The 28 Richest Actresses of All Time

It takes a lot to make it big in Hollywood, but a number of elite actresses have worked their way to the top. These talented women have amassed net worths of $100 million or more, making them total bosses.

Some have stuck to acting, while others have used their singing, dancing and even business talents to dominate venues from arenas to boardrooms. All that has helped these 28 actresses become the richest women in show business.

Last updated: Nov. 20, 2020

Building her resume since childhood, Kaley Cuoco scored her first professional acting gig at age 7 in the TV movie “Quicksand: No Escape.” Over the next decade, she worked steadily, including guest-starring roles in shows such as “Northern Exposure,” “My So-Called Life” and “Ellen.”

In 2002, Cuoco scored the part of Bridget Hennessy on the sitcom “8 Simple Rules,” which ran for three seasons. She landed her biggest role yet in 2007 as Penny on “The Big Bang Theory,” which she was on for 12 seasons. She became one of the highest-paid actresses in television history during the show’s final two seasons, when she earned $900,000 per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As for her personal life, Cuoco has been married to professional equestrian Karl Cook since 2018. She previously wed tennis player Ryan Sweeting in 2013, but the marriage lasted less than two years.

Trained at the American Conservatory Theater and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Amy Irving got her start in theater. She made her off-Broadway debut at age 17 and went on to star in many other plays. Her big on-screen break came in 1976 with Stephen King’s “Carrie,” and she proceeded to make subsequent important films such as “The Fury.”

Though they are now divorced, she once was married to director Steven Spielberg. She is now back doing what she loves — working in theater. She has several projects in the works, including the film “A Mouthful of Air,” which is scheduled for release in 2021.

The daughter of actor Jon Voight and the late actress Marcheline Bertrand, Angelina Jolie was introduced to the entertainment business at a young age. As a teenager, Jolie spent time modeling and appearing in music videos. In the 1990s, she began her film career, starring in movies that included “Gia,” for which she won a Golden Globe; “Girl, Interrupted,” which earned her an Academy Award; and the cult classic “Hackers.”

Jolie has since gone on to star in a wide array of films, including the popular “Lara Croft” series, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Salt” and “Maleficent.” Known as much for her humanitarian efforts and long-winded romance and split with Brad Pitt as her acting, Jolie has made headlines for her work with refugees in many countries, including Cambodia, Sudan and Jordan.

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Drew Barrymore has come a long way from her debut in “E.T.” at just 7 years old. Famous actresses often have a tough time growing up in the spotlight, and Barrymore was no exception. She managed to shed her bad girl image after a string of successful projects spanning genres from “The Wedding Singer” to “Never Been Kissed” and “Scream,” dominating the silver screen in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

Beyond acting, her production company, Flower Films, also has produced a number of lucrative features including her directorial debut on “Whip It” in 2009 to the Netflix series “Santa Clarita Diet.” Barrymore truly has become a child star success story.

After traveling all over the world for her modeling career, Cameron Diaz auditioned for a part in “The Mask” in 1994, despite having no acting experience. Cast as the female lead, her career really took off with starring roles in “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “There’s Something About Mary.”

Despite her success, Diaz hasn’t appeared on the silver screen since starring in the 2014 film “Annie.” In a 2018 Entertainment Weekly interview, she revealed her decision to retire from acting. Now a businesswoman, she’s the co-founder of Avaline, a clean wine brand.

She has been married to singer Benji Madden since 2015. In January 2020, she announced the birth of their first child, daughter Raddix, on Instagram.

In 1984, Courteney Cox got her big break when she was featured in Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” music video. Of course, she’s best known as Monica Geller on “Friends,” a role that earned her and her five main co-stars each $1 million per episode by the end of the show’s 10-year run in 2004. One of the highest-paid television casts in history, the six performers each earn $20 million per year in residuals, according to People.

Cox also is known for her work as Gale Weathers in the “Scream” franchise, a role she has played four times and is set to reprise for “Scream 5.” Additionally, she starred as Jules Cobb on “Cougar Town,” which ran from 2009-15.

In 1999, Cox married actor David Arquette, but the pair separated in 2010 and divorced in 2012. She’s been linked to rocker Johnny McDaid since 2014.

Ambitious from a young age, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones left home at age 15 for a theater career in London’s West End. By the early 1990s, she had transitioned to film and television, but her career didn’t really take off until later in the decade, after her move to Los Angeles.

Zeta-Jones earned her A-list status in the late ’90s and early 2000s with starring roles in hits such as “The Mask of Zorro,” “Entrapment,” “High Fidelity” and “Chicago.” She won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2003 for the latter.

She married actor Michael Douglas in 2000.

