Scarlett Johansson Breaks the Nikes—She’s Now the Highest‑Paid Actress in the World!
Sorry, Amber‑lovin’ Friends fans—Scarlett’s Black Widow swagger just flipped the Forbes scoreboard, sending her soaring to the top while Angelina Jolie found herself a rung lower.
The Numbers in a Nutshell
- Scarlett Johansson (33) raked in $40.5 million pre‑tax from June 1 2017 to June 1 2018—quadrupling what she earned the year before.
- Angelina Jolie (43) earned $28 million, a chunk of it from an unpromised‑but‑loudly‑hyped Maleficent 2 deal that’s slated for 2020.
- Jennifer Aniston—still a Friends icon—climbed third with $19.5 million, thanks partly to Soda‑Coke’s Smartwater and Aveeno endorsements.
- Jennifer Lawrence had a modest drop, landing $18 million—$6 million less than last year—thanks to X‑Men residuals and a Dior contract, even though her recent flicks were a bit of a foot‑yuck.
- Reese Witherspoon hung on the podium with $16.5 million.
Other Big Names in the Top 10
- Mila Kunis, Cate Blanchett, Melissa McCarthy, Gal Gadot—those four shared the remainder of the prize‑winning mantle.
- Remember Oscar‑go‑getter Emma Stone? She was top‑30 just last year but now missing the top‑10.
Why the Plays for Princesses Dropped
- Forbes cites a shortage of high‑paying roles for women—fewer opportunities, fewer dollars.
- Only two actresses crossed the $20 million threshold this year, down from three in 2017 and four back in 2016.
Looking Forward
Stay tuned next week when Forbes drops the full 2018 high‑pay list—they pull the data from box office charts, Nielsen stats, and industry insider chats.
And don’t forget the movie world’s “glorious deal” star—Mark Wahlberg, who snagged a whopping $68 million from Daddy’s Home 2 and Transformers: The Last Knight. Duh!
