Ever wonder how and where famous folks make their money? Personal finance authors encourage us regular Joes to work hard and set up diversified income streams. It would appear that in this regard, celebrities are no different. In addition to private parties, club appearances, and commercial work in Japan or other Asian countries, here are the five big ways that celebrities can use their face and fame to rake in the dough.

Movies

 Receiving a paycheck for a starring role in a feature film is still one of the most lucrative ways for a star to get paid. Julia Roberts, Will Smith, and Leonardo DiCaprio are part of the elite few who can command up to $20 million per film. Other stars who cannot open a film by themselves charge less. Megan Fox, for example, reportedly makes $250,000 per movie. 

Reality shows

The stars of  reality show doesn't pay much, many people can parlay their fifteen minutes of fame into a steady stream of paychecks. Which brings us to...

Merchandising

Many A-listers have perfumes and clothing lines. Fragrance is a big seller--Britney Spears has Home Shopping Network's top spokesperson.

Endorsements

Nowadays you don't see many products without a celebrity endorsement. Armani. 

TV / radio hosts

Stars on a hiatus (Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath) or stars by the virtue of their more famous partners (Nick Cannon) can get well-paying gigs as hosts for various entertainment shows. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest signed a 3-year, $45 million deal in 2009, making him a cool $15 million per year.

Image courtesy of Morguefile.com.