They have the power to draw millions of people, the ability to shape the films they star in, and the sass to take over the reins by opting to produce, write and even direct; making sure they get the right roles at the right time. Move over Julia Roberts, these are now the 10 most powerful actresses in Hollywood
- Reese Witherspoon
- Nicole Kidman
- Drew Barrymore
- Catherine Zeta Jones
- Sandra Bullock
- Angelina Jolie
- Uma Thurman
- Jennifer Aniston
- Salma Hayek
- Courteney Cox
Reese Witherspoon
Earnings per film:
Up to $30 million - up there with Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey.Industry acclaim:
2006 Best Actress Oscar for Walk The Line, as well as a Bafta and a Golden Globe.Go for it:
The lady who called her production company Type A Films (based on her mother's nickname for her, Little Type A) is not someone to mess with.She took a risk on Walk The Line, a departure from her usual romantic comedy fare, but with the golden statuette on her mantlepiece, it paid off and made her the most highly-paid woman ever in Hollywood.
Thanks to the Legally Blonde films, she is enormously popular with a wide audience and she makes no bones about the fact she has had to toughen up in order to gain her power. 'You have to be focused and a little tough as a young woman, because people can overpower you. It takes a certain type of tenacious personality to deal with rejection.' She explains: 'When I first came to LA, all I heard was "No, not right, not tall enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough." But I didn't really care about their opinion. I'm stubborn.
'People want movies that make you feel good, that make you believe in love, in hope, in life, in humanity,' says Reese, 30, not without irony, as it is reported she is now separating from the man she married at 21, Ryan Phillippe.
Power plus points:
Despite the millions, Reese insists she doesn't have a nanny because she likes to be a 'hands on mother' to two kids Ava and Deacon. She takes the children to school, cooks dinner and reads them stories.Nicole Kidman
Earnings per film:
Commands $22 million.Industry acclaim:
Best Actress Oscar winner in 2003 for The Hours, and a three-times Golden Globe winner for The Hours, Moulin Rouge and To Die For.Go for it:
Nicole, 39, plays down her power and says she simply adores her job. 'I don't see myself as terribly powerful or successful. I see myself more as just absolutely loving what I do,' she says.But the former Mrs Tom Cruise has plenty of clout in Hollywood, backing Meg Ryan's sexy film In the Cut and lending her voice to the United Nations Women's Rights campaigns.
'I produced In the Cut because it was a book I read years ago and I used my own money to buy the rights and gave it to [director] Jane [Campion] because I thought it would interest her. I have no desire to direct. I am terrible about making decisions and being a director you have to make many, many decisions constantly.
'When I was 14 and first started out as an actress in Australia, acting meant getting a pay cheque, getting to miss school and getting to eat all the chocolate cake I wanted. Back then, I enjoyed making movies. Now I respect being allowed to make them and to work with some of the greatest writers, directors and actors in the profession today.' She continues: 'It's more about just having the blessings at the moment, to do things creatively, and express things that I have going on inside my head.'
Power plus points:
Not charging millions for her wedding pictures during her recent marriage to singer Keith Urban, but asking instead for donations to be made to an Australian children's hospital.Drew Barrymore
Earnings per film:
About $15 million.Industry acclaim:
Winner of numerous MTV awards and has a star on the Walk of Fame.Go for it:
'It's a shallow, inconsistent, competitive, cruel world,' the Charlie's Angels actress once said. 'Whenever I get really sad that I'm involved in it, I feel that instead of complaining, I should go in there and make it better.'And that's exactly what she did, forming her own production company, Flower Films, with partner Nancy Juvonen. Ten years later, it is a tiny powerhouse thanks to the Charlie's Angels franchise, which made more than $400 million worldwide and turned Drew into a mini-mogul.
'I knew what our intentions were,' says Drew, now aged 31, 'but they had nothing to do with success. It doesn't matter how far or high I go. If I can keep working, that is the most profound amount of success I can ever find.'
On her relationship with her partner Nancy Juvonen, Drew explains that 'to us, what filmmaking is all about is keeping promises. That's our work ethic. The truth is, we're a small company, and we like it hardcore family-style - we're very hands-on. It's certainly the family I never had, and a really important source of stability for me and an outlet for creativity. It's kind of ideal.'
