Johnny Depp tops Forbes's most overpaid actor list for 2015
The figures are in and it's bad news for Jack Sparrow, but good news for Hollywood's leading ladies
Johnny Depp has been named the most overpaid Hollywood actor of 2015 by Forbes magazine, topping a list that also includes Denzel Washington, Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt.
Forbes has released its annual list calculating the amount of money an actor's film earns versus their salary and found that Johnny Depp tops the unenviable reckoning.
The list is based on figures calculated from the last three films the actors starred in before June this year, reports the BBC. It revealed that Depp returned only $1.20 (81p) for every $1 (67p) he was paid.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Depp, who is one of the highest-paid actors in the world, with estimated annual earnings of $30m (£20m), has had an unfortunate run of films over the past 12 months. His film releases included the comedy Mortdecai, which was a critical and commercial flop, and only made back $47.4m (£32m) of its $60m (£40.5m) production budget.
Depp's 2014 sci-fi thriller Transcendence, was another disappointment and only just made back its costs. The Lone Ranger also bombed at the box office following scathing reviews.
Still, Depp is in good company, acknowledges the Daily Mail. He's joined on the list by stars like Will Smith, Brad Pitt, Channing Tatum and Tom Cruise who are also in the top ten of underperformers. Denzel Washington was ranked second on the list, returning $6.50 (£4.39) on every dollar, with Will Ferrell in third place with a $6.80 return per $1.
The big winner though was Chris Evans who returned an impressive $181.80 for every $1 he received in salary to top the "best value" actors' list. This was largely thanks to his role in Captain America and The Avengers films.
Channing Tatum was a surprise inclusion on the "overpaid" list at seventh place, notes The Guardian. This is mainly due to his appearance in the chaotic Wachowski siblings's space fantasy epic Jupiter Ascending, which was a box office bomb. Forbes admits that his place on the list is unfortunate, as he missed out on the benefit of the success of this year's Magic Mike XXL. It was released in US cinemas on 1 July, just after the cut-off point for calculations.
Some might have been surprised to see that Adam Sandler was not on the list this year, after he gained first place in 2013 and 2014. But The Guardian points out that Sandler, "cunningly" signed a deal to screen his films via Netflix, making him ineligible for this year's tally as most of his projects didn't appear in cinemas.
But the Forbes study was good news for women actors. While the top ten most overpaid actors are all men, in the list of the top ten "best value actors" half were male and half female. They include Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence.
The List of Most Overpaid Actors:
1. Johnny Depp: $1.20 per $1
2. Denzel Washington: $6.50 per $1
3. Will Ferrell: $6.80 per $1
4. Liam Neeson: $7.80 per $1
5. Will Smith: $8.60 per $1
6. Christian Bale: $9.20 per $1
7. Channing Tatum: $10.80 per $1
8. Brad Pitt: $12.00 per $1
9. Ben Affleck: $12.30 per $1
10. Tom Cruise: $13.60 per $1
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Supreme Court to resolve Louisiana gerrymander
Speed Read The court will hear a case challenging the second majority-Black district in the state
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
America might be in a second Gilded Age
In the Spotlight The first Gilded Age was marked by rising inequality and a push for social change
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Maïwenn Le Besco: the ‘eyebrow-raising’ director behind Johnny Depp’s comeback
Why Everyone’s Talking About The controversial director remains unapologetic about casting Depp so soon after his bitter defamation trial
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listings
Speed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
By Mike Starling Published
-
House of the Dragon: what to expect from the Game of Thrones prequel
Speed Read Ten-part series, set 200 years before GoT, will show the incestuous decline of Targaryen
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
One in 20 young Americans identify as trans or non-binary
Speed Read New research suggests that 44% of US adults know someone who is transgender
By The Week Staff Published
-
Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: a troubling verdict?
Talking Point The news that Depp had won his defamation case against Heard unleashed an ‘orgy of misogyny’
By The Week Staff Published
-
TikTok and the £50k curry: how Johnny Depp has begun his comeback
Why Everyone’s Talking About Actor has made a number of public appearances since his libel victory over his ex-wife
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Turner Prize 2022: a ‘vintage’ shortlist?
Speed Read All four artists look towards ‘growth, revival and reinvention’ in their work
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard: what has happened so far
In Depth Hollywood stars back in court after break in second libel case
By The Week Staff Last updated