Shonda Rhimes is a brilliant producer and an all-time favourite, and as this list has proven, she is very generous with her actresses that prove themselves. Viola Davis plays Annalise Keating on HTGAWM, a character that teaches a class on defence law, but Davis does a flawless job at being charismatic while keeping serious but also sassy ― that is a triple whammy. And with that, Davis goes home with a $250,000 pay per episode of the drama.