Image Credit: Janet Mayer/PR Photos
What’s the opposite of blerg? Tina Fey won’t be dusting off that classic Liz Lemonism for a while because she was just named TV’s highest-paid actress by Forbes. Fey tied with Eva Longoria for the top spot, with each actress raking in $13 million between May 2010 and May 2011. Fey took the lead for her multitasking role as a star, producer, and head writer on 30 Rock, plus the earnings from her book Bossypants, which just sold its millionth copy. Longoria’s success came not only from her role on Desperate Housewives but also from lucrative endorsement deals with L’Oréal and LG.
Longoria was joined by fellow Housewives Marcia Cross (#3), and Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman, who tied for sixth place with $9 million apiece. Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay and soon-to-depart CSI regular Marg Helgenberger earned a healthy $10 million to tie Cross for third place. Rounding out the group, Cougar Town‘s Courteney Cox and Ellen Pompeo of Grey’s Anatomy both earned $7 million, and The Good Wife star Juliana Margulies took home $6 million last year.
Read more:
Tina Fey’s ‘Bossypants’ sells over a million copies, proving she can do no wrong
‘Desperate Housewives’: Eva Longoria dances on a stripper pole in next episode — EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
‘CSI’ season premiere: Ted Danson, warm and wily, takes over; Catherine prepares to leave
The rich get richer.
I hope to see Mindy Kaling on this list next year. She is an Exec. Producer on the Office and her book is coming out soon!
Yes, she’s hilarious. Kelly is, IMO, the funniest character on The Office and Kaling has written some of the best episodes.
Tina is gold!
obama: No, numbskull. People who work hard get richer and people who waste their lives in the comments section of entertainment websites stay poor.
my bestfriend makes $77 an hóur on the cómputer. She has been out of job for 9 months but last month her check was $7,487 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read about it here CashHàrd.cóm
Mindy might have some more success because of her upcoming book being released but she’s a long way before she can beat the likes of Juliana Margulies and Courteney Cox. Almost all of the women on this list have lucrative and multiple endorsement deals. They’ve also been on tv far longer than Mindy and are much more recognizable. Most of the cast of The Office are executive producers, not just Mindy. She may not make the Top Female TV Performers’ List but I am sure Mindy isn’t starving.
“…Top Female TV Earners’s List”……
“…Top Female TV Earners’ List….”
Sigh. It’s definitely Monday.
Oh grown up. Actors have ALWAYS been paid a lot in Hollywood.
And the poor get poorer.
Greedy celebrities.
Mariska is the only one deserving of that kind of money, based on her talent.
Couldn’t disagree more
She’s not a good actress!
Actress???
TOTALLY agree about Mariska! One of the best out there!
As for the headline of this article, huh? Tina Fey and Eva Longoria TIED,….Tina Fey (who is over-rated, in my opinion) isn’t up there alone.
Yay Tina Fey! I like that her earnings didn’t have to come from product endorsements. Riting and being createive is good now, ja?
Oh the irony of your emphasis on ‘Riting’!
Still, good for Tina Fey though!
That’s not irony.
You are always going to have that handful of people who are still upset at Fey for lampooning Sarah Palin. There is no balm for their hurt feelings (see Mr. Wallace below)
I loved her Sarah Palin but that is comedy not acting. Be honest.
Really, Kim? I love Mariska, but Tina Fey works her butt off on 30 roc and wrote a book. She is hands down one of the funniest people around and deserves it.
“One of the funniest people around?!?!?!” I’d hate to have your sense of humor. She’s not funny. She’s that “clever”, girl nerd who can’t get a data and has about two eggs left. Hey, I think one of your many cats needs fed.
Brian
Can’t get a data? Do you mean date?
Hmmm? I thought being clever was part of being funny.
Obviously Kerry isn’t the only one who find Tina funny given that she’s number one on the list. You don’t like her, that’s fine, but relax.
Can’t get a “data”? Nerds are very good with data… Oh, sorry, Brian, you misspelled “date”, I see… probably because you haven’t been in one for so long?
