The absence of a single woman of color in Forbes’ list of this year’s ten highest paid actresses has reignited the debate on diversity in Hollywood.
La La Land actress Emma Stone, who took home $26 million between June 2016 and 2017, topped this year’s list.
The top five was completed by Jennifer Aniston ($25.5 million), Jennifer Lawrence ($24 million), Melissa McCarthy ($18 million) and Mila Kunis ($15.5 million).
Though the Academy Awards made strides in erasing their #OscarsSoWhite image, this list may serve as yet another example that non-white actors are underrepresented in the film industry.
Natalie Robehmed, associate editor at Forbes, addressed the lack of diversity on the highest paid actress list in a statement: ‘This year’s ranking did not include a single actress of color.
‘Last year, Deepika Padukone and Fan Bingbing made the cut, but this year both failed to earn the $11.5 million entry due to quieter schedules, Forbes estimates.
Fresh off winning her first Oscar, actress Emma Stone ousted Jennifer Lawrence on Wednesday to claim the top spot on Forbes’ 2017 list of the world’s highest-paid actresses
‘The lack of diversity on the list comes down to roles: Only 28.3 per cent of all speaking roles across formats go to characters from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, according to a 2016 study (by the University of Southern California).
‘That means there are simply fewer characters—and fewer high-paying roles—written for women of color.
When studios, directors and screenwriters begin creating more main characters for women of color in the types of big budget movies that pay huge upfront fees and backend profits, we’ll see more actors of color on the list.’
Lawrence, 27, who topped the Forbes list for two consecutive years, dropped to No. 3
This comes despite the fact these ethnic groups making up almost 40 per cent of the United States population.
After the condemnation the Oscars received in 2016, seven minority actors were nominated for Academy Awards this year and two — Mahershala Ali and Viola Davis — took home awards.
This year’s highest paid actress Stone made an incredible $26 million in pre-tax earnings, according to Forbes’ calculations over a 12-month period from June 2016 to June 2017.
Fresh from winning her first Oscar earlier this year, the 28-year-old star dethroned Jennifer Lawrence to claim the top spot.
She outpaced Jennifer Aniston, 48, who came in at No. 2 this year with earnings of $25.5 million, with residual income still coming in from the television sitcom Friends and endorsement deals with brands such as SmartWater and Emirates Airlines.
Lawrence, 27, who topped the Forbes list for two consecutive years, dropped to No. 3 this year with earnings of $24 million, almost half of her prior year’s earnings of $46 million.
Most of her earnings come from Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming horror Mother! and Red Sparrow.
The actress, who has spoken out on equal pay for women in Hollywood, saw her earnings dip this year after the conclusion of the Hunger Games franchise, but continues to make money from movie deals and an endorsement deal with fashion brand Christian Dior.
Jennifer Aniston, 48, came in at No. 2 this year with earnings of $25.5 million
Forbes compiles its annual celebrity earnings lists from box office and Nielsen data, as well as from interviews with industry insiders.
The top-ten list also includes Charlize Theron, Emma Watson and Melissa McCarthy. Forbes said no stars from Asia made the cut this year.
McCarthy made $18 million this year compared to $33 million in 2016 which put her at No. 2, thanks in part to her role in the all-female Ghostbusters remake.
Watson, 27, is a newcomer to the list after Beauty and the Beast became the biggest grossing movie of the year so far at $1.26 billion.
Forbes said the cumulative total earned by the world’s top ten highest-paid actresses – $172.5 million – was down 16 percent from the previous year.
Top of their game: The top-ten list also includes Charlize Theron, Emma Watson (both pictured) and Melissa McCarthy
While four women breached the $20 million mark last year, only three crossed the threshold this year.
Stone also spoke out about the gender salary gap in Hollywood earlier this year, revealing that her male co-stars have taken salary cuts so she could receive equal pay.
‘That’s something they do for me because they feel it’s what’s right and fair,’ Stone said to Out magazine.
‘That’s something that’s also not discussed, necessarily — that our getting equal pay is going to require people to selflessly say, ‘That’s what’s fair.”
Stone will next be seen alongside Steve Carell in Battle of the Sexes, a true-life tennis drama.
Scarlett Johansson dropped off the list this year as well as two Asian stars Deepika Padukone and Fan Bingbing.
All three earned below the $11.5 million cut off.
Johansson’s earnings of $25 million had her at the No. 3 spot in 2016.
Last year, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid actors at $64.5 million, more than double the amount made by Stone this year.
Last year, the top 10 highest paid actors made around $457 million. Forbes is expected to release its list of top-earning male actors later this week.
Missed out: Scarlett Johansson dropped off the list this year earning below the $11.5 million cut off