Remember the names Fan Bingbing and Deepika Padukone.
Last year, these women had a combined annual income of £20.4million. They are philanthropists, fashion designers and women's rights activists. So, why haven't you heard of them before?
Well, according to a staff writer at Forbes: 'Last year was the first time we actually looked outside of just the U.S., so last year Fan Bingbing was the only foreign actress to make the list. This year she's joined by Charlize Theron and Deepika Padukone.'
Bingbing and Padukone have been making waves in their own countries' film industries for years. Meanwhile, Hollywood and the foreign press have overlooked their existence, in contrast to the highly-publicised and well-established English-speaking caucasian actresses, such as Jennifer Lawrence and Mila Kunis, commonly presented on screen.
Bingbing, who ranked number five on the Forbes list with an annual salary totaling £12.8million, is known as a famous fashion designer, supermodel, producer and philanthropist in her home country of China. More recently, the star has set up her own production company, Fan BingBing studio, and has segwayed into Hollywood with roles in films such as X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Meanwhile, Padukone ranked number 10 on the list with an income of £7.5million and is well-known in India as a Bollywood actress who has spoken out about women's rights and mental health issues on numerous occasions.
Other actresses that made the list include:
- Jennifer Lawrence (£34.8million)
- Melissa McCarthy (£25million)
- Scarlett Johnasson (£18.9million)
- Jennifer Aniston (£15.9million)
- Fan Bingbing
- Charlize Theron (£12.5million)
- Amy Adams (£10.2million)
- Julia Roberts (£9.1million)
- Mila Kunis (£8.3million)
- Deepika Padukone
It's about time Hollywood, and the rest of the world, remove their blinkers to explore international successes from around the world.
Watch Deepika Padrukone short film empowering women's rights:
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
