Kristen Stewart has leapt to the top of Forbes' list of highest-paid actresses, kissing goodbye to Angelina Jolie, who now has to make do with fourth place. Reuters reports that the 22 year-old star of the Twilight movies, now starring in 'Snow White and the Huntsman,' earned an estimated $34.5 million between May 2011 and May 2012. In second place, snapping at Stewart's heels is Cameron Diaz, with $34 million after her surprise box office hit with 'Bad Teacher.'
Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes said "She (Stewart) is an up-and-coming star. She is earning a lot of money from one of the most successful franchises of all time. This is who you would expect to see right now. This year you are seeing somebody young and at the brink of potentially great stardom sitting on the top of the list." In third place is Sandra Bullock, with $25 million and Jolie sits in fourth with $20 million. Actresses such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Angelina Jolie flesh out their fortune with residual deals such as perfumes, which keep them in the rich list, even if their acting careers aren't quite going to plan. "(Sarah Jessica Parker) is almost earning more from her perfume and endorsement deals right now than from entertainment. That is true of a lot of women. They have these outside deals that are very lucrative. Angelina Jolie earns a lot from residuals, as does Sarah Jessica Parker," said Pomerantz.
Hollywood's leading women are still flagging way behind their male counterparts though. The top 10 women amassed a combined fortune of $200 million, compared to $361 million for the top ten men.