Forbes Names Ferrell Most Overpaid Star

Is Will Ferrell no longer a big deal? The actor, who once brought in big bucks with the comedies Elf and Talladega Nights, is now considered the most overpaid actor in the industry, according to a new study released by Forbes magazine. The magazine tabulated its list by examining the economic profile of 100 major actors—it looked at the movies they starred in within the past five years and weighed the production budgets of those films against how much each film made, based on its box-office performance, DVD sales, and additional arrangements like television deals. The calculated difference was compared to what movie stars made on each film, the Hollywood Reporter explained. Ferrell, who starred in last summer’s dud Land of the Lost, only banked $3.29 for each dollar he received. For every dollar that Shia LaBeouf earned, meanwhile, studios got $160, for films like Transformers and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Other overpaid actors include Ewan McGregor—$3.75 per dollar for films like Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith—Billy Bob Thornton, Jim Carrey, and Eddie Murphy.