1. Adam SandlerReturns1 $3.40 for every $1 paidAdam sandler is one of the few movie stars who can still demand a paycheque north of $15 million per film. But is he worth it? Not according to our calculations, based on how much an actor’s last three movies earned at the box office per dollar of pay. Jack and Jill, in which he played twins, grossed $150 million but cost so much to make that it lost Sony money, and That’s My Boy was a major bomb. A consolation: 2012’s animated Hotel Transylvania was the biggest hit of his career. 2. Katherine Heigl $3.50 for every $1 paid27 Dresses in 2008 made her the new queen of romantic comedies … until flops like Killers and One for the Money. 3. Reese Witherspoon $3.90 for every $1 paidShe’s in the middle of reinventing her career to produce her own movies. Expect her to give herself a big pay cut. 4. Nicolas Cage $6 for every $1 paidWe didn’t include animated movies if we did, his Dreamworks hit, The Croods, would make him look better. 5. Kevin James $6.10 for every $1 paidHe was one of the film industry’s most bankable actors until he flopped in 2012 with Here Comes the Boom.
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6. Denzel Washington $8.30 for every $1 paidAs one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, he can demand a huge paycheque, but he doesn’t always win at the box office. 7. Steve Carell $10 for every $1 paidHe had a major misfire with The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. It grossed just $22 million worldwide.
Images: By Dorothy PomerantzSandler: Schulz / DPA / Landov Heigl: Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images Witherspoon: John Sciulli / Getty Images Cage: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images James: Evan Agostini / Invision / AP Washington: Monica Schipper / Getty Images Carell: Todd Williamson / Invision / AP
