Almost 12 years since Mona Lisa Smile and Julia Roberts is still the highest paid actress ever.

FYI Julia was paid 25 million dollars for MLS which was almost 40% of the film's total budget. Yes, 40%

"Why aren't actresses today unable to match the star power of Julia ?"

There are - people just realized that NO ONE is worth $21 million. Not even Julia (Mona Lisa Smile bombed)

[quote]Why aren't actresses today unable to match the star power of Julia ?

Because Julia swallowed.

I can't believe she starred in a flick called Mona Lisa Smile. This is a more accurate artistic depiction of Ms. Roberts.

Please don't post troll responses guys. Let's have some discussions.Ok ?

How much did Topher Grace get paid? He was the only reason to see this shitfest.

Big budget movies aren't about stars anymore. They're about CG spectacle and nobodies in superhero costumes. Those are what make the big bucks.

Because like it or not, Julia Roberts was the last female movie star. Not Streep, not Bullock, and certainly not JLaw.

Her cunt is truly snatchtastic

This is BORING! Let's talk about COLTON HAYNES!

r8, all the women you mention are stars - more so than Julia

OP, salaries for top actors have fallen, that's all.

Movie studios have realized that in today's entertainment climate, no actor on Earth is a reliable film box-office draw. Julia was fortunate enough to be a young actress in an era when they hadn't figured that out, that's the secret of her success.

Movies have changed so much since Julia Roberts headlined movies. Last year, there were ZERO romantic comedies in the top 100 grossing films.

One day, maybe Jennifer Lawrence will get there but there's so few projects being developed for young actresses today (or older ones like Bullock) that it makes it difficult for them to capitalize on their successes and move on to the next project. There's just no pipeline...

And how successful was Mona Lisa Smile?

When I was teaching English in Japan, there was a young Yakuza guy who paid for English lessons. Since he paid, our conversation school still had to teach him but most of the teachers were scared of him and refused to teach him. Since I was new, young and Asian American, they made me his teacher. When I asked him why he wanted to learn English, he always replied, "I want to fakku juria robertsu."

bump

r11 is in their teens to early 20s and doesn't even get where female movie stars were on the radar before Julia Roberts happened. They didn't exist any more. Period. Sandra Bullock got chances and has always capitalized on Julia's trailblazing. Roberts turned down quite a few (to Sandra's benefit) more that just a few Bullock movies. Sandra is a scab, always was (since she looks like a homely, faucet nosed lesbian) and made the best career a scab ever has out of it.

"is in their teens to early 20s and doesn't even get where female movie stars were on the radar before Julia Roberts happened."

No, I'm actually old enough to remember Julia's "glory days" and her accomplishments are not unique. There are still bankable movie stars out there. Meryl Streep is still playing leading lady roles at 60+ years old (God bless her) and has had remarkable longevity in an industry that is harsh towards aging women

R18 I mostly agree with you. Julia got lucky where she happened. But I do think it's somewhat unique to get studios to push female driven films. She did do that imo. Much of the 70s and 80s studios did not make many movies with movies at the center on a regular basis. They dismissed it could be lucrative.

*with women at the center I meant

You still don't get it and obviously won't if you continue to talk of Streep. I mean that Julia Roberts was the last female movie S T A R. That era seems over but she was the last to possess whatever it is that makes one a star on screen. Streep never had that and never will. Bullock is a TV show kind of actress and certainly has no screen impact. Even in August Osage County Meryl looked like a sketch player loon and Julia like an Ansel Adams portrait. She has real presence on film, and the world for a long time agreed.

I've got what she had! Tell me her secret!

R21 says it better than anyone has. Julia was very big and very good for the industry in her heyday. That's why most of her peers have respect for her. She is widely admired. Most performers know what a feat hammering any kind of power into the film business means. She belongs in the Hepburns, Monroe, Davis, Crawford, Taylor, Streisand, Fonda conversations.

Julia also made the faghag cool. After My Best Friend's Wedding we saw Will and Grace get developed and all kinds "best gay" characters all over. I hate the term best gay.

I've never seen MLS. Any good?

The costumes were nice... I can't remember who designed them.

This thread is adorable.

I got $70m for Gravity.

It's all about the back-end deal now.

Julia wouldn't know what that is given she's so frontloaded.

It's because her acting ability is so much greater than ours.