Ellen Pompeo | AGE 51 | $80 million

Ellen Pompeo was found by a casting director in New York and invited to star in commercials for Citibank and L’Oreal. Her feature film debut was in the 1999 picture Coming Soon, where she played a minor role. When she was cast as Jake Gyllenhaal’s sympathetic love interest in the 2002 film Moonlight Mile, it was a watershed moment. Her performance drew the attention of critics, with many claiming that she was deserving of an Academy Award consideration.

Pompeo is best recognized for playing Meredith Grey on ABC’s medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. She then became one of the highest-paid actresses on the planet as a result of her role in the series. Credits to her $550,000 per episode salary, she earned roughly $20 million per year from the role. She renewed her contract for Grey’s Anatomy in January 2018, committing to two more seasons, becoming the highest-paid actress in a television drama series with the new deal, earning more than $20 million per year.