Adam Sandler’s latest live action movies have all been flops, but the former Saturday Night Live star still gets huge paychecks. That investment in his talents isn’t worth it though, according to the annual Forbes list of most overpaid actors.
The way the magazine calculates its list is by looking at how much profit Sandler returned for every dollar he was paid. So, with flops Jack & Jill and That’s My Boy released in the past year, Forbes says that Sandler only made $3.40 in profit for every dollar he was paid.
Jack & Jill cost Sony $80 million to make, but only grossed $150 million, so Sony actually only earned a $70 million profit. That’s My Boy was a bigger flop, grossing $57 million with a $70 million budget.
Sandler did score a decent hit with Grown Ups 2 in July, but that’s not part of Forbes’ time frame. Also, Sandler did voice the lead character in Hotel Transylvania, which made $358 million worldwide. So, it wasn’t all bad for him.
The star in second place is Katherine Heigl, who only returned $3.50 per dollar paid. Flops like Killers and One for the Money have forced studios to think twice about bringing her in.
Reese Witherspoon is also up high on the list with only $3.90 per dollar paid. She’s been focusing on smaller projects lately though and recently earned acclaim for her role in Mud.
The rest of the top 10 includes Nicolas Cage ($6 per dollar paid); Kevin James ($6.10); Denzel Washington ($8.30); Steve Carell ($10); Jennifer Aniston ($10.60); Matt Damon ($10.60); and Ryan Reynolds ($10.70).
The good news is that stars like Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore and Eddie Murphy, who have topped the list in recent years, aren’t there this year. The magazine will likely be releasing a most bankable stars list soon, which was topped by Natalie Portman last year.
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