Angelina Jolie’s $33M ‘Vicious’ Salary Makes Her Highest-Paid Female Actor of 2013
In addition to being a humanitarian, mother, and sex symbol, Angelina Jolie is a talented actress and filmmaker. She is often recognized for her ability to embody complex female characters who have a hard edge but a warm heart. One great example of such a character is her title role in Disney’s Maleficent in 2013, recognized by many as one of Jolie’s most recognizable characters ever.
Jolie reportedly took home a whopping $33 million payday for bringing her star power to the role. The film, which also starred Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora, was a huge success. She has since starred in the 2019 sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and is currently in pre-production for the third Maleficent film.
Disney executives recognized that the star had the charisma and A-list appeal necessary to make the film a hit.
Angelina Jolie became the highest paid actress in 2013 with her “Maleficent” salary
Angelina Jolie’s $33 million salary for Maleficent made her the highest-paid female actress of 2013. Jolie was followed on the list that year by Jennifer Lawrence ($26 million), Kristen Stewart ($22 million), and Jennifer Aniston ($20 million). But there’s no doubt that Maleficent made it Jolie’s year.
But it wasn’t just the money that drew Jolie to the role. While promoting the sequel in 2019, Jolie said she related deeply to the character and felt at home with her. “Many times in my life when I felt misunderstood, like Maleficent, and unaccepted,” Jolie noted at the time.
“I’ve been through a lot of things in my life and I was happy to play Maleficent again,” she continued. She made me feel strong again. You have to go through everything—the highs and the lows—because it leads to something bigger and bigger and makes you stronger.” She reportedly received $28 million upfront for the sequel and is likely to obtain millions more as a producer.
Angelina Jolie has had a long (and lucrative) career spanning decades
From her early gigs to her recent turn in Marvel’s Eternals, Jolie is no stranger to Hollywood success. And Disney isn’t the only production company that recognizes its value. This has translated into lucrative film deals over the past few decades, ensuring her continued financial security.
Jolie has consistently earned an average salary of about $15-20 million per film. In addition to her vast payouts for the Maleficent films, As The Things notes, her other impressive payouts include the $35.5 million she earned for her role in Eternals, the $20 million she earned for Salt in 2010, and the $19 million she earned for The Tourist, which is impressive mostly because of how little screen time she’s had.
As you might expect, Jolie’s net worth reflects her enormous degree of success
In addition to 2013, Jolie was also the highest-paid actor in 2009 and 2011. So there is a reason why she could command such huge payouts. Her pursuit of producing has also brought in income outside of her acting paychecks. As of the year 2022, Angelina Jolie’s net worth was reported to be about $160 million. This number accounts for her roles in the film industry. But it also includes some of the other sources of income she has, such as modeling endorsements. For example, she was paid $10 million in 2011 to appear in advertisements for Louis Vuitton.