Much of Sarah Jessica Parker’s mega earnings came from her performance as Carrie Bradshaw in HBO’s “Sex and the City,” but Parker’s been making money as an actress since she was a child.

She made her TV debut at age 8 in “The Little Match Girl,” then appeared in the Broadway show “The Innocents.” She made a name for herself in the 1980s and ’90s, starring in films that included “Footloose,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Hocus Pocus” and “The First Wives Club.”

Parker also earned producing credits on more than five dozen “Sex and the City” episodes, as well as the two feature films inspired by the series — “Sex and the City” and “Sex and the City 2.” More recently, she starred in and executive produced the HBO series “Divorce,” which ran three seasons from 2016-19.

Also an entrepreneur, her SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker brand includes footwear, fragrance and accessories. She also collaborated with wine company Invivo to create the Invivo X Sarah Jessica Parker Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. Parker has been married to Broderick since 1997, and they have three children.

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The controversial entertainment icon and daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus has made a name for herself as a singer, actress and paparazzi favorite. Dolly Parton’s goddaughter, Cyrus has achieved as much notoriety for her wild, crazy antics as for her singing and acting chops.

Cyrus started acting at a young age, starring in the Disney Channel hit series “Hannah Montana.” She went on to release several pop albums and star in the romantic drama “The Last Song,” which was based on a book by famed author Nicholas Sparks.

In 2015, Cyrus revived her acting career with appearances in Seth Rogan’s “The Night Before” and Netflix and Bill Murray’s “A Very Murray Christmas.” More recently, she appeared in an episode of “Black Mirror” in 2019.

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The South African beauty grew up a ballet dancer, performing in both “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker.” She eventually moved to New York to join the Joffrey Ballet, but a knee injury ended her dancing career. Her first notable big-screen performance was in “That Thing You Do!” Since then, she’s starred in major films such as “The Cider House Rules” and “Monster,” for which she won an Academy Award.

Some of Theron’s more recent films include “Bombshell,” “Tully” and “Atomic Blonde.” Next up, catch her in “F9” and “Atomic Blonde 2.”

Jennifer Lawrence became a household name in “The Hunger Games” trilogy, but it was “Winter’s Bone” where she really got her big break. At 25, she became the youngest performer in history to receive four Oscar nominations — a title she still holds.

Some of her other most well-known films include “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle,” “Joy” and the “X-Men” series. The Academy Award winner has several projects in the works, including “Don’t Look Up” and “Mob Girl.”

When she was just 9, Scarlett Johansson appeared in the off-Broadway play “Sophistry,” starring Ethan Hawke and Calista Flockhart. She got her big break at 13 when she starred in “The Horse Whisperer.” She’s become one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies, with starring roles in hits such as “Lost in Translation,” “Her” and “The Avengers” franchise.

In 2019, the talented actress was nominated for Oscars in two different categories — best actress for “Marriage Story” and best supporting actress for “Jojo Rabbit.”

Johansson has been engaged to “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost since 2019. She previously was married to French art collector Romain Dauriac from 2014-17 and actor Ryan Reynolds from 2008-10.

Discovered by a photographer in her home country of Colombia, Sofia Vergara gave up a career in dentistry to become a runway model at age 23. Her first job was hosting a travel show called “Fuera de Serie,” which exposed her to an American audience.

Her big break came in 2009 on the hit series “Modern Family,” for which she received four Emmy nominations. Vergara’s net worth is likely in part due to the show boasting one of the highest-paid casts of all time. When the series ended after its 11th season in 2020, she was earning $500,000 per episode.

Actress-turned-businesswoman Jessica Alba has made a name for herself on and off the screen. Though Alba first appeared in the 1994 comedy “Camp Nowhere,” audiences across America learned the star’s name thanks to her breakout role on the short-lived TV show “Dark Angel.” Since then, she has starred in a number of films, including “Fantastic Four,” “Good Luck Chuck” and “The Love Guru.” She currently stars on the Spectrum original series “L.A.’s Finest.”

Outside of acting, Alba founded The Honest Company, a consumer products startup that has transitioned into a business empire for the actress. The brand focuses on creating safe and effective products for the entire family, and Alba herself values being a mother over anything else.

In fact, it was love for her children that inspired the star to start The Honest Company in the first place. The company was valued at $1 billion in 2015 but lost its unicorn status by 2017, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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Born to a German opera singer and a voice teacher, Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock first appeared on the stage in a German opera at the young age of 5. However, her breakthrough role wouldn’t come until 1994, when she appeared alongside Keanu Reeves in “Speed.”

Bullock went on to star in many successful films and continues to land leading roles in movies such as “Ocean’s 8” and “Bird Box.” She won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her work in “The Blind Side,” based on the true life story of NFL player Michael Oher.

