The most overpaid actor: Eddie Murphy
Updated: 2012-12-05 13:29
(Agencies)
|
||||||||
Actor Eddie Murphy (L) poses as he arrives for the taping of the Spike TV special tribute "Eddie Murphy: One Night Only" at the Saban theatre in Beverly Hills, California November 3, 2012. The program airs November 14. [Photo/Agencies] |
Eddie Murphy was once among Hollywood's top box office draws, but he now has the dubious honor of being crowned its most overpaid actor, according to Forbes magazine.
Related: Dr. Dre ranks as highest-paid musician
In its annual list, determined by the misalignment between star salaries and their films' box office take, Murphy, once a one-man gold mine with 1980s hits such as "Trading Places" and "Beverly Hills Cop", displaced Drew Barrymore for the top spot.
"Murphy's career has just collapsed," Forbes said, citing such recent box office bombs as "Imagine That", "A Thousand Words" and "Meet Dave".
Weighing box office receipts against paychecks, Forbes calculated that for every dollar Murphy was paid for his last three films, they returned an average of just $2.30 at the box office. Murphy placed second on the list a year ago.
Popular actresses such as Katherine Heigl, and Oscar winners Reese Witherspoon and Sandra Bullock, made the top five, with "returns" ranging from $3.40 to $5.
|
|
Sofia Vergara tops Forbes highest paid US TV actresses | Ashton Kutcher: highest paid TV actor |
Forbes took issue with Witherspoon's "questionable" choices such as the star-laden, James L. Brooks romantic comedy "How Do You Know", which was one of 2010's worst-performing films. It cost $120 million, much of which went toward star salaries, but grossed a paltry $49 million.
The cast included two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, as well as actors generally considered solid at the box office such as Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller.
"Washington's films do fine at the box office but he can demand an outsized paycheck on those movies," Forbes noted. His current hit "Flight" was not included for this year's list.
Washington's return was the same $6.30 calculated for Sandler, whose comedies Forbes said were consistent performers -- except when they're not, such as the disappointing "Jack and Jill".
It was the same with Stiller, whom Forbes said "earns so much money per film that one miss can make him seem overpaid. That's what happened with "Tower Heist", in which the actor co-starred with -- Eddie Murphy.
Will Ferrell, who topped the list for two of the last four years and came in third a year ago, didn't place.
The full list can be found at www.forbes.com/overpaidactors.
Related:
Oprah tops Forbes' high-paid celeb list
Liz Taylor: highest earning dead celeb
Jay-Z and Beyonce are World's Highest Paid Celebrity Couple
Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber highest paid young celebrities
Tom Cruise is highest earning actor
- Dr. Dre ranks as highest-paid musician
- Liz Taylor: highest earning dead celeb
- Ashton Kutcher: highest paid TV actor
- Oprah tops Forbes' high-paid celeb list
- Jay-Z and Beyonce are World's Highest Paid Celebrity Couple
- Sofia Vergara tops Forbes highest paid U.S. TV actresses
- Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber highest paid young celebrities
- Tom Cruise is highest earning actor
- 'Taken 2' grabs movie box office crown
- Rihanna's 'Diamonds' tops UK pop chart
- Fans get look at vintage Rolling Stones
- Celebrities attend Power of Women event
- Ang Lee breaks 'every rule' to make unlikely new Life of Pi film
- Rihanna almost thrown out of nightclub
- 'Dark Knight' wins weekend box office
- 'Total Recall' stars gather in Beverly Hills
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Supplies pour into isolated villages |
All-out efforts to save lives |
American abroad |
Industry savior: Big boys' toys |
New commissioner
|
Liaoning: China's oceangoing giant |
Today's Top News
Health new priority for quake zone
Xi meets US top military officer
Japan's boats driven out of Diaoyu
China mulls online shopping legislation
Bird flu death toll rises to 22
Putin appoints new ambassador to China
Japanese ships blocked from Diaoyu Islands
Inspired by Guan, more Chinese pick up golf
US Weekly
Beyond Yao
|
Money power |