Shia LaBeouf is the most profitable

Los Angeles: Hollywood actor Shia LaBeouf has topped the Forbes list of the most profitable actor for the second straight year.

For every dollar that the actor is paid, the movie in which he appeared earned US$ 81 in profit thus offering the biggest bang for the buck, according to a Forbes list released Monday.

LaBeouf's top ranking is because of the blockbusters like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull good for $787 million worldwide, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen which brought in $ 836 million worldwide, the Hollywood Reporter said.

The Devil Wears Prada star Anne Hathaway was second thanks to the $ 1 billion that Alice in Wonderland earned at the box office and the Bride Wars, which took in $ 115 million. Hathaway's movies generate $ 64 in profit for each $ 1 she earns.

The magazine looked at the top 36 earners in Hollywood who made at least three films in five years that opened wide. They calculated box office, DVD and TV sales and subtracted a movie's budget, stripping out marketing costs, "which are susceptible to accounting chicanery."

Rounding out the Top 5 were Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe with his US$ 61 in profit for each $ 1 paid, Robert Downey Jr ($ 33) and Cate Blanchett ($27).

Probably the most surprising actor cracking the Top 10 is Johnny Depp, given the massive salary he is usually paid. He was paid $ 1 for every $ 18 in profit his movies earned.