Scarlett Johansson ranks second on this year's World's Highest-Paid Actresses list, earning an estimated $35.5 million pretax to record her largest career payday to date.
It's more than double the $17 million she banked in 2014, proving her reputation--and remuneration--are on the rise.
Since first appearing in the public eye as 13-year-old in 1998's The Horse Whisperer, Johansson burst into adulthood with 2003's Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring, both of which earned her BAFTA nods. She continued to charm audiences with roles in smaller films such as and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). She had her share of modest
But Johansson, 30, has built a sustainable career by balancing commercial and quirky fare, really hitting her stride when she began starring as the Black Widow in Marvel movies. The box office success of Iron Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, which grossed a combined $2.7 billion worldwide, proved that she can hold her own in a billion dollar franchise. Though she earned nowhere near Robert Downey Jr.'s pay for her role, it propelled her to an action movie of her own.
Last summer's Lucy, which saw Johansson in her first solo action flick, grossed $458 million at the worldwide box office on a $40 million budget. That's a smashing success by any measure and proved that Johansson is a box office draw in her own right.
As a leading woman, she now commands over $10 million upfront per movie, while reports place her fee for forthcoming thriller Ghost in the Shell at $17.5 million. Considering her increased ability to command backend and her lucrative endorsements with Dolce & Gabbana and Sodastream, it becomes clear that Scarlett Johansson is one of the world's most powerful actresses.
Our Highest-Paid Actresses list measures earnings between June 2014 and June 2015 before subtracting management fees and taxes; figures are based on data from Nielsen, Box Office Mojo and IMDB, as well as interviews with agents, managers, lawyers—and stars themselves. It only examines women–a separate list of highest-paid actors was published earlier in the month.
