Johnny Depp deemed 2015’s most overpaid actor by Forbes

Johnny Depp’s box office earning power isn’t quite what it used to be — but that isn’t reflected in his paycheck. Forbes has named the “Mortdecai” star 2015’s most overpaid actor.

Depp, who can command an eight-figure salary on his projects, unseated Adam Sandler, the holder of the nefarious title for the past two years. This year, the “Happy Gilmore” alum was deemed ineligible because of his deal with Netflix and because “Pixels” didn’t make the cut-off. Still, Sandler spent five consecutive years on the list.

Though the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star earned awards buzz for his portrayal of gangster Whitey Bulger in “Black Mass,” the three-time Oscar nominee failed to be a return on studios’ investment, earning only $1.20 for every $1 he was paid for his films, the financial magazine estimated. That number was contrasted with “The Avengers” actor Chris Evans’ earning power; the franchise star boasted $181.80 return for every $1 paid and was deemed Hollywood’s Best Actor For The Buck.

The 52-year-old character actor, ranked No. 2 on the list last year, is among a crop of male leads “who charge top dollar but don’t always deliver at the ticketbooth,” Forbes said. The mag also explained how it tallied up this year’s overpaid list by looking at each film actor’s last three starring roles before June 2015. Animated films, supporting roles and movies that didn’t have wide releases were not counted.

“Training Day” star Denzel Washington, who will be honored at the upcoming Golden Globes Awards with the Cecil B. DeMille award, landed the No. 2 spot by returning $6.50 for every $1 he earned from his recent films.

Following Depp and Washington is “Get Hard” star Will Ferrell: The “Saturday Night Live” alum returned $6.80 for every $1 paid.

In the No. 4 and No. 5 positions were “Run All Night” star Liam Neeson and “Focus” star Will Smith, both previously considered to be box office gold but who haven’t quite delivered the way they once did. Despite the success of “Taken 3,” Neeson returned an estimated $7.20 for every $1 paid, Forbes said, and Smith averaged a return of $8.60 for every $1 paid.

See Forbes’ complete list here.

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