Scarlett Johansson tops Forbes' best-paid actresses list

The combined earnings of the world's 10 highest-paid actresses totaled $186 million between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018, before fees and taxes, up eight percent on last year, but nine percent down on the 2016 total.

As the world's top-paid actress, Scarlett Johansson ranked the 76th place on the 2018 edition of the Celebrity 100, Forbes' list of best-paid celebrities, and she is the only female star on the list, forming a sharp contrast with their male counterparts.

By pocketing $239 million pretax and fees, George Clooney becomes the world's best-paid actor, ranking the second among the Celebrity 100.

Eight other actors entered the Celebrity 100 with earnings over $35 million, including Dwayne Johnson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Jackie Chan, etc.

The gender pay gap in Hollywood has received wide-spread attention since the 2014 Oscars, when Patricia Arquette brought up the issue in her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress, "it's our time to have wage equality for once and for all."

Her sentiment was later echoed by many iconic stars including Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, and Viola Davis.

According to a 2016 study quoted by Forbes, female characters account for only 28.7 percent of all speaking roles in films, which greatly reduced the opportunities for actresses to earn big bucks.

However, some actresses have turned to find other chances for earning: Witherspoon cofounded her Pacific Standard production company and Hello Sunshine media house to option rights for female-led parts. Others, like Aniston, supplement acting income with hefty endorsement deals, said Forbes.