Top-earning actresses of Hollywood

Angelina Jolie Jennifer Aniston

Angelina Jolie vacillates between two kinds of movies: award bait, like A Mighty Heart, and action films, like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The former earn her nominations and critical praise: She won an Oscar in 2000 for her work in Girl, Interrupted and a Best Actress nomination for last year's Changeling. The latter earn her big bucks. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, where Jolie met her boyfriend, Brad Pitt, earned US$480-million at the worldwide box office. Last year's Wanted brought in US$341-million.

Jolie's cinematic butt kicking made her the highest-paid actress on our annual Celebrity 100 list. Between June 2008 and June 2009, Jolie earned an estimated US$27-million. Much of that came from her share of the profits on Wanted, but she also scored a fat upfront check for Salt, an action film originally slated to star Tom Cruise, in which Jolie plays a CIA agent who is accused of being a Russian spy. Judging by scenes filmed on the streets of New York City, the film should have plenty of action to satisfy Jolie's fans.