Bullock married Jesse James in 2005, but the couple divorced five years later. She has adopted two children on her own — son Louis and daughter Laila — and has been dating professional photographer Bryan Randall since 2015.

Daughter of legendary actor Henry Fonda and New York socialite Frances Seymour Brokaw, Jane Fonda was destined for stardom. She initially appeared with her father in Omaha Community Theatre and took acting lessons from famous coach Lee Strasberg. She won Academy Awards for her performances in “Klute” and “Coming Home” and was nominated for best actress seven times.

Best known for her 1980s workout tapes, she sold more than 200,000 copies a year and topped the Billboard charts, making her one of the richest celebrities over age 70.

Fonda has been starring in the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie” since 2015.

After a famously tough childhood with a stepdad who died from suicide, Demi quit school at age 16 to work as a debt collection agent before turning to modeling. She married rocker Freddy Moore at just 18. While the marriage didn’t last, her recurring role on “General Hospital” did. After being threatened to be fired for drug use on the set of “St. Elmo’s Fire,” Demi cleaned up her act. She married Bruce Willis, whom she later divorced, and then married Ashton Kutcher after the split.

Two of the richest actors of the time, the couple launched the “Demi and Ashton Foundation” to pay it forward. Renamed THORN after their 2011 split, the nonprofit builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse, according to its website. They are no longer together, but their foundation lives on.

At 14, Reese Witherspoon landed her first starring role in the film “The Man in the Moon.” By the late 1990s, she had solidified her status as an A-lister, with films such as “Fear,” “Election” and “Cruel Intentions.” She continued making a name for herself in the following decade in hits that included “Legally Blonde,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Walk the Line” — winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in the latter.

She currently stars in the Apple TV series “The Morning Show” and earns at least $1.25 million per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, she starred in the HBO series “Big Little Lies,” reportedly earning $1 million per episode for season 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And there is also the Hulu limited series “Little Fires Everywhere,” where she earned $1 million per episode, according to Variety.

Witherspoon has scored executive producer credits on many of her projects, including “The Morning Show,” “Big Little Lies” and “Little Fires Everywhere.” Also an entrepreneur, Witherspoon founded the clothing company Draper James.

The actress has been married to talent agent and Quibi executive Jim Toth since 2011, and they share a son. She was previously married to actor Ryan Phillippe from 1999-2007. They have two children together.

Nicole Kidman’s first love was ballet, but she also took up mime and drama as a child. Dropping out of high school to pursue her passion, she had her first movie role in the Australian film “Bush Christmas” in 1983. She got an American agent and made her U.S. debut in “Dead Calm” a few years later.

She famously married Tom Cruise after filming “Days of Thunder” together, but the high-profile marriage hit a rocky point during “Eyes Wide Shut” with a series of scandalous rumors. They split in early 2001, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Today, she is remarried to country crooner Keith Urban.

More recently, Kidman starred in the films “Bombshell” and “Destroyer,” as well as the hit HBO series “Big Little Lies — and won two Golden Globes and two Emmys for the latter. Next up, she’ll star in the Hulu series “Nine Perfect Strangers,” where she’ll earn $1 million per episode, according to Variety.

Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus launched to stardom by making America laugh as Elaine Benes on the hit sitcom “Seinfeld.” However, her career really began with Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe.

Later, the funny lady moved to New York to star on “Saturday Night Live” for two seasons. In 1989, she joined the cast of “Seinfeld,” after producers insisted that the show needed a female perspective. Louis-Dreyfus’ performance on the comedy earned the star her first Golden Globe in 1993 and her first Emmy in 1996.

Louis-Dreyfus’ recent work includes her role in HBO’s “Veep,” which earned the actress six best actress Emmys for that role alone, putting her among the top-nominated female performers.

With a combined net worth of $500 million, the Olsen twins rank among the richest people in the entertainment industry. The fraternal twins grew up on screen sharing the role of Michelle Tanner on “Full House.” They built an empire under their label Dualstar Entertainment, producing the popular home videos “The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley.” The wildly successful videos resulted in a number of spinoff books and products that banked about $1 billion in retail a year.

Now fashion designers, the stylish twins founded high-end brand The Row and the more budget-friendly Elizabeth and James, which is sold at Kohl’s. The duo’s work earned them their fifth award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2019.

Academy Award-winning actress Julia Roberts rose to Hollywood fame with roles in movies that included “Steel Magnolias,” “Pretty Woman,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “Erin Brockovich.” Her performance in “Erin Brockovich” earned the star an Oscar, and it also netted her a $20 million salary, making her the first actress to be paid such a high sum for her work.

