Forbes Just Revealed the Highest-Paid Actresses of 2019, & the Top-Grossing Star Might Surprise You

Julie Sprankles

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The women of Hollywood have been killing it lately — demanding pay equity, negotiating deals and carrying blockbusters straight to the bank. One reflection of that hard work? Scarlett Johansson tops Forbes list of 2019’s highest-paid actresses, largely thanks to her work in the male-dominated Marvel universe.

According to Forbes, Johansson nabbed a $35 back-end payment for starring in Avengers: Endgame, which grossed $2.8 billion. She’ll also be cashing an eight-figure check for the upcoming Black Widow spinoff centered on her leather-clad Marvel character. And, c’mon, did you see the exclusive trailer Marvel Studios co-president Kevin Feige dropped at Disney’s D23 Expo this weekend? It is packed full of action, including a few brutal fights. ScarJo put in the work for this payday.

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While it might surprise you that Johansson topped stars like Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston who seemed to dominate this year’s headlines, this is actually Johansson’s second year in the number one spot. Witherspoon and Aniston naturally made the list too, coming in at no. 3 and no. 5, respectively. The earnings — which are based on data compiled from Neilsen, ComScore, Box Office Mojo and IMDB — also saw a few newcomers enter the ranks, like The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss and DC-universe’s Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie.

Here’s the list in its entirety: Scarlett Johansson ($56 million), Sofia Vergara ($44.1 million), Reese Witherspoon ($35 million), Nicole Kidman ($34 million), Jennifer Aniston ($28 million), Kaley Cuoco ($25 million), Elisabeth Moss ($24 million), Margot Robbie ($23.5 million), Charlize Theron ($23 million), and Ellen Pompeo ($22 million).

The female rankings come just days after 2019’s highest-paid male actors were announced and, also for the second year in a row, the top spot went to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Per Forbes, Johnson amassed an estimated $89.4 million in the last 12 months. Then again, Johnson does have a reputation for being the hardest working man in Hollywood — when he isn’t filming HBO’s Ballers, he’s smashing the box office in thrillers like Skyscraper and the Fast & Furious franchise. With $76.4 million, Chris Hemsworth followed Johnson on the list, which also includes A-list actors like Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper and Will Smith.

As for Johansson, the highest-paid female earner seems to already be on the trajectory for a third consecutive title. She’ll be onscreen next in September’s Marriage Story, alongside Laura Dern, and October’s Jojo Rabbit before slipping into her leather bodysuit once more for 2020’s Black Widow.

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