Shocking news: Will Ferrell named most overpaid actor in Hollywood

I've never met Will Ferrell, so I don't know if he's a wonderful humanitarian or a world-class jerk — though he certainly knows his college football, since he correctly picked my beloved Florida Gators to beat Georgia when he was on ESPN's College Gameday show last weekend. But does he really belong at the top of Forbes' new list of Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors?

Look, the real truth is that all actors are overpaid, just like baseball players and hedge fund managers. But even if we were grading on a curve — which would put Forbes' list up against any of the Hottest Under-40 Actors-type lists that Entertainment Weekly churns out every few weeks — the Overpaid Actors list seems totally out of touch with Hollywood reality. Six of its top 10 actors, for example, are comedians, which seems really clueless, since comedy is easily the most commercial genre in showbiz.

I have no argument with Eddie Murphy holding down No. 2 on the overpaid list, since he probably deserves a lifetime achievement award when it comes to being overpaid, but Forbes also has Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler on its list. Adam Sandler?? The guy who cranks out $100-million box-office movies every year, movies that now make just as much money overseas as they do at home? Just because Sandler (and Rogen) were in one dud, Judd Apatow's "Funny People," does that make them overpaid? No way.

Sandler's last film, "Grown Ups," made $264 million around the globe, which puts him in pretty rarefied territory as a comedian. Forbes doesn't include it in its calculations, since the list had a June 1 deadline, which makes the list seem even more lame, since — well — it's already November, so surely they could've figured out a way to at least include the entire summer movie slate. If Sandler belongs on a list, it would be the Most Reliable Box Office Stars, not the Most Overpaid ones. In fact, after Will Smith, it's hard to imagine a more consistent box-office performer than Sandler, no matter how many bad reviews his films get.

And what's Denzel Washington doing at No. 3? Of his last three studio films, two were hits ("American Gangster" and "The Book of Eli"), and one was a flop ("The Taking of Pelham 123"). And what's Matt Damon doing at No. 7? No one's saying "The Informant!" wasn't a clinker, but Damon is at the top of the heap in Hollywood when it comes to hiring an action/thriller star. Which leaves me with only one more question: If you're putting together a list like this, where the heck is Russell Crowe? 

Photo: Will Ferrell at the premiere of DreamWorks Animation's new film, "Megamind." 

Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Image.

 

 

Comments

[mk]

The best point is why Forbes doesn't have a list of Top Over Paid Hedge Fund Managers, Top Overpaid Investment Bankers, Top Overpaid CEO's (do they have that one? Maybe?), Top OverPaid Bank Presidents ETC.

The sums paid to any talented individual can seem outrageous. But given this countries fetish with capitalism, any individual who gets what they get, is getting what they can get..I suppose. Outside of illegal activity. If an actor can't make a return on the films they are in their fees will drop quickly. But if time and time again, a given actor can guarantee a return of their salary on opening weekend - well, they get what they get.

[Zack]

Ferrell makes the movies Jim Belushi should have made. Worse yet, Ferrell does a lousy Belushi imitation.

[Jack C NYC]

Adam Sandler?? The guy who cranks out $100-million box-office movies every year.

Whaa? $100mil to break even, maybe, after salary.

[Ian]

All actors are overpaid.If i hire an actor to appear in one of my movies and that movies makes million of dollars why should i pay you more money? I put up my own money and the profits should be all mine.When a Tom Cruise movie bombs does he give back a portion of his salary? No he does not.Baseball players are paid millions of dollars to help their team win but they can't guarantee anything yet they take the money and continue their arrogant lives.Bottom line if an actor feels he deserves that kind of money let him write,produce,direct,star in and promote his own movies.I'll be damned if i'll pay $15 to watch someone pretend to be someone they are not and get paid millions of dollars for it.Just like in advertising celebrities are paid millions to endorse products when advertiser can spend a fraction of that money using regular people in real life situations using their products and showing that it actually does what they claim.Is the general public so dumb as to believe that with all of the money Derek Jeter has he would choose to drive a Ford or Tiger Woods a Buick? Only in America the land of hype and glory.

[jay]

Adam Sandler is not funny and keeps making the same stupid fart jokes movies time after time.

[Hunter D.]

RE: Chrissy C

You have no idea what you're talking about. Red is a big fat hit. It was funded through presales and Summit had a total exposure on that film of under 40 million dollars. It has way, way over-performed. Plus, if a film makes a certain amount in theaters, you can extrapolated the cable sales, dvd sales and other ancillaries. Granted, the DVD market has massively collapsed, but you're totally wrong.