Top-earning Australian actress in Hollywood:NICOLE Kidman

NICOLE Kidman has been named as the top-earning Australian actress in Hollywood, after a big lift from the Baz Luhrmann epic Australia.Kidman has been placed eighth -- but was the highest ranked Aussie -- in a list of Tinseltown's top female earners complied by Forbes magazine.

The list is set to further the bitter rivalry between Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston, with Jolie just pipping Aniston as the top female earner.Jolie earned $33.6 million last year, ahead of Aniston, who took home $31.2 million, according to the magazine.Kidman's take-home pay was $15 million, putting her in equal eighth spot with Drew Barrymore.Kidman made much of her income after staring in the Baz Luhrmann epic Australia.She is filming Rabbit Hole in New York.

Fellow Aussie Cate Blanchett was just out of the top 10, coming in at No. 11 after making a cool $10 million in the past year.Blanchett is working on the Ridley Scott adaptation of Robin Hood, as damsel-in-distress Maid Marian.

Third on the list was Meryl Streep, $29.8 million, ahead of Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, Kidman, Barrymore, Renee Zellweger, Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry and Scarlett Johansson, with Kate Winslet rounding out the top 15.
Forbes arrived at the estimated earnings for the 2008-09 financial year by talking to agents, managers, producers and lawyers to determine what the stars received for the movies they are currently shooting, as well as back-end pay earned after a movie hit the theatres.

They also took into account money earned through endorsements.But it's no surprise the women couldn't come close to their male counterparts, with Harrison Ford named as the top-earning actor, making a jaw-dropping $81 million.From:www.news.com.au