Kristen Stewart Earned $34.5 Million; Tops Forbes List as Highest Paid Actress
Kristen Stewart has topped the list of Forbes.com list of highest-paid actresses this year. The issue, which was released yesterday, saw Twilight Saga's Kristen Stewart jump to the top spot with an estimated earnings of $34.5 million between May 2011 to May 2012.
Following the 22-year-old actress is Cameron Diaz, who earned $34 million.
Forbes' Los Angeles bureau chief Dorothy Pomerantz said: "She [Stewart] is an up-and-coming star. She is earning a lot of money from one of the most successful franchises of all time. This is who you would expect to see right now," said Dorothy Pomerantz, Forbes Los Angeles bureau chief. "This year you are seeing somebody young and at the brink of potentially great stardom sitting on the top of the list."
Stewart was able to climb to the top as the Twilight Saga series took off and her role as "Bella Swan" became indispensable, according to Forbes. She actress, who also stars in the recently released Snow White and the Huntsman, is also the youngest person on Forbes' list this year.
The list was compiled based on upfront pay, profit participation, endorsements, advertising work, etc.
Last year's highest paid actress was Angelina Jolie, who is currently in the spotlight as she begins filming for Disney's Maleficient in England.
However, actresses are still paid less than male actors. The top ten actresses earned a total of $200 million, while the top ten male actors earned significantly more - a whopping $361 million. That goes to say that Hollywood is no exclusion when it comes to women being paid less.
