The Most Overpaid Actors

Posted on September 11, 2008

Forbes magazine has determined which actors are overpaid, using a formula that calculated the number of dollars earned for the studio for every dollar paid to the actor in question. Here's the list:

1. Nicole Kidman ($1.00 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

2. Jennifer Garner ($3.60 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

3. Tom Cruise ($4.00 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

4. Cameron Diaz ($4.00 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

5. Jennifer Lopez ($4.10 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

6. Jim Carrey ($4.11 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

7. Nicolas Cage ($4.16 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

8. Drew Barrymore ($4.38 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

9. Will Farrell ($4.67 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

10. Cate Blanchett ($4.97 earned for every dollar paid to the star)

Some people are criticizing the way the numbers were calculated. And others thin the numbers show that many of these actors help studios turn a tidy profit. To have a $4 return for every $1 invested means the studio has quadrupled its investment, where budget costs are counted, but publicity costs are not. That's a great deal.

But it's clear that Nicole Kidman needs a hit film.

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