Melissa McCarthy, Actress and Comedian, $90 million 

In 2021, Forbes listed one of our TV favorites, Melissa McCarthy, as one of the highest-paid actresses in American movies. McCarthy has always been an exceptional actress and stand-up comedian, but her talent wasn’t noticed on the appropriate scale until “Bridesmaids.”

As the show got positive criticism, McCarthy’s reputation soared, and she went ahead to feature in notable movies, including 2016 “Ghostbusters” and Netflix’s 2021 “Thunder Force.” The small-town farm girl who once played minor roles in films is now officially a big-time star worth an estimate of $90 million at 51.