Jennifer Lawrence is the highest-paid female actor in Hollywood, according to Forbes. The 25-year-old Hunger Games star pulled in $52 million pre-tax in the last year.
At a time when few women have their own franchise, the top women on Forbes’ annual list have all established themselves as ladies who can carry their own films. The second highest-earning actress, Scarlett Johansson, is one of the most prolific actors in the industry. She earned $35.5 million in the last 12 months. Along with dramatic turns in Don Jon, Under the Skin, and Her, Johansson featured in blockbusters like The Avengers, Captain America, and, soon, The Jungle Book. She also proved she can carry her own action franchise in the surprise hit Lucy last summer.
Melissa McCarthy, who also stars in the network TV series Mike & Molly, clocked in at number three with $23 million. Since breaking out in Bridesmaids in 2011, McCarthy has churned out several big-budget comedies with director Paul Feig, including The Heat, Spy and the upcoming all-female reboot of Ghostbusters.
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See the Evolution of Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence at Nylon Magazine's TV Issue launch party at SkyBar on Aug. 24, 2009 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence receives the Marcello Mastroianni Award from jury member Juriy Arabov during the 65th Venice Film Festival on Sept. 6, 2008 in Venice.
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Jennifer Lawrence poses for a portrait during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 23, 2010 in Park City, Utah.
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Jennifer Lawrence as Ree in the critically acclaimed 2010 film Winter's Bone.
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Jennifer Lawrence accepts the Rising Star Award during the 22nd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards on Jan. 8, 2011 in Palm Springs, Calif.
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Actors Jennifer Lawrence and Jon Hamm speak onstage during the 16th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Jan. 14, 2011 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards held on Jan. 16, 2011 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence at the 83rd annual Academy Awards on Feb. 27, 2011 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games.
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Jennifer Lawrence during an interview with Jimmy Fallon on May 20, 2011.
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Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence arrive at the premiere of The Hunger Games on March 12, 2012 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence appears on El Hormiguero on April 19, 2012 in Madrid.
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Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper at the Silver Linings Playbook premiere during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 8, 2012 .
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Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook.
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Jennifer Lawrence onstage during the 2013 People's Choice Awards on Jan. 9, 2013 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper attend the 18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Jan. 10, 2013 in Santa Monica, Calif.
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Jennifer Lawrence poses with her Best Performance by an actress in a motion picture comedy or musical award for Silver Linings Playbook at the Golden Globes awards ceremony on Jan. 13, 2013 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence attends the Vanity Fair, Barneys New York and The Weinstein Company celebration of Silver Linings Playbook in support of The Glenholme School on Feb. 20, 2013 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence accepts the award for Best Female Lead onstage during the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 23, 2013 in Santa Monica, Calif.
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Jennifer Lawrence accepts the award for Best Actress for her role in Silver Linings Playbook from presenter Jean Dujardin at the 85th Academy Awards on Feb. 24, 2013 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence attends the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 24, 2013 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence attends the Costume Institute Gala for the PUNK: Chaos to Couture exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2013 in New York City.
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Jennifer Lawrence at the screening of Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian during the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2013 in Cannes, France.
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Jennifer Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle.
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Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult at the Comic-Con International 2013 on July 20, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
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Jennifer Lawrence working with director Francis Lawrence on the set of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1.
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Jennifer Lawrence attends the U.K. premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire on Nov. 11, 2013 in London.
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Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson attend the German premiere of the film The Hunger Games - Catching Fire on Nov. 12, 2013 in Berlin.
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Jennifer Lawrence at the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire on Nov. 18, 2013 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence gets cozy with Dave when she visits the Late Show with David Letterman on Nov. 20, 2013.
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Jennifer Lawrence arrives to the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 12, 2014 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence presents the Best Actor category at the 86th Academy Awards on March 2, 2013 in Los Angeles.
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Ellen DeGeneres poses for a selfie taken with Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong'o, Angelina Jolie, Peter Nyong'o Jr. and Bradley Cooper during the 86th annual Academy Awards on March 2, 2014 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscars Party in Los Angeles on March 2, 2014.
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Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
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Jennifer Lawrence during an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers on May 21, 2014.
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Sidney Toledano and Jennifer Lawrence attend the Christian Dior show as part of Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture on July 7, 2014 in Paris.
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Lorde, Natalie Dormer, Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone and Julianne Moore attend the World Premiere of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 on Nov. 10, 2014 in London.
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Evan Ross, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Sam Claflin in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.
Lionsgate
Fan Chelsea Boyce takes a selfie with Jennifer Lawrence at the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 on Nov. 17, 2014 in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Lawrence attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City.
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Director of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 & 2 Francis Lawrence poses with cast members Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth during the 2015 Comic-Con International Convention on July 9, 2015 in San Diego, Calif.
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Jennifer Lawrence at the 26th Annual PGA Awards on Jan. 24, 2015 in Los Angeles.
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