Nicole
Kidman, makes $16 mil-$17 mil. What she should be earning: -$1 mil. That's
right, I'm saying that Nicole should be paying film companies to hire her, not
the other way around. That's because she's poison at the box office, the female
equivalent of Sean Penn. Women dislike her, men don't think she's sexy, and
those Chanel ads induce nausea. My guess is Nicole's rate dates back to Sony
Pictures overpaying her for that bomb Bewitched. Since then, she's been doing
smaller films, but is signing for studio projects right now. Note to majors:
save your $$$ and hire Reese or Angelina.
2. Reese Witherspoon
Reese
Witherspoon, $15 mil. What she should be earning: $25 mil. Reese can do no
wrong. Women love her, men love her, the camera loves her. And she's smart: when
she was looking for a new agency, she lamented not owning her Legally Blonde
character because it'll be Broadway bound. Which doesn't mean all her films are
great, but she's always great in them. She opens a movie. 'Nuff said.
3. Renee Zellweger
Renee
Zellweger, $15 mil. What she should be earning: $5 mil. Renee doesn't open
movies, unless the material is Bridget Jones-cloned. She's fine as the wife or
girlfriend, but then her price needs to be cut by a third. Worse, audiences are
getting sick of her changing hair color whenever she changes parts. That's a dye
job, not an acting job. Sadly, she's lost her once winning girl-next-door
quality; now she's trying to be a fashion diva. Ugh.
4. Drew Barrymore
Drew
Barrymore, $15 mil. What she should be asking: $3 mil. Drew has never been able
to open a movie, and she never will. That doesn't mean she isn't sweet onscreen,
but lately her roles have been too saccharine. If only she'd bring back that
Poison Ivy edginess she once had. Women like her but they don't want to be her
(or even briefly married to Tom Green), whereas men don't think she's hot
anymore. Drew's price should go up when she grows up.
5. Cameron Diaz
Cameron
Diaz, $15 mil. What she should be asking: $7 mil. Put her in a bikini, and she's
worth it. Put her in a chick flick (In Her Shoes, The Holiday), and she's not.
Everyone finds her sexy, but women don't like her. (It's jealousy. And not just
because of Justin.) Plus, she simply doesn't have much range as an actress from
the neck up.
6. Halle Berry
Halle
Berry, $14 mil. What she should be asking: $5 mil. Once she lost her shot at
launching a new franchise as 007's Jinx, she lost what should have been her
biggest paydays. Alas, she's now the wrong side of 40, and Hollywood is cruel
that way.
7. Charlize Theron
Charlize
Theron, $10 mil. What she should be asking: $10 mil. A smart actress, surrounded
by smart people, doing smart roles. Just don't fuck it up with too many vanity
projects like North Country.
8. Angelina Jolie
Angelina
Jolie, $10 mil. What she should be asking: $25 mil. There's no one hotter and
cooler right now than Angelina onscreen and off (just ask the stalkarazzi), but
that could change if she starts auditioning for sainthood by making too many
message movies. Let's hope she's too bad-ass for that.
9. Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten
Dunst, $8 mil-$10 mil. What she should be asking: $1 mil. Eventually, the
Spider-Man franchise will end. Marie Antoinette dying in theaters didn't help
her price. She was an idiot not to star in Bring It On sequels for big bucks.
She's not sexy enough and she won't age well with audiences. This is a career
about to end.
10. Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer
Aniston, $8 mil. What she should be asking: $1 mil. She's not a movie star.
She's a TV star. Big difference. Most of all, she's not an interesting actress.
She can't open a movie, and her choice of material is abysmal. Sure, The
Break-Up did okay business, but that was because of Vince and in spite of her.
Soon she'll be lucky to score the next Lifetime movie.
