Top Latina Box Office Earners

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Latino characters especially female roles may be lacking in Hollywood, but a few famous ladies with Spanish surnames are at the top of Hollywood's food chain.

According to Entertainment Weekly, these Latinas below have earned over a billion dollars each globally at the box office.  On this list, Michelle Rodriguez, Cameron Diaz and Zoe Saldana beat out Jennifer Lopez for the top spot.  Check out who else has made mucho dinero for Hollywood.  Here is the pecking order.


1.  Cameron Diaz - $6.2 Billion

Born to a Cuban-American father, Cameron Diaz has the Shrek series to account for those number as well as two Charlie's Angel movie. She has starred alongside money earners like Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino and the list goes on. Diaz keeps busy with at least two to three films a year.  This has definitely propelled her into the number one spot among Spanish surname actresses at the box office.  She next costars with Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in Ridley Scott's The Counselor.

2.  Michelle Rodriguez - $5.2 Billion

The Dominican and Puerto Rican actress appears in three franchises and in the most profitable film ever with Avatar which helped soar her numbers. Being the go-to girl for tough female roles hasn't hurt with roles in the ensemble cast of Fast & Furious, Resident Evil and the Machete sequel. Too bad James Cameron killed her off in the first Avatar, otherwise her numbers couldn't have skyrocketed with the upcoming two sequels.

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3.  Zoe Saldana   $4.3 Billion

And speaking of Avatar, this actress played the lead in that top grossing film. The actress of Dominican descent is also part of the Star Trek franchise and soon a staple of the Marvel universe as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy.  With a likely role in a future Avengers movie and two more Avatar sequels coming her way, Zoe Saldana will top all list as a money-maker actress.  Zoe Saldana Talks Vulcan Love, 'Avatar' Sequels, & 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (Video)


4.  Jennifer Lopez $2.1 Billion
The movie star, singer, entrepreneur and American Idol judge opened a few films at the number one spot.  Known for mostly her romantic comedies, this actress doesn't have a movie franchise, but it still landed her number four on this list. Her music and clothing line probably makes up for it.


5.  Rosario Dawson & Jessica Alba  $1.8 Billion

These Latina beauties tied with $1.8 billion each. Ironically, they shared the screen in Robert Rodriguez's Sin City.  

Rosario makes up for her lack of franchises by working consistently in Hollywood in both independent and high-concept movies. She starred in Men in Black II with Will Smith, Eagle Eye, Unstoppable, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. The actress of Dominican heritage will be seen in Diego Luna's directorial biopic, Chavez, in which she portrays Cesar Chavez's partner and activist Dolores Huerta.

Jessica Alba's Fantastic Four franchise is perhaps where she's been the most successful at the box office. Unlike the others, she works steadily on romantic fare with the occasional film once every two years. The California native is currently focusing on her eco-friendly company, The Honest Company.

6.  Eva Mendes $1.6 Billion

It's surprising to see this actress last on the list since she boasts an impressive filmography with money-makers such as Ghost Rider, Hitch, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Training Day and Will Farrell's The Other Guys. She also balances Hollywood fare with indie projects.  


Source: Entertainment Weekly Magazine October 4th Issue

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