On March 17, 2000, Julia Roberts became the first actress in Hollywood ever to command $20 million for a film role. Her 1990 role in Pretty Woman made her a star, but Steven Soderbergh’s film, Erin Brockovich, was the movie that brought her into the salary ranks of her fellow actors, including Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Sylvester Stallone, among others. She also took home the Oscar for Best Actress that year.
