Ferrell and McGregor most overpaid Hollywood actors

Will Ferrell has topped a list of the most overpaid Hollywood actors after the appalling showing of his most recent film, Land of the Lost, at the box office. Forbes, who compiled the list, calculates that for every dollar Ferrell was paid, his films earned a mere $3.29.

It seems Ferrell has 'suffered' because early success made him a hot property in Hollywood and pushed up his pay, from $6.9m for his 2004 cult hit Anchorman to $20m for Talladega Nights in 2006.

Other names in the bad value top 10, such as Tom Cruise at number 6, Eddie Murphy at 4 and Jim Carrey at number 10, are a perfect illustration of why studios have in recent times turned to younger, less-established actors to star in their blockbusters.

The point was rammed home in August when 23-year-old Shia LaBeouf, who was a virtual unknown when he was chosen to star in the highly profitable Transformers franchise, was named by Forbes as the best value Hollywood actor: for every dollar he was paid, he earned $160 for his studio.

As for the British actor Ewan McGregor, he will be feeling particularly disconsolate at his position as the second-worst value actor in Hollywood, because he is relatively poorly paid. His films have had to perform incredibly badly to earn just $3.75 for every dollar spent on the actor.

In contrast, female actors seem to be an excellent investment - possibly reflecting the disparity in their earnings compared with their male counterparts. Drew Barrymore, at number seven, is the only actress in the list. However, she can at least take solace in her blossoming career as a producer. Her film, He's Just Not That Into You, was a hit earlier this year, earning $178 million.

The full list:
1. Will Ferrell
2. Ewan McGregor
3. Billy Bob Thornton
4. Eddie Murphy
5. Ice Cube
6. Tom Cruise
7. Drew Barrymore
8. Leonardo DiCaprio
9. Samuel L. Jackson
10. Jim Carrey