Joanna Lumley, 79 raking in whopping £10,000 payday each week

Before becoming a British national treasure and a household name, Joanna Lumley began her career as a model during the 60s before venturing into acting in 1969. She gained her first uncredited role in the film Some Girls Do before starring in the James Bond movie, Her Majesty's Secret Service, as a stunning Bond Girl. Since then, Joanna has continued to make regular appearances on screens, with each new opportunity surpassing the previous one. As a result, at 79, the icon has shown no sign of slowing down as she rakes in an astronomical £10,000 each week.

Having maintained her prominence for over five decades, Joanna has secured major roles in each generation. This includes her most recent portrayal as the glamorous and powerful Grandmama in the second season of Netflix's hit horror-comedy series, Wednesday. However, to many, the actress is widely recognised as the outrageous Patsy Stone, in the 90s sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, alongside comedian Jennifer Saunders.

Throughout the years, Joanna has worked hard to accumulate her jaw-dropping weekly salary.

She has also starred in a number of successful blockbusters, including Paddington 2 and The Wolf of Wall Street, as well as popular UK series such as Fool Me Once and Motherland, alongside its spin-off, Amandaland.

Her stellar portrayals are reflected in accounts of her production firm, Chrysolite Enterprises Ltd. Latest accounts show she earned £500,000 in 2024 in paid herself a £252,000 dividend. The firm also retains cash in its coffers of £686,000.

Despite being 79, Joanna has shown no interest in slowing down or stepping into retirement. During an appearance at the SANDS International Film Festival of St Andrews in Scotland in May, the actress said: "I'll be here when I'm 90 - as long as I can speak.

"When I was 16 and told the careers officer at my convent school that I wanted to go into acting, he told me that the only jobs open to me in film would be as a continuity or makeup girl," she said, according to the Daily Mail.

There, she also shared her appreciation for the evolution of the acting industry. Joanna added: "In the past, women like me would have been sidelined at 38, but now there are lead parts for people in their 50s and big parts for those in their 70s."

Despite her considerable success, the actress has opened up about the challenges she faced on her journey to stardom, particularly the struggles that followed becoming a single mother at just 21.

She said: "I've been skint, I had no money, and we lived off Marmite sandwiches for months, and I burnt furniture to keep us warm."