Scarlett Johansson has been named as the world’s highest-paid female actor after earning $40.5m (£31.2m) in the year to June 2018.
Johansson did not feature in Forbes magazine’s top 10 last year, and the actor’s newfound earning power has been ascribed to her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The second part of Avengers: Infinity War is due for release next spring.
Angelina Jolie is in second place, with $28m, based on her contract for the Disney sequel Maleficent II, which began shooting in May with a projected release date of May 2020.
Jennifer Aniston is third with $19.5m, which, according to Forbes, is less for her acting earnings than for endorsements for brands such as Emirates, SmartWater and Aveeno.
Demonstrating the volatility of Hollywood, Emma Stone, who led last year’s ranking with $26m, does not feature this year, while other notable dropouts include Charlize Theron and Emma Watson.
Johansson’s total is, however, well below last year’s male equivalent, Mark Wahlberg, who earned $68m in the 2017 list. Both, however, are likely to be dwarfed by the 2018 male actors list which – as suggested by Forbes’s highest-paid entertainers list published in July – will include Dwayne Johnson with $124m and George Clooney with $239m – the latter benefitting from the sale of the tequila company Casamigos to Diageo.
Full list of top 10 highest-paid female actors
1. Scarlett Johansson $40.5m
2. Angelina Jolie $28m
3. Jennifer Aniston $19.5m
4. Jennifer Lawrence $18m
5. Reese Witherspoon $16.5m
6. Mila Kunis $16m
7. Julia Roberts $13m
8. Cate Blanchett $12.5m
9. Melissa McCarthy $12m
10. Gal Gadot $10m
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