Oh how the mighty do fall in Hollywood.
Back in the day, A-listers like Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks were considered Tinseltown's best earning bets at the box office. Not anymore.
According to Forbes.com Matt "The Bourne Ultimatum" Damon can call himself a kick-ass action hero and Hollywood's new man of gold.
Using a financial formula that measured worldwide box office, revenues from DVD and video rentals in the U.S. and star salaries, Forbes revealed that for every dollar the 36-year-old "Bourne" star was paid, Damon brought in US$29 of gross income. The little financial tidbit might seem insignificant to film goers not in the know. Yet it plops Damon atop a list of 22 Hollywood heavyweights, including Brad Pitt (#2 on the list at $24 return for every dollar he was paid) and, surprisingly, Vince Vaughn, who landed the #3 spot with $21.
Say it's not so, but Forbes.com also slotted laurelled actor Russell Crowe at the bottom of Hollywood's heap. Wave bye-bye to your "Gladiator" glory days Russell! His last three films, "A Good Year," "Cinderella Man" and "Master and Commander" averaged just $5 in gross income for every dollar spent on the mega-star Oscar winner.
Faring slightly better, the two Tom's (aka Hanks and Cruise) averaged $12 of gross income a piece, with Will Smith ($10), Denzel Washington ($10), Adam Sandler ($9), Will Ferrell ($8) and Jim Carey ($8) behind them. But next to profit maker Damon, this boy's club of Hollywood highrollers are left looking like water-logged kids plagued by too much sand in their shorts.
If all this still sounds inconceivable, consider this. Jennifer Aniston - the actress who can't even come close to tacking a major, money-making blockbuster to her name -- is Hollywood's most profitable actress ($17). It's a fact that surely must delight the ex-Mrs. Brad Pitt, particularly since Angelina Jolie,
Pitt's current squeeze, is ranked sixth ($15). Yet why are such less weighty actors accruing so much box office favour?
Quantity over quality certainly impacts the big picture in Hollywood's profit-making scenario. The fact is why care about striving for Laurence Olivier grandeur when a string of quickly produced B flicks will bring in much more dough.
But there's something else at work here, too, in this Hollywood roundup -- an intangible filmgoers may not even realize. Call it all it the boy- (or girl-) next-door factor.
Damon, Vaughn and Aniston may not be the most glamorous of Hollywood's celebrities. Yet these popular screen stars convey an "Average Joe" appeal that clearly hits home with Middle America.
They may not top classic beauty lists either, for each one as their unique image flaws. (Think of Damon's closed set eyes, Aniston's barely-there lips and Vaughn's permanently puffy mug.) Yet when we mortals look up at their imperfect screen perfection, it makes us believe that any fresh-scrubbed schlub with a dream could make the big time with a just little bit of luck and, in some cases, even less talent.
The truth is die-hard fans will still flock to see their favorite stars in new movies, no matter what they might be. Ultimately, making big money at the box office -- and a great connection with a mass market audience -- is the real gold that makes Hollywood's happiest endings.
When it comes to total earnings power, not return on investment, the top 5 highest grossing actors and actress are:
Men
1. Eddie Murphy $3.4+ billion
2. Tom Hanks $3.3+ billion
3. Harrison Ford $3.0+ billion
4. Robin Williams $2.7+ billion
5. Tom Cruise $2.6+ billion
Women
1. Julia Roberts $2.2+ billion
2. Cameron Diaz $2.1+ billion
3. Kirsten Dunst $1.7+ billion
4. Halle Berry $1.4+ billion
5. Drew Barrymore $1.4+ billion
Source: Boxofficemojo.com
What do you think? Are these guys and gals worth the dough they earn?
