Kristen Stewart attending the Twilight Saga Film New Moon (Twilight Chapitre 2 Tentation) Photocall at the Crillon Hotel in Paris, France on November 10, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Kristen Stewart beat out some of Tinseltown's most revered stars to earn the title of "The Highest-Paid Actress in Hollywood."
Forbes ranked Stewart above the likes of Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron -- women almost more than twice her age who have been in the business for decades. At only 22, Stewart is already earning $12.5 million per "Twilight" film.
How does she command such a hefty salary?
"At this point, could anyone else play Bella Swan in Twilight?" asks Forbes' Dorothy Pomerantz. "Probably not; if the studio tried to switch in another actress, fans would revolt. So for the last two "Twilight" films, Stewart has been able to demand an estimated $12.5 million per film, plus a share of the profits."
Between May 2011 and May 2012, the brunette beauty raked in $34.5 million, earning more than "Twilight" co-stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.
Just one year ago, Stewart ranked at No. 5 on Forbes' "Highest-Paid Actresses" list, tied with movie vet, Julia Roberts.
Forbes compiles its list through the consideration of factors like upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising deals. Agent fees and expenses were not factored in.
Although Stewart is raking in the dough, she seems completely unaffected by her celebrity.
"You can Google my name and one of the first things that comes up is images of me sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe with my ex-boyfriend and my dog," Stewart told Vanity Fair contributing editor, Ingrid Sischy, in July's cover story.
The photos of Stewart smoking were taken by paparazzi in 2008, when the first installment of "Twilight" was released and the young actress was thrust, unprepared, into the spotlight. In the photos,Stewart sits on her front porch in gray sweatpants and a white tank top with her hair thrown into a messy ponytail and a black pipe in her hand. Subsequent photos showed Stewart smoking.
"It was [taken] the day the movie came out. I was no one. I was a kid. I had just turned 18. In [the tabloids] the next day it was like I was a delinquent slimy idiot, whereas I'm kind of a weirdo, creative Valley Girl who smokes pot. Big deal. But that changed my daily life instantly. I didn't go out in my underwear anymore."
She might be one of the most popular and highest-paid young stars, but she still faces her share of criticism. Lucky for Stewart, she wears armor that no critic can penetrate.
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/354368/20120620/highest-paid-actresses-kristen-stewart-angelina-jolie.htm
