Forbes has released its list of the most overpaid actors of 2013 – the stars that command large paychecks for films that ultimately bomb at the box office.

The financial magazine only looks at the last three films in which an actor has appeared in over the last three years, up until June 1, 2013. All actors considered had to have appeared in at least three films within that time frame, which excluded a number of people who frequent the list. For each movie, they calculated the studio’s return on investment, then totaled the sum and averaged it.

Adam Sandler Tops Overpaid Actors List

Coming out on top of the list is funnyman Adam Sandler, who still manages to get paid $15 million a flick, despite the fact that his last few movies haven’t delivered. While Jack & Jill managed to haul in $150 million, the film that put Adam Sandler in drag cost $80 million to make. That’s My Boy only made $70 million at the box office. For every dollar Sandler was paid for his last three films, $3.40 were returned.

Katherine Heigl and Reese Witherspoon follow closely behind Sandler, returning under $4.00 per dollar their paid for their films. Heigl, after her turns in Knocked Up and 27 Dresses followed up with major misses Killers and One for the Money. Witherspoon commands a high price, but movies like Mud failed to score at the box office.

Kevin James Makes Overpaid Actors List Debut

Nicolas Cage returns $6 for every $1 paid, while Kevin James makes his debut on the overpaid actor’s list after years of being an actor with one of the better returns on investment. James' big flop was 2012's Here Comes the Boom. A surprising name on the list in Denzel Washington. The Oscar-nominated actor turns out strong performances, but his films don’t always have the same power in theaters.

The last four actors all return between $10 and $11 on the dollar. Steve Carell's low return is largely in part to the massive flop of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Jennifer Aniston’s big flop of the last three years was Wanderlust, which only brought in only $22 million. Matt Damon is another actor whose recent films have failed to achieve the success of his earlier efforts such as the Bourne movies. Despite the huge miss of R.I.P.D. premiering after Forbes' list deadline, Ryan Reynolds still managed to make the top 10.

– Chelsea Regan

Get Uinterview's FREE iPhone App For Daily News Updates here.

Get the FREE Uinterview iPad app here and watch our videos anywhere.

Leave a comment

Read more about: