Jennifer Lawrence Bags Forbes' Highest-Paid Actress of 2016 Recognition, Melissa McCarthy in 2nd Place; Complete List of Celebrities
Jennifer Lawrence once again tops Forbes' list of highest-paid actresses of 2016, ahead of Melissa McCarthy. The Hunger Games star bested veteran actresses for the 2nd time since last year.
High earnings for the girl on fire
Jennifer Lawrence bags the recognition for being highest-paid actress in the world. The multi-awarded actress owes a large portion of her $46 million 2016 earnings to the final installment of The Hunger Games series, The Mockingjay Part 2.
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2016 also saw Lawrence's performance in superhero blockbuster hit "X-Men: Apocalypse" as the shapeshifting mutant Raven Darkholme, alter ego of Mystique. She also stars in science fiction film "Passengers," opposite "Guardians of the Galaxy" star Chris Pratt. The movie is set to be released on December.
Being the youngest on the list, Jennifer Lawrence managed to plow in her earnings through high upfront fees and deals. However, her total income was down by 11.5% from last year's $52 million.
Melissa McCarthy earns 2nd place
In the Hollywood scene mostly dominated by actresses with figures fit for modelling, Melissa McCarthy stands out with her physique. Her unique brand of wit and humor added with ingenious comedic timing prove that not all Hollywood actresses are required to have romantic plots with their leading men.
McCarthy noticeably switched places with last year's second placer Scarlett Johansson (who now places third) in the list. The comedienne earned a total of $33 million, the lowest second-place earnings in three years.
A huge share of McCarthy's earnings come from a high upfront fee for the 2016 remake of "Ghostbusters." Fellow comediennes Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, and Leslie Jones top-billed the gender-bender film with her. McCarthy also stars in comedy film "The Boss" earlier in 2016.
Other winners in top 10
Other winners in the top 10 of the list include seasoned actresses and a newcomer. As for diversity, the top 10 consists of mostly white women, only one of Asian descent (Bingbing), and one from India (Padukone). Of the ten, only two are actresses who star in predominantly comedic movies (McCarthy and Aniston).
The rest of the list is as follows with their 2016 earnings and most prominent recent works:
3. Scarlett Johansson ($25 million) – Plays prominent roles in "Captain America: Civil War" and "Ghost in the Shell"
4. Jennifer Aniston ($21 million) – Earns most of her income through endorsements.
5. Fan Bingbing ($17 million) – Chinese movies "Skiptrace" and "Lady of the Dynasty." She is recognized for her role in "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
6. Charlize Theron ($16.5 million) – Portrayed the villain in "The Huntsman: Winter's War"
7. Amy Adams ($13.5 million) – Portrayed Lois Lane in "Superman" and "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice."
8. Julia Roberts ($12 million) – Starred in box office flop "Mother's Day" with Aniston.
9. Mila Kunis ($11 million) – Main star of comedy film "Bad Moms."
10. Deepika Padukone ($10 million) – Bollywood movie "Bajirao Mastani."
