Hollywood’s most overpaid actor? Hint: He won the dubious honor last year too
Johnny Depp, who generates only $2.80 for every dollar paid, is Forbes’ most overpaid Hollywood actor for the second year in a row. The annual Forbes list ranks actors who are paid up to eight figures for films that bomb at the box office.
In May, Depp starred in “Alice through the Looking Glass,” a $170-million budget film that only grossed about $300 million worldwide, based on data from Box Office Mojo. The disappointing ticket sales coincided with a judge-issued restraining order against Depp after ex-wife Amber Heard alleged physical and verbal abuse.
To create the list, Forbes uses the earnings from the last three films the actors starred in prior to June 2016, excluding animated and limited-release movies. Forbes then subtracts the estimated production budget from the total box-office earnings to define the film’s operating income.
From there, Forbes uses the total operating income and divides it by the star’s estimated pay. This yields the return on investment.
In second place is Will Smith, whose film “Concussion” grossed $48 million worldwide with a $35-million production budget. Julia Roberts is the only woman on the list and brings in $10.80 for every dollar paid. Her ranking comes from modest earnings on films “Money Monster” and “Mother’s Day.”
Here is the full list:
10. Bradley Cooper
9. Julia Roberts
8. Leonardo DiCaprio
7. Mark Wahlberg
6. Adam Sandler
5. George Clooney
4. Will Ferrell
3. Channing Tatum
2. Will Smith
1. Johnny Depp
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