It’s been something of a a rough year for Johnny Depp. There was that whole thing where Australia threatened to euthanize his dogs, you know? Then that whole thing where he joked publicly about murdering and eating said dogs. That couldn’t have come from the best place, mentally. And then there was Mortdecai. Depp really needed Mortdecai to work, what with it following Transcendence, which followed The Lone Ranger, which followed Dark Shadows... Okay, so it’s been something of a rough few years for Johnny Depp. Which is why it comes as no surprise that Forbes has named Depp the most overpaid star in Hollywood. At least he still has his dogs! I think?
Here’s the breakdown: According to the magazine, Depp has only returned $1.20 for every $1 he’s paid, which, for the mathematically challenged (me), translates to “not very much.” Mortdecai, for instance, only made $47 million on a $60 million budget; The Guardian adds that Disney is estimated to have lost nearly $150 million on The Lone Ranger. Unfortunately, Black Mass, which is faring quite better, fell outside the period analyzed by Forbes, because that’s just how Johnny Depp’s life is going right now. Fortunately, Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes is also not included, because it hasn’t been released yet, but we all know how that one’s gonna go.
Next on the overpaid list: Denzel Washington, who has starred in nary a massive flop — The Guardian explains that his ranking is likely due to an “inflated paycheque.” Will Ferrell came in third, making $6.80 for every $1 he was paid, while Liam Neeson pulled in $7.80 and Will Smith $8.60. Christian Bale, Channing Tatum (!), Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, and Tom Cruise rounded out the list, respectively; Adam Sandler, who snagged first place on the list for the past two years, has magically become ineligible by signing a ridiculous deal with Netflix. Anyway, all of these men probably made more money during the time I spent writing this post than many of us will make in a year, so they’re fine.
Oh, and by the way: Last week’s Forbes study found that four of the most valuable stars in Hollywood are women, which makes the whole pay-disparity thing seem more absurd than ever. Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Stone all made the top five, while Jennifer Lawrence slid into eighth place, probably adorably tripping on something along the way. Somebody get Emma Stone that Johnny Depp money. Also, somebody check on Johnny Depp’s dogs?
