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Fashion
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Nicole Kidman is the world's highest-paid actress. |
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Friday, 01 December 2006 |
NICOLE Kidman has dethroned Julia Roberts as the world's highest-paid actress.
The Australian redhead has had more duds than hits in recent years, but it has not scared off Hollywood studio bosses from paying Kidman $US17 million ($A21.7 million) a movie.
Kidman pocketed the career-topping $US17 million pay day for her yet-to-be-seen Warner Bros science-fiction film, The Invasion.
Hollywood darlings Reese Witherspoon, Renee Zellweger, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz were in a four-way tie for second spot with each beauty earning $US15 million ($A19.2 million) a movie.
"While Roberts has been content taking smaller roles for far less than $US20 million ($A25.6 million) these days, risk-taking has actually paid off in 2006 for Nicole Kidman," film industry publication, The Hollywood Reporter, declared in its annual survey of actress salaries.
Roberts has barely worked since the birth of her two-year-old twins, son Phinnaeus and daughter Hazel, resulting in her dropping off the top-10 list and handing the top spot to Kidman.
The only films Roberts released in 2006 were two animated movies, voicing Hova the ant in Ant Bully, and Charlotte the spider in Charlotte's Web, which was shot in Australia.
Animated films pay less than the $US20 million deals Roberts earned for movies such as 2003's Mona Lisa Smile.
Kidman has had the luxury of working for less money in small budget, independent films she was attracted to such as 2004's Birth, but also churning out big-budget and high-paying Hollywood films Bewitched, The Interpreter and The Stepford Wives.
The latter may have helped pay the bills, maybe even new hubby Keith Urban's rehab bills, but they did not light up the box office and were largely panned by critics.
In 2006, Kidman had mixed box-office success, with Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus making a trickle of money in its first few weeks in cinemas, while her animated film, Happy Feet, has made more than $US100 million ($A127.9 million) in the US alone in its first 10 days.
The big dollar signs will also help Witherspoon and Zellweger overcome recent broken marriages.
Witherspoon has been a top earner since 2001's Legally Blonde and The Hollywood Reporter told its readers her best actress Oscar win in March for playing June Carter in Walk the Line will push her $US15 million fees higher in coming years.
Zellweger raked in the cash for her Bridget Jones films and is looking to pick up a second Oscar for this year's performance in Miss Potter.
Barrymore is also set to remain cashed up in the $US15 million range, with projects in 2007 including her performance alongside Eric Bana in the drama, Lucky You.
Diaz will be good for a loan, too.
Her new romantic comedy with Jude Law, The Holiday, is shaping up to be a global hit this Christmas, and in 2007 she has the third Shrek film releasing.
Chasing the top five are three Oscar winners, Halle Berry ($US14 million), Charlize Theron ($US10 million) and Angelina Jolie ($US10 million).
Kirsten Dunst is the youngest of the top-earners at the fresh age of 24, but, thanks to the Spider Man franchise she has been earning plenty of cash, about $US8 million to $US10 million ($A10.2 million to $A12.8 million) a picture.
For last year's stinker, Elizabethtown, Dunst picked up $US8 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Jennifer Aniston may have split from hubby Brad Pitt, but she has kept the cash rolling since saying goodbye to the $US1 million ($A1.3 million) per episode she was paid for her TV sitcom Friends.
These days Aniston picks up $US8 million a film for romantic comedies such as The Break-Up and the 2005 dud, Rumor Has It.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 01 December 2006 )
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