Eddie Murphy named most 'overpaid' actor by Forbes

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Page last updated at 09:24 GMT, Wednesday, 5 December 2012

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Eddie Murphy has been named 2012's most overpaid actor, says Forbes magazine.

The star of hits such as Shrek and Dr Dolittle has recently appeared in a number of flops including Imagine That, A Thousand Words and Meet Dave.

According to the list, those box office flops mean that for every $1 (62p) Murphy was paid for his last three films, they took an average of $2.30 (£1.40) at the box office.

Reese Witherspoon and Katherine Heigl also feature in the top five.

Comedy performers feature heavily on the list, with Adam Sandler, Jack Black and Ben Stiller all being criticised for their high salaries and low box office returns.

Despite movies such as Stiller's Tower Heist being a success, earning $153m (£95m) in takings, it cost $75m (£46.5m) to make, with actor's salaries making up a large proportion of that figure.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Jack Black and Katherine Heigl feature on the list

Former Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker has had less success since leaving the franchise, with her films earning an average of $7 (£4.35) for every $1 she is paid.

Top 10 overpaid actors 2012

1 - Eddie Murphy, $2.30 box office takings for every $1 earned
2 - Katherine Heigl, $3.40
3 - Reese Witherspoon, $3.90
4 - Sandra Bullock, $5
5 - Jack Black, $5.20
6 - Nicolas Cage, $6
7 - Adam Sandler, $6.30
8 - Denzel Washington, $6.30
9 - Ben Stiller, $6.50
10 - Sarah Jessica Parker, $7

Her 2011 film I Don't Know How She Does It cost $25m (£15.5m) to make but took only $30m (£18.5m) at the box office, contributing to her place on the top 10 most overpaid actors.

Will Ferrell, who has topped the list twice in the last four years, fell out of the top 10 this time round, as has Drew Barrymore.

Forbes does not take ensemble casts into account and Barrymore has not been the main star in enough films recently to be considered for the list.