The subversive (who knew!) number crunchers over at Forbes.com just posted their list of Most Overpaid Celebrities. It should come as no surprise that Nicole Kidman is high up on the Forbes list. According to Forbes, for every dollar Kidman was paid for her last few films (excluding “The Golden Compass” and “Margot at the Wedding”), her flicks returned only $8 on average to the studios, making her the most overpaid actress in Hollywoodland.

This is a no-brainer for me, since I’ve never thought of Kidman as a big box-office draw. I don’t know anyone who says, “Hey I can’t wait for that new Nicole Kidman movie to come out.” I’ve also never heard the phrase “It’s great how Nicole Kidman’s one-note acting makes movies so much worse. I love her for that.”

So why do the studios insist on throwing wads of money at the not-so-bankable Kidman? The Forbes story says she earned about $15 million for “The Golden Compass,” and that movie only earned a little more than $20 mil in its first weekend. Her “hits” owe little of their financial success to her contributions. “Moulin Rouge” was popular because of Baz Lurhmann’s colorful visual storytelling and the reinterpretations of all those classic pop songs. “Cold Mountain” banked more on Oscar winning director Anthony Minghella. Meryl Streep and a few other famous female names helped make “The Hours” a hit.

So, is Nicole Kidman overpaid? I say hells yes. Check the Forbes list here .

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AP photo