First blonde. Then period. Rinse, repeat. Witherspoon is, despite her Pekinese persistence, a talented, intelligent actress. She makes bankable films, bursts of pure candy floss with no attempts at substance, and then follows them up by edgier, more dramatic, less box-office fare. This keeps her in the producers' good books, and on the all-important cover of Vanity Fair, even as she acts in a period classic of coincidentally the same name. Sharp, Reese, very sharp.

3. Nicole Kidman - $15 million

Calling the leggy Australian beauty the best actress among Hollywood's current leading ladies today is, surprisingly, not an exaggeration. Critics adore her and directors like Lars Von Trier literally go ga-ga over her.

This year saw a couple of films that didn't do well, but The Stepford Wives was a risky remake to venture with, and Birth made it look like a joke in comparison. This quirky actress is definitely among the best ever, and her Oscar ensures her brownie points for the list.