Kristen Stewart named highest paid actress in Hollywood

New York -  Kristen Stewart has topped Forbes list of highest paid actresses, with her 34.5 million dollars haul from May 2011 to May 2012.

The magazine credits the astronomical sum to the fact that the 22-year-old actress is integral to the wildly popular and lucrative ‘Twilight’ franchise.

“The star becomes indispensable, and the studio has to pay up,” Forbes said.

Nipping at Stewart’s heels in the No. 2 spot is Cameron Diaz at 34 million dollars over the same span, the New York Daily News reported.

At No. 3 spot is Sandra Bullock, who pulled in a tidy 25 million dollars, while Jennifer Aniston squeaked into the elite roster with her 11-million-dollar earnings.

Despite the staggering sums, Forbes noted that women are still paid significantly less than men in the movie biz.

“The 10 women who make up our list earned a total 200 million dollars compared to the 361 million dollars brought in by our top 10 men,” Forbes said.

The list of the top ten highest earning actresses are:

1. Kristen Stewart - 34.5 million dollars
2. Cameron Diaz - 34 million dollars
3. Sandra Bullock - 25 million dollars
4. Angelina Jolie - 20 million dollars
5. Charlize Theron - 18 million dollars
6. Julia Roberts - 16 million dollars
7. Sarah Jessica Parker - 15 million dollars
8. Meryl Streep - 12 million dollars
9. Kristen Wiig - 12 million dollars
10. Jennifer Aniston - 11 million dollars