Ferrell ‘most overpaid’ star

Movie actor Will Ferrell sits at the top of 10 ‘least valuable’...

12:33 19 November 2009

Hollywood actor Will Ferrell has topped a list of other film thespians whose returns offer the least value for money.

According to a Forbes list, the movie funnyman made just $3.29 (£1.97) for every dollar he was paid after a run of box office disappointments, including 'Semi Pro' and 'Land of the Lost'.

Brit Ewan McGregor finished second, followed by Billy Bob Thornton, Eddie Murphy and rapper/actor Ice Cube.

Forbes calculated stars' estimated earnings for their work against the box office performance of their films to come up with the list. A leading actor is more often than not the primary selling point of a major motion picture.

Box office ticket returns, DVD and TV rights sales were all taken into account.

Tom Cruise came sixth on the list thanks to signing on for deals which saw him not paid directly for movie roles, but instead was given a cut of the profit.

Forbes said this meant he was paid even if a film failed to recoup its costs, bringing down his average return to just $7.18 (£4.31).

Eddie Murphy's star status has been waning in recent years, but he still commands a high paycheque for critically panned flops like 'Meet Dave'.

The only female star to make it into the top 10 was Drew Barrymore at No 7, whose average return amounted to $7.43 (£4.46).

Last month, Forbes published a list of the actresses who give the best value for money; Australian starlet Naomi Watts landed the top spot.