However, the big surprise was that Cameron Diaz, who is older by 17 years to Stewart, earned only half a million less than Kristen, and she earned a whopping $34 million from “Bad Teacher,” “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “The Green Hornet.” Sandra Bullock came in third grossing $25 million over the same time period.
Kristin’s success is attributed to the success of the film and the fact that running hits of sequels make the lead characters indispensable. As Forbes judges correctly, “fans would revolt” if anyone else played “Bella Swan in Twilight…” So, Kristin has been able to command $12.5 million per film in the last two Twilight films along with a share in the profits. Currently Stewart is at 43rd position on Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list.
The Forbes list also found that women, on an average, earn less in the movie industry than men. The top ten actresses earned a combined $200 million compared to the $361 million earned by the top ten actors on the highest earners’ list.
For determining the highest-paid actors and actresses in the Hollywood film industry, Forbes took into account factors like upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work. Agent fees or other expenses were not deducted to arrive at net incomes, but gross revenue earned by the stars was considered.