Top 10 Overpaid Actors in 2013
Adam Sandler and Katherine Heigl top the list of overpaid actors.
Dec. 10, 2013— -- intro: Their salaries are high but their return on investment is low -- they are Forbes magazine's top 10 list of overpaid actors.
Topping the list was "Grown Ups" star Adam Sandler, who has had a string of movies that have been less than stellar at the box office but still commands a paycheck "north of $15 million," according to Forbes.
The magazine said it compiled the list by looking at the last three movies each actor starred in over the last three years, until June 1 of this year. Factoring in pay, movie budgets and expenses, Forbes came up with a return on investment number for each star and then averaged those numbers to get an overall return.
Guess Who Tops Forbes' 'Most Overpaid' Actors List
For every dollar Sandler was paid on his last three movies, including the stinkers "Jack & Jill" and "That's My Boy," the films returned an average of $3.40. Of course, Sandler can still hit one out of the park, like he did with "Grown Ups 2," which cost $80 million to make and grossed $246 million. Because the movie was released in July, Forbes didn't include it in its calculation.
Click through to see who joins Sandler on the list of overpaid actors.
quicklist:title: Katherine Heigltext: Former "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl was once heralded as the new queen of romantic comedies after films like "27 Dresses." Her paychecks grew, even if the box office takes for her films did not. With flops like "Killers" and "One for the Money," Heigl returned an average of $3.50, landing her in the No. 2 spot on Forbes' list. media: 19924942
quicklist:title: Reese Witherspoontext: From 2010 to 2012, Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon starred in three films centered around her in a love triangle between two men. "How Do You Know" and "This Means War" were box office flops while "Water for Elephants" was a modest success. As a result, Witherspoon earned an average $3.90 for every $1 she was paid. Now in the process of reinventing her career, Witherspoon is taking smaller roles, like in last year's critically acclaimed "Mud," and producing her own female-centric films, including "Wild," based on the best-selling book about Cheryl Strayed's 1,000 mile solo hike. media: 19340425
quicklist:title: Nicolas Cagetext: Another Academy Award winner, Nicolas Cage is also one of Hollywood's busiest actors in addition to being highly paid. Not counting his animated feature hit, "The Croods," Cage's last three films, "A Thousand Words," "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" and "Stolen," did less than stellar, giving him a $6 return on average.media: 21165833
quicklist:title: Kevin Jamestext: Last year, comedian Kevin James made the Forbes list of Best Actors for the Buck, averaging a return of $22.40 for every dollar he was paid. Thanks to his flop, "Here Comes the Boom," which grossed only $73 million at the box office, his return fell to $6.10, earning him the fifth spot on Forbes' overpaid actors list.media: 21165629
quicklist:title: Denzel Washingtontext: Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington still turns in critically acclaimed performances, like his Oscar-nominated role in last year's "Flight," even if his films do less well at the box office. His return was $8.30. media: 21165494
quicklist:title: Steve Carelltext: New to the list this year, Steve Carell had a huge miss with "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," which grossed just $22 million at the box office worldwide. That helped bring down his average return to $10, placing him seventh on the list.media: 18238585
quicklist:title: Jennifer Anistontext: Perhaps Jennifer Aniston should stick to supporting roles. As a supporting cast member, she helped "Horrible Bosses" take in $210 million globally, but her starring role in "Wanderlust" only brought in $20 million. The latter helped put Aniston in the No. 8 spot for returning an average of $10.60 for every $1 she was paid. Her consolation? Aniston met fiancé Justin Theroux on the set of "Wanderlust."media: 21161920
quicklist:title: Matt Damontext: Matt Damon's earning power has dropped considerably since he gave up the Jason Bourne franchise, which once earned him the top spot on Forbes' most bankable stars list. The modest grosses on his most recent films tied him with Aniston, giving him a return of $10.60.media: 19921403
quicklist:title: Ryan Reynoldstext: With missteps like "Green Lantern" and "The Change-Up," Ryan Reynolds has struggled to find another hit, earning an average return of $10.70 for every dollar he was paid. Reynolds' film "R.I.P.D.," which was not included in Forbes calculation, was one of the year's biggest flops.media: 19610777
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