According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, the adorable has overtaken the grin: Reese Witherspoon is expect to make an astonishing $30 million to star in the upcoming Our Family Trouble ("about a mother fighting demons possessing her child"), thus surpassing the previous record of $25 million earned by Julia Roberts for her appearance in Mona Lisa Smile. Holy freaking crap. What's that for, like four months of work? That should keep Ryan and the kids in Wonder Bread for a while.

At least based on the most recent numbers I can find (from late 2004), that paycheck puts Witherspoon solidly in the race for highest paid person in Hollywood, period. in 2004, Tom Cruise was making about $25 million/picture, and not one of his contemporaries was earning more. So, amidst all the (often quite valid) complaints about sexism in the movie industry, it's interesting to see that, when it comes to the faces and talents that show up on screen, women earn just as much as men.