For months and months, whenever Sandra Bullock's name was mentioned, folks would tilt their heads to one side with concern, sigh heavily, and say something like, "Poor thing." Mired in ex-husband Jesse James' infidelity scandal, it seems everyone forgot for a second that Bullock is also the most successful actress in the world -- one who raked in an estimated $56 million last year, according to Forbes, which just released its annual listing of the highest-earning actresses in film.

Bullock maintains a very healthy lead over her nearest competitors, Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz, who both earned $32 million between June 2009 and June 2010. Rounding out the top five are Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker, with earnings of $27 million and $25 million, respectively.