Forbes List : Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors

[TLK]

Here's the list -

1. Eddie Murphy ($2.30 for every $1 paid)

2. Katherine Heigl ($3.40 for every $1 paid)

3. Reese Witherspoon ($3.90 for every $1 paid)

4. Sandra Bullock ($5 for every $1 paid)

5. Jack Black ($5.20 for every $1 paid)

6. Nicolas Cage ($6 for every $1 paid)

7. Adam Sandler ($6.30 for every $1 paid)

8. Denzel Washington ($6.30 for every $1 paid)

9. Ben Stiller ($6.50 for every $1 paid)

10. Sarah Jessica Parker ($7 for every $1 paid)

His string of flops lands Murphy at the top of our Most Overpaid Actors list for 2012. We estimate that for every $1 Murphy was paid for his last three films, they returned an average of $2.30 at the box office.

To compile our list, we used data on actors’ earnings gathered for our Celebrity 100 list. Box office grosses and budget estimates are from Box Office Mojo. We looked at the last three films each actor starred in over the last three years that opened in more than 2,000 theaters, calculating the return on investment for the studios who pay his (or her) salary.

Ranking second behind Murphy is a newcomer to our list: Katherine Heigl. For every dollar she was paid on her last three movies, they earned an average of $3.40.

After hits like Knocked-Up, 27 Dresses and The Ugly Truth, Heigl’s quote shot up to the $12 million range. Unfortunately, the films she’s made at that price point have failed to deliver. Her most recent film, One For The Money, earned only $37 million on an estimated $40 million budget. Heigl needs to step away from the expensive star vehicles and rebuild her career. Her next release is the ensemble pic The Big Wedding, which hits theaters in April. Featuring Robert DeNiro, Susan Sarandon and Amanda Seyfried, the movie could give Heigl a chance to show how funny she can be when the pressure is off.

http://www.forbes.co...r-in-hollywood/

[Accursed Arachnid!™]

Great list. Eddie Murphy is one guy that seriously needs to accept that it's not 1980-2000 and he's just not a huge star anymore. He just can't get away with the concept comedies he used to live on. He does much better in supporting roles these days.Time to make that transition, Eddie.

Edited December 4, 2012 by Accursed Arachnid!™

[TLK]

I agree with everyone on the list except for Denzel and maybe Sandler. They are paid a ton of money but both of them are very consistent actors at the box office so studios know what they are getting 9 out of 10 times.

[DAR]

Eddie do an R rated comedy again.

[mulder42]

Eddie Murphy and Nicolas Cage I can understand--they make movies just for the paycheck, but Denzel Washington?!? Somebody is smokin' something fishy. That's just wrong. I demand a recount!

[Accursed Arachnid!™]

Eddie Murphy and Nicolas Cage I can understand--they make movies just for the paycheck, but Denzel Washington?!? Somebody is smokin' something fishy. That's just wrong. I demand a recount!

Regardless of the quality of Denzel's work, the man consistently gets like 15-20m for movies that have budgets and grosses in the 65-100m range domestically. These are not films that make 200m domestically on a 100m budget, not even 150m.

[ladyevenstar22]

its not evident to figure out the bankability of an actor...;

[ecstasy]

Great list. Eddie Murphy is one guy that seriously needs to accept that it's not 1980-2000 and he's just not a huge star anymore. He just can't get away with the concept comedies he used to live on. He does much better in supporting roles these days.Time to make that transition, Eddie.

Why would he do that? If studios are still throwin' money at him that's on them. You can't blame him for taking the money.

[Accursed Arachnid!™]

Why would he do that? If studios are still throwin' money at him that's on them. You can't blame him for taking the money.

Respect, future success.

[rockNrollaDIM]

Regardless of the quality of Denzel's work, the man consistently gets like 15-20m for movies that have budgets and grosses in the 65-100m range domestically. These are not films that make 200m domestically on a 100m budget, not even 150m.

Budgets shouldn't matter in this calculation. Denzel is one of if not the most consistent draw in the business. He deserves his paycheck.

[rockNrollaDIM]

Does this account for domestic or worldwide box office?

[Hatebox]

Budgets shouldn't matter in this calculation. Denzel is one of if not the most consistent draw in the business. He deserves his paycheck.

Studios won't look at the list and think 'Gee, we better not hire Denzel anymore', it'll just confirm what they already know - pay him 15m, have a small budget outside of that, and you'll make a moderate profit. Edited December 5, 2012 by Hatebox

[Jessie]

Kathering Heigl is a bitch...... that is all

Edited December 5, 2012 by Jessie

[Punishment]

8. Denzel Washington

[mulder42]

They give Eddie Murphy money because he's Eddie Murphy. And, if anything Denzel probably deserves more than he actually gets paid.

[The Futurist]

This top is st00pid.Denzel doesn't do franchise or sequels.He is one of the las true box office draw of our era, even if its never Hunger Games-TDK-Avengers gigantic.

[Goffe]

They give Eddie Murphy money because he's Eddie Murphy. And, if anything Denzel probably deserves more than he actually gets paid.

yes, because his movies makes so much money

[RichWS]

Eddie do an R rated comedy again.

At this point, I don't think it would make a difference.

[ecstasy]

Respect, future success.

Respect doesn't pay the bills, alimony, child support and the new beard's fee. Edited December 5, 2012 by ECSTASY

[Jonwo]

Tower Heist which wasn't great was a return to form for Eddie Murphy, I think he needs the right vehicle for him to have another hit, an R rated comedy would be best or a drama, he was well received in Dreamgirls so maybe a similar vehicle is needed.I'm surprised he hasn't been approached to do television yet.