Angelina Jolie’s $33 Million ‘Maleficent’ Salary Made Her the Highest Paid Female Actor of 2013
In addition to being a humanitarian, mother, and sex symbol, Angelina Jolie is a talented actor and filmmaker. She’s 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 titular role in Disney’s Maleficent in 2013, which many recognize as one of Jolie’s most iconic characters ever.
The film, which also starred Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora, was a huge success. Jolie reportedly took home a huge payday of $33 million for bringing her star power to the role. Since then, she has starred in a 2019 sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and is now in pre-production for a third Maleficent film.
With her ‘Maleficent’ salary, Angelina Jolie became the highest-paid female actor of 2013
Disney executives recognized that the star had the charisma and A-list appeal necessary to make the film a hit. Forbes reports that the $33 million salary Angelina Jolie took home for Maleficent made her the highest-paid female actor of 2013. Following Jolie on the list for that year were Jennifer Lawrence ($26 million), Kristen Stewart ($22 million), and Jennifer Aniston ($20 million). But there is no doubt that Maleficent made it Jolie’s year.
It wasn’t the money alone, however, that drew Jolie to the role. When promoting the sequel in 2019, Jolie told Vanity Fair that she deeply related to the character and felt at home playing her. “There have been times in my life where I have felt misunderstood, like Maleficent, and not accepted,” Jolie remarked at the time.
“I’ve been through different 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 ups and downs—because it leads to something bigger and greater, and makes you stronger.” For the sequel, she was reportedly paid $28 million upfront and likely gained millions more as a producer.
Jolie has had a long (and lucrative) career spanning decades
From her early gigs to her recent turn in the Marvel entry Eternals, Jolie is no stranger to Hollywood success. And Disney isn’t the only production company to recognize her worth. This has translated to some very lucrative movie deals over the last couple of decades, assuring her continued financial security.
In addition to her huge payouts for the Maleficent films, Jolie has consistently earned an average salary of about $15-20 million per film. As The Things notes, other impressive payouts she has received 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 primarily because of how little time she spent on screen.
As you might expect, Jolie’s net worth reflects her huge degree of success
Besides just 2013, Jolie was also the highest-paid actor in 2009 and 2011. So there is a reason she has been able to demand such large paychecks. Her endeavors in producing have also brought in income outside her acting paydays. As of 2022, Angelina Jolie’s net worth was reported to be about $160 million. This number accounts for her film industry roles. But also includes some of the other sources of income she has, such as modeling endorsements. For instance, she was paid $10 million to appear in ads for Louis Vuitton in 2011.
