Who Is the Only Actor More Bankable Than Kristen Stewart in Hollywood?

by Julie Miller, Vanity Fair

This summer, Kristen Stewart was crowned Hollywood's highest-paid actress after the 22-year-old earned an impressive $34.5 million between May 2011 and May 2012. Just because she is the best-compensated actress does not mean that she is the most bankable one. Proving just that, Forbes ranked Hollywood stars by their "return on investment"--in essence, naming the most valuable stars, male or female, at the box office in the past few years. And despite Stewart's lucrative Twilight franchise, the former Vanity Fair cover star was out-ranked by an actress whose last romantic comedy co-star was Ashton Kutcher and who did not even star in a movie in 2012.

The new report lists Natalie Portman as Hollywood's most bankable actor based on the box-office grosses of the last three films in which she has starred (Black Swan, No Strings Attached, Your Highness) against her box-office returns. Forbes approximates that a studio earns $42.70 for every dollar that Portman is paid. Meanwhile her first runner-up, Kristen Stewart, returns an estimated $40.60 for every dollar she makes. The list is rounded out by a smattering of franchise, action, and Oscar-nominated stars, including Shia LaBeouf, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Bradley Cooper, Dwayne Johnson, and Amy Adams. Although the news may seem like worthy small talk for your New Year's Eve party next week, do not mention it within earshot of Eddie Murphy or Katherine Heigl: both were recently outed as being the least bankable actors in Hollywood based on box-office returns.

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