Roberts’ acting career shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, she recently starred in “Ben Is Back” and the Amazon series “Homecoming.”

Over the years, Roberts was romantically linked to several leading men, including Kiefer Sutherland, Dylan McDermott, Liam Neeson and Matthew Perry. She has been married to cameraman Danny Moder since 2002.

Jennifer Aniston, America’s favorite girl next door, rose to fame as the beautiful, entitled Rachel Green on the hit 1990s sitcom “Friends,” which aired for 10 seasons. During the final three years of the show’s production, Aniston reportedly earned $1 million per episode. She has gone on to star in several major motion pictures and small independent films, including “Office Space,” “He’s Just Not That Into You” and “The Yellow Birds.”

The actress was married to Brad Pitt for five years from 2000 to 2005. However, the couple divorced following rumors that Pitt had an affair with his “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” co-star, Angelina Jolie. In August 2015, Aniston tied the knot with actor and director Justin Theroux in a secret, private ceremony, but the marriage didn’t last. The couple announced plans to divorce in February 2018.

More recently, Aniston has been starring in the Apple TV series “The Morning Show” since 2019. She scored both an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nod for her work on the show in 2020, and she earns at least $1.25 million per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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Best known for her role as Pamela Barnes Ewing on the uber-popular TV show “Dallas,” Victoria Principal didn’t intend to be an actress, despite several early parts in commercials. Born in Japan to a military family, Principal moved around the world a lot as a child. It wasn’t until she was in a car accident in college that the star decided to move to Los Angeles and pursue an acting career.

After working as both an actress and an agent in Hollywood, Principal was approached for a part in “Fantasy Island,” which led to her breakout role in “Dallas.” Additionally, Principal found financial success in her own skin care line, “Principal Skin,” which has brought in more than $1 billion in revenue.

Performing since the 1960s, Cher is an icon who has sold more than 100 million albums. Also an actress, her seriously impressive resume includes film, television, directing, a Las Vegas residency and Broadway — just to name a few of her achievements.

In 1988, she won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her work on “Moonstruck.” She also was honored with a Golden Globe for “Silkwood” in 1984 and for “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” in 1974. Some of her most iconic acting roles include “Mermaids,” “Mask,” “If These Walls Could Talk” and “Burlesque.”

Most recently, she appeared in the 2018 film “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” In true icon form, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “The Cher Show,” which was created to tell her life story, is scheduled to begin touring nationally in fall 2021.

Twice divorced, she was married to Sonny Bono from 1964-75 and Gregg Allman from 1975-79.

Using a rare trifecta of talent, Jennifer Lopez has enjoyed three separate careers: acting, singing and dancing. She rose to fame in the early 1990s as a backup dancer for both the New Kids on the Block and Janet Jackson before becoming a Fly Girl on “In Living Color.”

This quickly led to starring roles in feature films such as “Selena” and “Out of Sight” in the late ’90s. By the early 2000s, she was a household name, regularly gracing the silver screen in films that included “Jersey Girl,” “Monster-in-Law” and “Maid in Manhattan.” Still acting, some of her recent works include the film “Hustlers” and the television series “Shades of Blue.”

As a recording artist, Lopez has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide, scored 16 top 10 hit songs and created three chart-topping albums. She also starred in a Las Vegas residency “All I Have” from 2016-18, performing a total of 120 shows.

Lopez also has a $2 billion fragrance empire and released her 25th scent, called Promise, in 2019. That same year, she got engaged to former baseball star Alex Rodriguez. The couple has yet to tie the knot, but it will be her fourth marriage and his second.

Actress and philanthropist Jami Gertz has an impressive $3 billion net worth to her name, mostly thanks to her marriage to billionaire Tony Ressler, co-founder of Ares Management. He’s also the majority owner of the Atlanta Hawks and has a minority stake in the Milwaukee Brewers.

Gertz began her acting career in the 1980s with appearances in “Square Pegs,” “Diff’rent Strokes,” “Family Ties,” “Sixteen Candles” and “The Lost Boys,” to name a few. She then spent a few years on hiatus from acting, during which time she moved to France and worked as a scent designer for Lanvin.

After returning to Hollywood, Gertz appeared on TV shows including “E.R.,” “Ally McBeal” and “Entourage.” More recently, she’s guest-starred in “This Is Us” and “Difficult People.”

In her spare time, Gertz serves as a trustee for the Ressler/Gertz Foundation, which supports a number of educational causes in Los Angeles.

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Lauren Monitz and Laura Woods contributed to the reporting for this article.

All net worths were sourced from Celebrity Net Worth and are accurate as of Nov. 20, 2020.