By To the average person, actors are generally overpaid to begin with. But among actors, who actually makes the most undeserved money? If you are reading the body of this post and somehow missed the title up above, then prepare to be shocked: Will Ferrell was crowned “Most Overpaid Actor” by Forbes, landing at the top of the list of actors’ salaries. It would be totally unexpected, if it didn’t happen the year before too. For every $1 Ferrell is paid, his films only returned an average of $3.35. So he’s either not drawing in the bucks with his performances or studios are losing a lot of money paying him.
Instead of trying to defend himself, Ferrell is actually proud of his title. In an interview with People, Ferrell asked, “Isn’t that the whole point? Aren’t we all striving to be overpaid?” He’s quite happy with his position, adding, “Apparently I’m living the American dream without even trying.” Well, of course you’re happy, you’ve got tons of money rolling in!
Though he’s technically right, this is part of my problem with Will Ferrell. Even though I think he tries way too hard with his comedy, I can’t deny liking a few of his roles, chief among them being Ron Burgundy in Anchorman. He’s got some talent. The problem is that he knows people think he’s funny, and he’s willing to play that up to the point where he’s not funny. It smacks of hubris, and these comments kind of confirm it.
For comparison, Shia LeBeouf makes only $1 for every $81 his films earn, making him the best deal in Hollywood. Maybe that’s why he’s in practically every film these days.
[via The Hollywood Reporter]