Kathy Bates, Actress and Director, $20 million

Kathy Bates is an Academy Award-winning actress whose career took off with the 1990 movie “Misery,” which is what won her the Best Actress Award in 1991. Bates’ rise to fame was not instant in any way; the actress had to work through the industry playing many minor roles while in her 30s before getting her platform to stardom.

After several appearances on subsequent shows that include “Titanic,” “Two and a Half Men,” and 2020’s “Home,” Bates at 73 in 2021 is worth $20M. She is on the set of a political thriller with John Cena called “The Independent.”