It’s fair to say that actors and actresses, more commonly known as movie stars when they’re starring in box office hits, have always been renowned for getting paid the big bucks. And, as storylines in films have developed over the years and become more complex, actresses especially are making more money than ever before. 2023 is another year where the leading actresses can rake in the cash from multiple sources, such as movies at the cinema, films on Netflix and more, and below is a list of those currently earning the most.
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock has been gracing silver screens for well in excess of thirty years. And, for much of those three decades, she’s become one of the most prominent and highly sought-after actresses around. In 2010, Bullock was named the best actress when she collected an Academy Award in that category, and since then, she’s continued to rack up the movie roles and the money. To give a rough idea of how much she earns, one of her latest movies, The Blind Side, saw her pocket a cool $10 million. It may seem a lot, but Bullock has proven how talented she is countless times before.
Julia Roberts
You can’t really mention Sandra Bullock and not mention Julia Roberts, as both actresses have been a massive success in the same era. You could even go as far as saying they are out on their own in terms of status and major roles. You could gauge Roberts’ success on her earnings and her collection of awards, including three Golden Globes and Academy Awards. And you could also gauge it on some of her best roles, such as when she starred in the Ocean’s 11 franchise. She made the role her own and also bought into the Vegas lifestyle, a big part of the movie, and it may be the case that she has developed a taste for the thrills of live casino games.
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is only in her mid-thirties, and she’s already achieving great things. The actress likely looks to both Bullock and Roberts as inspiration in terms of what they’ve achieved and is already on her way to potentially surpassing both in years to come. Johansson has been acting since she was thirteen, and being involved in the industry from such as young age allowed her to gain experience and work her way up the ladder quickly. She’s already amassed an income of tens of millions of dollars, and playing some big roles in hit films such as Her and Black Widow hasn’t done her any harm. Her career is likely only going to continue in the same direction.
Sofia Vergara
The best way to describe Sofia Vergara is multi-talented. Nowadays, in the modern era, actresses aren’t just actresses. Using Vergara as an example, she’s a superb actress, but she’s also a respected producer. And she’s even a judge on America’s Got Talent, with that role alone said to be worth in the region of $10 million. Vergara is one of the highest-paid actresses in 2023 because of her acting work on TV, but all the other plates she has spinning pay her well too. Vergara certainly isn’t an actress who puts all her eggs in the one basket, and it seems to be serving her well right now. She’s rightfully considered a trailblazer for her approach.
Reese Witherspoon
Like others on this list, Reese Witherspoon is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, which should tell you everything you need to know about her abilities as an actress. You will get actresses who come on the scene, make a wave or two in the industry, and then disappear. But Witherspoon, like Bullock and Roberts, has proven herself to have longevity, with her career spanning thirty years and counting. Of course, when you’ve been at the top of your game for thirty years plus, you’re going to have made some serious money, and 2023 is going to be another year where this applies. Witherspoon never appears to age either, so there will still be plenty more years left in the tank for her to reign supreme in Hollywood.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is another hugely respected name in Hollywood, and many would go as far as calling her a legend. One of the ways you can tell just how highly Jolie is respected is that there won’t be a single person around who doesn’t know who she is, and many will have seen her acting in one of her movies. With a couple of decades behind her already in Hollywood, Jolie continues to be highly sought after when it comes to casting for big box office films. She recently starred in Eternals, where she brought Thena to life in superb fashion, and 2023 will undoubtedly continue to be another successful year for the American, like the previous twenty have been, with many more millions in the bank.
Money and earnings may not always represent how good somebody is at their job, but in the world of acting, it’s a good gauge of where someone is at. And the actresses mentioned above are undoubtedly great at their job, and this is reflected in them being the highest paid, not only in 2023 but in the case of many, multiple years previous too.
Earnings are a great indicator here because actresses who secure prominent roles or are highly sought after happen to be the ones at the top of their game. The likes of Bullock, Roberts and Jolie specifically have been some of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood for years and, in some cases, decades. Their longevity and reputations in the industry have not only allowed them to earn a lot of money already but put them in a great position to keep doing so year after year, and 2023 is proving to be no different. The best in the business get paid the most, and you can’t argue with that.
