Linda Cardellini
In spot 16 on the Forbes list, Cardellini's had roles as varied as Lindsay Weir in Freaks and Geeks, Velma Dinkley in the Scooby Doo movies and now Samantha Taggart on ER. Variety's the spice of life—and a meal ticket last year of $3.5 million.
For the entire list of TV's heaviest-hitting women, watch Forbes' Top 20 Cash Queens Sept. 4 at 8/9c
Marcia Cross
As Desperate Housewive's Bree Van De Kamp, Cross earned noms from the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, the TV Guide Awards and more—not to mention a $3.7 million paycheck. That's some nice recognition, at No. 15!
Kathryn Morris
With her role as Lilly Rush in CBS' Cold Case and her ownership in a go-cart company called Pole Position Raceway, Morris crosses the finish line at No. 13, with $3.9 million in earnings.
Vanessa Williams
Combine her promotional work for Proactiv skin care and her acclaim as magazine creative director Wilhelmina Slater in the hit series Ugly Betty, and it adds up to $4.5 miilion in earnings and a spot at No. 11—and there's nothing ugly about that!
Tina Fey
Tina made history when she became the first female head writer for Saturday Night Live, but she made serious bank as creator and costar of 30 Rock—$4.6 million, in fact. And that puts her at No. 10 on the list.
Paul Abdul
Say what you will about her sometimes wacky behavior both on and off the set of American Idol, but the Grammy Award-winning pop singer and Emmy Award-winning choreographer got the last laugh last year with a whopping $5 million in earnings and a spot at No. 9 on the Forbes list.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
The former Party of Five star now calls Ghost Whisperer her paycheck. Oh yeah, there's also that little endorsement deal for Hanes. It totals up for a spot at No. 8, with a very comfortable $5 million in income.
Mariska Hargitay
After eight years as detective Olivia Benson on the megahit drama Law & Order: SVU, Hargitay is reportedly the highest-paid actress on prime-time TV, raking in a hefty $335,000 per episode! Combine that with her endorsement deals and you're talking a tally of $6.5 million—good for a spot at No. 6.
Eva Longoria Parker
As costar of Desperate Housewives, one of TV's most-watched programs, it's no wonder Eva made the list at No. 4. Did we mention her contracts with L'Oréal and Bebe Sport? It all ads up to a $9 million paycheck. Who's desperate now?
Heidi Klum
As host of the hit show Project Runway—not to mention the fact that she she designs and licenses her name to products like Mouawad jewelry, Birkenstock and Jordache—the supermodel extraordinaire ranks at the No. 2 spot on the list with a cool $14 mil in earnings from June '07 to June '08.
For the entire list of TV's heaviest-hitting women, watch Forbes' Top 20 Cash Queens Sept. 4 at 8/9c