Forbes released its annual list of highest-paid TV actresses for 2016 on Wednesday and topping the list is "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara, who made $43 million before management fees and taxes.
Vergara’s income, which even topped all male TV actors, came from her salary on "Modern Family" as well as endorsement deals from Head and Shoulders, CoverGirl, and her own fashion line at Kmart, among other things. Her income increased 66 percent over last year, Forbes reported.
Second on the list of highest-paid TV actresses is Kaley Cuoco, the actress from "Big Bang Theory," who made $24.5 million. Cuoco had tied Vergara for first place last year at $28 million each. Cuoco’s income came almost entirely from her work on the show.
The 15 highest-paid female TV stars earned a total of $208.5 million, which was $43.5 more than last year’s total. Endorsement deals like Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ with Old Navy accounted for much of this increase.
"Quantico" star Priyanka Chopra was a new face on the list, coming in at No. 8 this year. The popular Bollywood actress is a top choice for Indian advertisers, which supplements her TV income.
Other names on the list include "Castle" star Stana Katic ($12 million), Mindy Kaling ($15 million), and "Law and Order SVU"'s Mariska Hargitay ($14.5 million). Many of these women have insisted on being paid as much or more than the male actors in their shows, which resulted in higher salaries.
“For years and years, the role of a lead actress on a sitcom was to do two things: look amazing and to make one-third of what my male co-star makes,” said Kaling at the Gracie Awards in May. “So I want to be clear, I do always look amazing on the show, and no man on my show makes more money than me.”
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