$17 million per flick makes Kidman queen of Hollywood

NICOLE KIDMAN is the best-paid actress in Hollywood.

The Australian beauty makes $17 million (€12.85m) per movie, according to Hollywood Reporter’s annual top ten list.

Kidman dethroned last year’s top money-maker, American actress Reese Witherspoon, who was second this year with $15m (€11.33m) per flick.

For the first time in its five-year history, Julia Roberts did not make the list. She has dedicated much of her time lately to raising her twins Phinnaeus and Hazel.

Kidman, 39, won an Oscar for playing writer Virginia Woolf in The Hours and has starred in major films such as Cold Mountain. But she was unable to match the feat of Roberts, also an Oscar winner, who earned $20m (€15.11m) per movie in her busier years.

Industry insiders are tipping Roberts to make a return to the Hollywood Reporter list in 2007, as she is shooting Charlie Wilson’s War alongside Tom Hanks and has signed up to appear in The Friday Night Knitting Club.

Third on this year’s list was Renee Zellweger, the star of Bridget Jones’s Diary, who also earned $15m.

Charlie’s Angels co-stars Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz were fourth and fifth respectively, both also scoring $15m for each movie.

Two more Oscar winners featured. Halle Berry earned $14m (€10.6m) per movie and South African Charlize Theron, $10m (€7.56m).

Angelina Jolie was eighth with $10m, followed by Kirsten Dunst with between $8m (€6m) and $10m, and Jennifer Aniston with $8m.