£12m Julia is top of flops

Hollywood's top actresses are taking home record pay cheques this year - even though they are making bad films.

In the fourth annual list of the ten highest-paid women in film, Julia Roberts was named yesterday as the biggest earner for the second year running, pulling £11.5million per picture, despite such flops as Mona Lisa Smile and Ocean's 12.

Roberts, 38, married to cameraman Danny Moder, scooped the best actress Oscar in 2001 for her starring role in Erin Brockovich. She put her career on hold last year to give birth to twins Phinnaeus and Hazel and will make her Broadway stage debut next April in three Days Of Rain.

Nicole Kidman takes second place, commanding £10million a picture, but should be seeking new roles after The Stepford Wives and Bewitched.

With an Oscar under her belt, Angelina Jolie can still ask for £ 6million to £9million a movie, even though she picked scripts no better than Alexander and Beyond Borders.

Again, despite making £9million a film, Drew Barrymore needs better career advice after the abysmal Fever Pitch and 50 First Dates.

Jodie Foster is back on the list for the first time since 2002, making £6million to £7million a film. It's just too bad the acclaimed star is boring us with rubbish such as Flight Plan.

Charlize Theron may get another Oscar nod for North Country, making her worth her £6million.

But one critic said of her next film: 'Aeon Flux isn't even being screened for critics. Never a good sign.'