Power plus points:
Holding it together while working on Charlie's Angels. 'There were days before we started shooting when I thought everything was going to collapse and I'd be the laughing stock of the business. But I pulled through it, we did the film, and when the first weekend grosses came in, I think I screamed louder than I've ever screamed in my life.'Catherine Zeta Jones
Earnings per film:
Took home $8 million for Chicago.Industry acclaim:
Won the 2003 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Chicago as well as a Bafta.Go for it:
Having married into Hollywood royalty, the Welsh starlet has seriously upped her box office clout since tying the knot with Michael Douglas.'It's tough when you're married, it becomes a little voyeuristic,' says 36-year-old Catherine, on the prospect of starring with her hubby. 'People think they're looking into your real life but that's not the case.'
She says she would love her kids, Carys and Dylan, to keep up the Douglas acting dynasty. 'I would love them to be in the business when they are older,' she says. 'This business has been terrific for me. Then again, this is probably one for Michael because I never had famous parents - my Dad wasn't Spartacus - so I would just warn them about that but absolutely encourage them to do the profession. It's still the best job in the world.'
Power plus points:
Having another friend in high places - Steven Spielberg. 'Steven is the man really responsible for helping me start my career in Hollywood,' she says. 'I've known him for ages and he's been a great friend and supporter. He got me the part in Zorro, which he produced, and he wanted me for The Terminal. So it's nice to have a friend like that who's also one of the greatest directors ever.'Sandra Bullock
Earnings per film:
Was already earning $15 million by 2002.Industry acclaim:
Part of the cast of Crash who won an Ensemble Academy Award, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Go for it:
'I like to be creative,' says Sandra. 'Sometimes you want to do more than just act. I like to be involved on both sides of the camera but I don't see it as something I want to do instead of acting.'She co-wrote and produced Miss Congeniality and its sequel, having started her own production company called Fortis Films almost 10 years ago. Sandra, 42, who is married to TV mechanic Jesse James, is pragmatic when talking about being at the top of her game. 'It's a question of learning by mistakes - everything shifts when you have success, but there's another thing that you do learn, fame goes as quickly as it comes, and you have to learn to live with that,' she says.
'I am in a place where so many other actresses with more talent than me could be, but it happened to Sandra Bullock, not them. I know that. I do work very hard at what I do. Nothing good ever happens to people who just sit there and wait and moan. I chose to take advantage of the opportunities that came my way. That's just being down to earth and sensible, isn't it?'
Power plus points:
Giving $2 million to the American Red Cross after 9/11 and then Hurricane Katrina - and opening an eco-friendly burger joint with her beau.Angelina Jolie
Earnings per film:
Earned $10 million for her role in Mr and Mrs Smith, and $12 million for the Lara Croft sequel.Industry acclaim:
In 2000 won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Girl, interrupted and has taken home three Golden Globes.Go for it:
Since becoming part of Hollywood's most powerful couple, with former co-star Brad Pitt, Angelina has hardly had a day out of the newspapers. Some say her work as a goodwill ambassador for the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) also has the benefit of distracting from her personal life, but Angelina has realised the power her fame has brought her and worked hard on that outside of Hollywood - which has in turn only made her more interesting to studios and audiences alike.'I love being in the position of being able to do interesting work on a creative level by making different kinds of films, and to use my celebrity to bring attention to very important international causes where you can make a difference and see the results,' says the 31-year-old mum of three.
'I've been able to meet with politicians and local officials and get them to help their people and change things in very serious ways. I can work to get money to clear land mines. I can build an orphanage and help this many or that many children.'
She has personally donated $4 million since 2001 to Pakistani earthquake victims and other causes, most recently to maternity wards of state hospitals in Namibia, the impoverished African nation where she gave birth to her daughter, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, in May.
Power plus points:
Pledging to give a third of her income to deserving causes. 'Yeah, well, I have a stupid income for what I do,' she said.Uma Thurman
Earnings per film:
$14 million for comedy flick, My Super Ex-Girlfriend.Industry acclaim:
Oscar-nominated for Pulp Fiction and had numerous nominations for the Kill Bill films.Go for it:
The beautiful Kill Bill star says her career has been 'very touch-and-go' but she still holds a lot of sway and is able to argue for changes in her characters or the film as a whole.'I don't feel power,' says 36-year-old Uma. 'I've been on the A-list and off the A-list and on the D-list like, I can't even tell you how many times. So to me, survival as an actress is just a miracle.
