Most well known for her role as Rachel Green in the hugely successful ‘90s sitcom FRIENDS, Jennifer Aniston is a house-hold name to anyone who has ever watched television. In the series’ final season she was reportedly earning $1 million dollars per episode, making her one of the most well-paid television actresses of all time. After the show ended she went on to star in a few popular movies, making her one of the few FRIENDS stars to continue her career after the show ended. Two of the more recent ones being Horrible Bosses (2011) and We’re the Millers (2013), which are excellent comedy films that I highly recommend.
#4 – Angelina Jolie (Net Worth: $200 million)
Starring in hits like Tomb Raider (2001), Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) and Salt (2010), Angelina Jolie is one of Hollywood’s leading female action stars. The daughter of Hollywood icon Jon Voight, Jolie’s career came into fruition naturally at a young age, absorbing the talent of both her actor parents. Through-out her career she has starred in some of the most recognizable movies of all time and although she is always at the top of her game in each film, she dedicates the majority of her time being a humanitarian. She has publicly stated that she donates 1/3 of her income to charity and has also adopted several children from third-world countries’, making her one of the kindest Hollywood has to offer.
#3 – Sandra Bullock (Net Worth: $200 million)
Sandra Bullock was born in Virginia, but with her mother being a prominent opera singer in Germany her and her young sister spent a lot of time on the road with her, often times singing in the choir of her performances. As she got older she gravitated toward a career in acting. After landing a few small roles in Hollywood she worked her way to her first female leading role in 1993, with the movie Demolition Man, starring opposite Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. A year later she starred opposite Keanu Reeves in the movie Speed, which was the film that really skyrocketed her career into overdrive.
She spent the next 20 years acting in some of the most dramatic, suspenseful and sometimes comedic filled movies of our generation, like The Net (1995), Miss Congeniality (2000), Crash (2004) and The Blind Side (2009). In 2013 she went to star in the movie Gravity which ended up being her most successful role, raking in over $70 million dollars. From the looks of it her career is far from over and in fact is landing more successful roles as time goes on, which is rare in Hollywood.
#2 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Net Worth: $200 million)
Daughter of multi-billionaire Gerard Louis-Dreyfus, Julia is most well known for her role as Elaine Benes in the other hugely successful ‘90s sitcom Seinfeld. Born in 1961, Julia is no stranger to Hollywood, as she has starred in three very successful shows during her career: Seinfeld (1990), The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006) and most recently the HBO comedy Veep, which has won her several awards for Best Actress. Though her net worth may be 200 million dollars now, she will eventually receive an inheritance from her father that will make her a billionaire.
#1 – Jessica Alba (Net Worth: $350 million)
If you were making a list of the sexiest people in the world, Jessica Alba would be somewhere near the top. After landing a leading role in the television series Dark Angel in 2000, Alba instantly became famous and went on to star in some of the most recognizable movies of the ‘00s. 2005 was probably her busiest year yet, with Sin City, Fantastic Four and Into the Blue all coming out within a few months of each other.
Alba may not star in as many blockbusters as she used to, but that’s because she co-founded The Honest Company in 2011 which takes up most of her time. The Honest Company produces a brand of eco-friendly baby products, mainly diapers and body products. She said she wanted there to be a company that sold products for babies that were both good for the environment and cost effective. The company did very well in its first year, and since then has continued to be a major success, making Alba one of Hollywood’s finest business women.
This concludes the list of the richest actresses in the world for 2018. These kind of lists change by the year with each celebrity having different salaries, spending habits and other things, so there’s no telling who will be on the list this time next year.
