The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Forbes’ 2011 ranking named Will Ferrell the most “overpaid” actor in its sample, with a reported return of $3.29 for each dollar of actor pay. The ten names below are that dated ranking—not a definitive list of the most overpaid actors of all time. The figures come from a Forbes survey table reproduced in Mathematical Ideas 12/E, rather than from a fully accessible original Forbes article.
Forbes’ 2011 ranking of 10 “overpaid” actors
The figures are reported returns per dollar of actor pay, not the actors’ salaries. The table below preserves the order and values in the Forbes survey reproduced in Mathematical Ideas 12/E; the excerpt identifies Forbes.com as its source. Source: Mathematical Ideas 12/E.
| Rank | Actor | Reported return per actor-pay dollar |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will Ferrell | $3.29 |
| 2 | Ewan McGregor | $3.75 |
| 3 | Billy Bob Thornton | $4.00 |
| 4 | Eddie Murphy | $4.43 |
| 5 | Ice Cube | $4.77 |
| 6 | Tom Cruise | $7.18 |
| 7 | Drew Barrymore | $7.43 |
| 8 | Leonardo DiCaprio | $7.52 |
| 9 | Samuel L. Jackson | $8.59 |
| 10 | Jim Carrey | $8.62 |
The table is a secondary reproduction: Forbes’ original 2011 page was not fully accessible, so the ranking should be understood as the reproduced survey rather than an independently verified historical census.
What “overpaid” meant in the ranking
Forbes described its 2011 method as comparing what actors earned with returns from the last three non-animation movies in which they starred during the period considered. That makes the label a narrow commercial-efficiency measure based on selected films and estimated compensation—not a judgment about an actor’s talent, popularity, or personal worth. Forbes’ 2011 list.
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A return-per-pay-dollar figure also should not be mistaken for a studio’s final profit. Box-office receipts are not the same as money retained after production costs, marketing, distribution, and other expenses; the available reporting does not establish that the ratio captured a studio’s complete accounting results.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why this is not an all-time ranking
Forbes published separate editions using bounded film and earnings windows, so the eligible movies and results changed by year. Its 2013 list, for example, considered actors’ three most recent films from the preceding three years that had been released before June 1, using Celebrity 100 research alongside Box Office Mojo data. The Los Angeles Times reported Adam Sandler at No. 1 with $3.40 returned per salary dollar, Katherine Heigl at No. 2 with $3.50, and Reese Witherspoon at No. 3 with $3.90. Los Angeles Times, 2013.
Those 2013 figures cannot be combined with the 2011 table to create one comparable ranking: the editions reflect different periods and inputs. Forbes’ later descriptions also refer to earnings estimates and recent films, but the accessible accounts do not fully establish every edition’s treatment of backend compensation or other revenue.
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How to read the figures
- They are year-specific. Treat each list as a snapshot shaped by its release window, cutoff date, and rules for eligible films.
- They are estimates, not a full financial audit. The ratio does not establish all studio costs, eventual revenue, or an actor’s total contribution to a film’s value.
- They do not measure artistic merit. “Overpaid” is Forbes’ editorial label for a limited pay-to-film-return comparison.
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