'I haven't made a career out of block-busting movies. I've made a career out of things that worked out that no-one would have expected - quite different than the kind of industry jockeying-for-position kind of thing.'
Power plus points:
Being Quentin Tarantino's muse, one of the most influential directors of his generation.Jennifer Aniston
Earnings per film:
Along Came Polly earned her $5 million but she now commands up to $18 million.Industry acclaim:
Won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Friends.Go for it:
Okay, so many of her post-Friends films have proved that her name on the movie poster doesn't guarantee gold at the box office (Derailed, Friends with Money, Rumour Has It) but she still generates more column inches than any other celebrity, with the exception of her ex-husband Brad and new woman Angelina Jolie.'I only pick things that I respond to, and I never ever know if it is going to be successful or not until you throw it at the wall, the audiences responds, and it either touches that nerve, or it doesn't,' she says of her film choices. 'I've done some far-fetched and some unrealistic films - I'm not saying which they were - and I don't want to go back down that road again.'
She may play the sweet 'girl next door' on screen, but in reality 37-year-old Jen is pretty tough. An astute businesswoman, she and Brad started Plan B, the production company behind Troy and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which she left this year.
'Fame can have many different effects on people,' says Jen. 'You can have lots of money and be really faithful and do lots of positive things or waste it all and die of an overdose because you don't know who you are. It's a very seductive industry that bullshits a lot. It makes you think that you're greater than you are sometimes.'
Power plus points:
In 2001, along with her five co-stars, she negotiated a fee of no less that $1 million per episode for Friends, which had become one of the most popular shows in TV history. 'We knew we were playing for high stakes and that's why we never wanted to get into that kind of confrontation again, and the producers knew that,' she said.Salma Hayek
Earnings per film:
Up to $10 million.Industry acclaim:
Oscar-nominated for Frida.Go for it:
The Mexican beauty plans to spearhead a Latino invasion of American TV and has already been largely responsible for making equal roles for Latina actresses in film. 'It's changed a lot,' she says of the industry's attitude. 'Definitely when I came here, most people told me, "Go home, there are no parts". And there really were none. I have to persuade people that my accent won't be a problem, but an asset. Everyone's afraid of doing something a bit risky.'The 39-year-old produced and starred as the Mexican surrealist painter Frida Kahlo in the drama biopic Frida after fighting for years to get the film made. She powered the project into production through her company, Ventanarosa, and the sheer force of her determination brought the life story of her fellow countrywoman to the screen.
She is currently producing comedy series Ugly Betty which features an almost all-Latino cast and is planning the next chapter in her TV takeover. 'We are pitching for other shows and they all have Latino characters in them,' says Salma. 'But the shows themselves are for everybody. They're universal themes where we include other ethnic people into the universe - not just Latino. I'm very excited about it.'
Power plus points:
Salma kicked off at reports she has amassed a $100 million fortune. 'It's very, very far from reality. I don't have that amount of money,' she says. 'If I had $100 million I would have retired and would be doing more things on an altruistic level than I can now.'Courteney Cox
Earnings per film:
$7 million for Scream 3 in 2000, but took home just $150,000 for 2004's November.Industry acclaim:
Nominated for an American Comedy Award for Friends.Go for it:
Like Monica, her control-freak alter ego on Friends, 42-year-old Courteney doesn't enjoy uncertainty and a lot of down time. She enjoys buying, renovating, and then selling homes she's lived in over the years (and always at a healthy profit) and has been supervising the production of Mix It Up, a home improvement show her company Coquette developed for the Women's Entertainment Network.'I've learned to direct my nervous energy in more positive ways. Although I love to move from one little task to another, I've found a better rhythm to my puttering,' she explains. '(Husband) David (Arquette) has gotten to know that side of me so he would probably wonder what's wrong with me if I suddenly sat down and read a book on the sofa for four hours!'
She is laidback about the direction her career is heading in these days, and is happy to pursue other projects. 'It would be impossible to duplicate what Friends has accomplished and what that experience has meant to me and everyone else involved with it. I don't know exactly what kind of career I'm going to have in the future because this business can be very unpredictable. I'm not putting any pressure on myself and I feel very excited about opening up new avenues in my work,' she says.