Tina Fey is awesome. That is all
Well, as a “clever nerd girl” I’m glad to see a feloow “clever nerd girl” win. I’m a bit more concerned about your sense of humor if you did not laugh once while reading Bossypants or in Mean Girls.
Ita w/ Brian!
Tina Fey is NOT funny, people.
‘One of your many cats needs fed’??
I loved a couple of her skits on SNL. As for calling her an Actress?? Uh no. She is a comedian. That sounds right.
And since when did you win the Mark Twain Prize, the youngest recipient ever. Oh, that’s right. Mark Twain wasn’t funny.
The Republicans still haven’t forgiven her for her dead-on impersonation.
I don’t think 30 Rock is funny. But I did like Tina on SNL.
Tina Fey has been married for many years and just gave birth to a baby about six weeks ago. So I don’t think she’s worried about dating or her ovaries. Why are you?
She hasn’t really done much acting that is memorable. All anyone knows her for is the Sarah Palin gig. Other than that, I can remember her except for when she was at SNL doing the comedy news.
It’s a Brent Spiner thing.
30 Rock, The Desperate Housewives, The Good Wife, and Meredith Grey. I’m loving this list. Though I wouldn’t mind if the housewives took a slight pay cut because that show’s budget seems to get lower every year and the cast keeps getting smaller. The huge cast is what made it a hit in the first place.
‘Desperate Housewives’ just began it’s final season, and there hasn’t been any news of the ladies from that show starting any new projects, so I’m sure their salaries will go way down.
About twice as many people watch Jersey Shore as watch 30 Rock. Therefore, Snooki should earn twice as much as Tina Fey!
Fox News logic: Just because something is popular doesn’t equal quality
You go, Girl!
YOU GO GLEN COCO!!!
lol! I love Mean Girls but I never get that reference in the context of the film. Was there a character in the movie w/ that name that I missed?
Ok I just watched the clip on youtube. But I think the funniest part of that scene is “And none for Gretchen Weiners, bye.”
Make fun of a true American patriot & you get “rewarded” by the liberals of America.
aww poor bawwy…
LOL, zee!
Yeah poor, poor Barry. How dare Tine poke fun of his wanking material.
Hey Barry. Sex and Travel.
Who are you talking about? What true American Patriot did she make fun of?
I imagine poor Barry is referring to Tina’s impression of True Patriot Sarah Palin.
@Jeanne Thank you. I actually feel stupid for not realizing that. What can I say, I guess quitting your job halfway through and having a reality show on TLC doesn’t make you a true Patriot on my book.
I’d love to see her Audie Murphy skit!
Your definition of patriot needs some work.
Sounds like you enjoy banging the mashed potatoes.
being a patriot has nothing to do with your political affiliation. Republicans hijacking the word patriot notwithstanding.
Yet sadly, Ashton Kutcher will still make more just for showing up on the most uncreative show on television.
And soon to be the most unsuccessful show this year. I would like to get paid 25 million in a settlement with Lorre and WB, and 100 million in syndication rights into Charlie’s bank account. Charlie has won.
What’s really crazy is Charlie Sheen is making more than any of them to NOT appear on a TV show. Tere is something serioulsy wrong with that.
They need more Tiger Blood probably.
Go Tina! I love you, girl. And don’t listen to the haters. You are HILARIOUS! xo
How about an article about the top earners in general? Why just the ladies? What’s next top earning gays? Top earning non whites? Top earning lip syncers? Reality Stars? Glee cast members?
Shut up.
Some peace. A little piece of whitey pie. A little piece of richy rich’s pie. A little piece of YOUR pie. Yeah, some peace you got there! scammer
Imagine the power of the people if we weren’t being divided by BS politics? Ahah that’s exactly the point. The machine keeps us at eachother’s throats.
Maggie already said it best: Shut up.
One’s a mexican ho, the other is just a ho Need to check the papers on the one I doubt she’s here legal
She still earned 13 million, how much did you earn.
Charlie earned more than all of them combined not to work. So what?
That is some stellar grammar there, Cletus. Maybe you should back away from the sheep and enroll in some classes.
13 million is a lot of money. But there are so many more men making much much more than that for just acting. Well I guess there’s Oprah.