Despite the fact that her latest film, "Rendition" was a letdown in the box office, Reese Witherspoon claimed the title as Tinseltown's highest paid actress in 2007. Witherspoon receives $15 to $20 million per movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter's annual list of top-earning actresses. Coming in second with similar a price tag was Angelina Jolie, followed by Cameron Diaz. Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Renee Zellweger, Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, Jodie Foster and Halle Berry rounded out the top 10.
Despite the fact that some of these actresses worked on such box office hits as "A Mighty Heart," "Bee Movie" and "Charlie Wilson's War," none of them earned a nod from the Academy this award season.
While Hollywood's finest all rake in the big bucks off camera, their on-screen portrayals don't earn nearly as much. This year's Academy Award nominees portrayed a variety of working people ?Ητ from hit men and attorneys to barbers and royalty, their salaries ran the gamut.
Here's a look at what the people portrayed in Oscar-nominated roles would earn in present day America. ****
Nominee: George Clooney, best actor, "Michael Clayton"
Character: Michael Clayton, an attorney known as the "the fixer" at a corporate law firm in New York.
Character's salary: A corporate attorney in New York would make $98,700.*
Nominee: Saoirse Ronan, supporting actress, "Atonement"
Character: Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old writer who accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he didn't commit.
Character's salary: Writers and authors earn $58,080. **
Nominee: Daniel Day-Lewis, best actor, "There Will Be Blood"
Character: Daniel Plainview, a silver miner who strikes it rich when he finds oil.
Character's salary: Metal ore miners earn $22.08 per hour, while oil extractors make $21.40. **
Nominee: Laura Linney, best actress, "The Savages"
Character: Wendy Savage, an aspiring playwright working as a temp in New York City who needs to care for her ailing father.
Character's salary: Temporary office clerks earn an average of $11.40 per hour**, while playwrights in New York City make $62,639. *
Nominee: Johnny Depp, best actor, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
Character: Benjamin Barker, a.k.a. Sweeney Todd, a barber (and serial killer) who goes on a murderous rampage in London.
Character's salary: Barbers bring in $26,540. **
Nominee: Marion Cotillard, best actress, "La Vie en Rose"
Character: Edith Piaf, the famous French singer.
Character's salary: Median hourly earnings of wage-and-salary musicians and singers are $19.73. **
Nominee: Tommy Lee Jones, best actor, "In the Valley of Elah"
Character: Hank Deerfield, a retired military sergeant trying to uncover the truth behind his son's death after his tour in Iraq.
Character's salary: In April 2007, an Army staff sergeant with more than 20 years experience earned $3,064.50 per month.
Nominee: Tilda Swinton, supporting actress, "Michael Clayton"
Character: Karen Crowder, a malpracticing company director for the law firm.
Character's salary: The national average for a legal director is $158,832. *
Nominee: Viggo Mortensen, best actor, "Eastern Promises"
Character: Nikolai Luzhin, a driver for a boss in the Russian Mafia.
Character's salary: Taxi drivers and chauffeurs gross $22,080 annually. **
Nominee: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, supporting actor, "Charlie Wilson's War"
Character: Gust Avrakotos, a division chief for the CIA.
Character's salary: A mid-level (step five) CIA division chief earns between $63,481 and $89,202. Salaries vary. ****
* US National Average, unless noted for a specific city, provided by SalaryExpert.com
** Average salary from May 2006, Bureau of Labor Statistics
*** Based on 2008 general pay scale provided by FedJobs.com
**** Not all Oscar nominees are listed.
Copyright 2008 CareerBuilder.com.
