That's magic! Harry Potter star Emma Watson is named Hollywood's highest paid actress

Top earner: Despite trying to maintain a normal life Harry Potter actress Emma Watson was the highest paid female star in Hollywood in 2009

She may have put her acting career on hold to carve out a 'normal' life for herself by attending university, but that hasn't stopped Emma Watson from being named as the highest paid female star in Hollywood.
The 19-year-old earned more than established stars such as Cameron Diaz and Sarah Jessica Parker on a list of Hollywood's top 40 earners.
Her 2009 income was put at £20million in the inaugural list compiled by Vanity Fair magazine.
The magazine said her fee for appearing in the final two parts of the series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, was £10million.
Watson, who is studying at a U.S. university in Rhode Island, has also picked up lucrative advertising contracts and is the face of fashion chain Burberry.
She has also launched her own range of fair-trade clothing through a company called People Tree.
As well as earning more than any other actress she is also the youngest star on the list.
Her Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe fared even better and was placed sixth with an income of £25.6million.
Incredibly, the 20-year-old was the highest paid actor on the list with the top five places all occupied by directors.
Radcliffe's bank balance has been swelled by a guest appearance in an advert to be shown during the Super Bowl game this coming Sunday.
He features in a spot for the new Hogwarts theme park opening at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, later this year.
The magazine, which compiled its list from various sources, said Radcliffe pulled in £23.3million for his role in the final two Harry Potter films and a further £634,000 for merchandise linked to the series of books by J.K Rowling.

 

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Radcliffe, who has used some of his earning to build up a property portfolio in the UK and U.S., earned more than old hands such as Johnny Depp and Robert De Niro.
The top 40 list was topped by director Michael Bay, who made the Transformers film.

Big screen hit: Emma has played the heroine Hermione in all of the Potter films

His income was put at £78.12million with Steven Spielberg second on the list with £53.1million.
James Cameron, the director and producer of Avatar, was fourth with £31.25million.
Robert Pattinson was the only other British star in the top 40.
The Twilight star earned £11.25million to make it on to the list at number 38, two places above Brad Pitt.

The top Hollywood earners in 2009:

1. Michael Bay, producer-director ($125 million)

2. Steven Spielberg, producer-director ($85 million)

3. Roland Emmerich, producer-director ($70 million)

4. James Cameron, producer-director ($50 million)

5. Todd Phillips, director ($44 million)

6. Daniel Radcliffe, actor (£25.9 million)

7. Ben Stiller, actor ($40 million)

8. Tom Hanks, actor ($36 million)

9. J. J. Abrams, producer-director ($36 million)

10. Jerry Bruckheimer, producer ($35.5 million)

Hollywood's top female earners in 2009:

1. Emma Watson, actress ($30million)

2. Cameron Diaz, actress ($27million)

3. Sarah Jessica Parker, actress ($24million)

4. Katherine Heigl, actress ($24million)

5. Reese Witherspoon, actress ($21million)

6. Angelina Jolie, actress ($21million)

7. Jennifer Aniston, actress ($20million)

8. Sandra Bullock, actress ($20million)

9. Kristen Stewart , actress ($16million)

Twilight years: Robert Pattinson was the only other British actor that made the top 40 list compiled by Vanity Fair