Beyond Beauty: 26+ Women Redefining Success
Hollywood is full of beautiful women; there’s no denying that. However, when it comes to the lovely ladies on this list, they have outdone themselves, as far as their careers, business endeavors, and aspirations go.
From business moguls and tech innovators to artists and activists, these women have shattered stereotypes and carved their paths with determination. Join us as we explore the untold stories behind their success that extend far beyond conventional notions of beauty.
1. Beyonce Knowles
Profession: Singing, Acting
Est. Net Worth: $500 million*
Beyonce has long been regarded as one of the greatest entertainers of her generation, and it is easy to see why. She and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, have a combined net worth of over $1 billion, thanks to their music careers and forays into business.
No doubt you have Queen Bey’s music on your Apple Music and Spotify playlists. Not only does Bey have billions of streams, she also sells out shows, and front-row tickets cost as much as $11,000 for fans lucky enough to afford them.
2. Angelina Jolie
Profession: Acting, Humanitarianism
Est. Net Worth: $120 million*
Superstar Angelina Jolie has been active in Hollywood since the ‘90s, and she is not just an actress, she is also a filmmaker and noted humanitarian. She has received quite a few accolades, including three Golden Globes and an Oscar.
Additionally, she has been named the Highest Paid Actress in Hollywood several times. Jolie, though she isn’t acting as frequently as earlier in her career, has a net worth of $120 million, according to reports. One of her most recent films was the Disney project Maleficent, for which she earned $33 million.
3. Lupita Nyong’o
Profession: Acting
Est. Net Worth: $12 million*
Lupita Nyong’o is a Mexican-Kenyan actress who is one of Hollywood’s most decorated, having earned not only an Oscar, but also nominations for two Emmys and a Tony. We’ve seen Nyong’o give smash-hit performances in movies like Wakanda Forever, Black Panther, Us, Little Monsters, and more.
Lupita has a net worth of $12 million, and her salary has climbed in recent years. For example, for Black Panther, a Marvel film, Lupita made anywhere from $2 to $4 million, according to reports.
4. Françoise Hardy
Profession: Singing
Est. Net Worth: $25 million*
Though people in the States might not be too familiar with Francoise Hardy, those who are fans of French music certainly are. Hardy is a retired songwriter, actress, and singer who spent much of her career in France.
Hardy, who has a net worth in the eight-figure-range, is famous for leading the “ye-ye wave” in the early 1960s. Throughout her career, the singer became famous for her sentimental, melancholic ballads, which she sang in English, German, and Italian, in addition to her native French. Hardy is popular in Europe; her videos on YouTube all have millions of views.
5. Halle Berry
Profession: Acting
Est. Net Worth: $90 million*
Famously beautiful actress Halle Berry has starred in movies like Catwoman, Monster’s Ball, John Wick: Chapter 3, Swordfish, The Call, Moonfall, and more. The actress started out as a model, placing at both the Miss USA and Miss World pageants.
The Ohio native, who has 8 million followers on Instagram, earned $14 million for the 2004 movie Catwoman. Since then, her salary has remained high, with some reports stating she makes anywhere from $10 to $12 million a role.
6. Priyanka Chopra
Profession: Acting
Est. Net Worth: $70 million*
Indian actress Priyanka Chopra won the Miss World 2000 Pageant, and she has never looked back. Chopra is a gifted actress, having starred in movies and shows like Quantico, Baywatch, Bajirao, We Can Be Heroes, and more.
Most recently, Chopra began working on Citadel, an action-packed thriller, for Amazon Prime Video. Though it’s not clear the exact amount Chopra is making for Citadel, she told the press that that was the first time she ever had “pay parity” with a male co-star.
7. Rihanna
Profession: Singing, Business Ownership, Acting
Est. Net Worth: $1.4 billion*
Rihanna went from Barbados to Los Angeles, becoming the owner of an empire in the process. Rih has a net worth of $1.4 billion and counting, thanks to not only her impressive singing career, but also to her business ownership.
Born Robyn Fenty, Rihanna made a partial-switch from music to entrepreneurship five years ago when she introduced Fenty Beauty, a cosmetics line known for its inclusiveness. Since then, Rihanna has branched out into skincare and clothing, racking up billions in the process.
8. Naomi Campbell
Profession: Modeling
Est. Net Worth: $80 million*
Naomi Campbell is one of the most famous supermodels of all time, beginning her career when she was just fifteen years old. Born in London, Campbell would establish herself as one of the most in-demand supermodels in the world during the nineties and beyond.
Campbell has a net worth of $80 million, thanks to lucrative modeling contracts with fashion houses like Christian Dior, Lacroix, and Valentino. Campbell, who is in her fifties now and still modeling, will go down in history for being one of the first-ever supermodels to grace runways.
9. Grace Kelly
Profession: Acting, Royalty
Est. Net Worth: $40 million*
Fans of Old Hollywood have likely heard of Grace Kelly, who went from being an actress (her film credits include Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, High Society, and more) to being a Princess.
Though she starred in major movies in the fifties, Kelly aspired to something different. She married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, holding the title of Princess of Monaco until her passing in 1982. In 1982, her net worth was, reportedly, $40 million.
10. Bella Hadid
Profession: Modeling
Est. Net Worth: $25 million*
At just twenty-six years old, Bella Hadid is already one of the most successful supermodels in the world. During her career, she was not only named “Model of the Year” by England’s Fashion Council, she also appeared twenty-nine times on global Vogue covers.
Hadid’s career began in 2014, and she has managed, over the past nine years, to amass a net worth of $25 million. Her sister, Gigi, is also a supermodel, and she has a net worth of $29 million.
11. Eva Mendes
Profession: Acting, Modeling, Designing
Est. Net Worth: $25 million*
The Place Beyond the Pines, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ghost Rider, Hitch, The Other Guys, Training Day, and more are all movies from which you’ll know star actress Eva Mendes. Mendes, in addition to her acting career, is also a fashion designer and model.
She began acting in the late ‘90s, and, now, she has a net worth of $25 million. According to some reports, Mendes is able to nab contracts worth $2 million each, as fans clamor to see her at the box office.
12. Blake Lively
Profession: Acting
Est. Net Worth: $30 million*
Actress Blake Lively became famous from her time on the hit drama Gossip Girl, and she’s been acting ever since. Her other credits include The Age of Adaline, The Shallows, A Simple Favor, Green Lantern, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and more.
Gossip Girl in particular represented a windfall for Lively, who has a net worth of $30 million. According to Cosmopolitan, Lively earned as much as $60,000 an episode during her time on the show, which ran for five years.
13. Gal Gadot
Profession: Acting
Est. Net Worth: $30 million*
Gal Gadot made her first big appearance in Fast and Furious in 2009, but that movie paled in comparison to her taking center-stage as the title character in Wonder Woman. The 2017 movie was a huge hit, grossing $822.8 million at the box office.
This made the movie the highest-grossing film by a lone female director (until Hi, Mom overtook it). The actress has continued acting outside of DC, starring in Red Notice, a Netflix movie, and Death on the Nile, which released in 2022.
14. Jennifer Lopez
Profession: Singing, Acting
Est. Net Worth: $400 million*
Jennifer Lopez is one of the most famous celebrities of all time. The actress, singer, and dancer has a net worth of $400 million, thanks to her long career in show business. J. Lo can do it all; in addition to sold-out tours, she also has starred in hit films.
Her most recent project, The Mother, was released in 2023. This action-packed thriller did well on Netflix, with 2.8 million people tuning in when it hit the site. According to StyleCaster, J. Lo is paid as much as $9 million a role.