The following are non-definitive lists of the actors with the highest career-film grosses. There are box-office gross revenue lists, which are not adjusted for inflation, as well as lists for the number of box-office ticket sales.
Box-office gross revenue
Because of the effects of inflation on cinema ticket prices, a list unadjusted for inflation gives much more weight to later actors.[1] Therefore, gross revenue lists are largely meaningless for comparing acting careers widely separated in time, as many actors from earlier eras will not appear on a modern, unadjusted list, despite their films achieving higher commercial success when adjusted for inflation.[2]
Lead roles
This list only includes leading roles and lead ensemble roles, including voice acting. The list is updated as of 20 July 2023.
Rank | Actor | Worldwide total | Films | Average | Top-grossing film | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Scarlett Johansson | $14,973,199,748[3] | 33 | $441,309,083 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [4] |
2 | Robert Downey Jr. | $14,863,065,910[3] | 44 | $327,115,134 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [5] |
3 | Samuel L. Jackson | $14,376,505,937[3] | 66 | $217,825,848 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [6] |
4 | Zoe Saldaña | $14,240,098,353[3] | 31 | $459,358,011 | Avatar ($2,923,706,026) | [7] |
5 | Chris Pratt | $13,930,412,487[3] | 23 | $605,670,108 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [8] |
6 | Vin Diesel | $12,094,641,073 | 28 | $431,951,467 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [9] |
7 | Chris Hemsworth | $11,959,862,470[3] | 27 | $442,957,869 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [10] |
8 | Tom Cruise | $11,777,319,499[3] | 43 | $273,891,151 | Top Gun: Maverick ($1,478,933,621) | [11] |
9 | Chris Evans | $11,277,890,989[3] | 29 | $388,892,793 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [12] |
10 | Bradley Cooper | $11,275,037,103[3] | 28 | $402,679,897 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [13] |
All roles
This list includes cameos and voice acting. The number of films is from the source The Numbers and may not correspond exactly to a linked filmography. The list is updated as of 20 July 2023.
Rank | Actor | Worldwide total | Films | Average | Top-grossing film | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Stan Lee | $30,601,574,433[14] | 50 | $612,031,489 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [15] |
2 | Samuel L. Jackson | $27,774,380,735[14] | 142 | $195,594,231 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [16] |
3 | Frank Welker | $17,442,437,820[14] | 112 | $155,736,052 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1,123,794,079) | [17] |
4 | John Ratzenberger | $16,766,086,423[14] | 52 | $322,424,739 | Incredibles 2 ($1,242,805,359) | [18] |
5 | Bob Bergen | $15,707,353,005[14] | 60 | $261,789,217 | Minions ($1,157,271,759) | [19] |
6 | Chris Pratt | $15,663,322,335[14] | 36 | $435,092,287 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [20] |
7 | Zoe Saldaña | $15,533,829,929[14] | 47 | $330,507,020 | Avatar ($2,923,706,026) | [21] |
8 | Scarlett Johansson | $15,428,096,444[14] | 52 | $296,694,162 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [22] |
9 | Robert Downey Jr. | $15,346,079,650[14] | 67 | $229,045,965 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [23] |
10 | Andy Serkis | $15,197,137,127[14] | 36 | $422,142,698 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,064,615,817) | [24] |
11 | Benedict Cumberbatch | $15,090,526,782[14] | 43 | $350,942,483 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [25] |
12 | Alan Tudyk | $15,034,696,113 | 41 | $366,699,905 | Frozen II ($1,453,683,476) | [26] |
13 | Warwick Davis | $14,971,417,736 | 24 | $623,809,072 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,064,615,817) | [27] |
14 | Vin Diesel | $14,140,890,097 | 37 | $382,186,219 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [28] |
15 | Jon Favreau | $13,970,645,911[14] | 41 | $340,747,461 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [29] |
16 | Dwayne Johnson | $13,788,085,285[14] | 51 | $270,354,613 | Furious 7 ($1,511,986,364) | [30] |
17 | Chris Evans | $13,753,699,045[14] | 42 | $327,469,025 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [31] |
18 | Idris Elba | $13,334,065,597[14] | 51 | $261,452,267 | Avengers: Infinity War ($2,048,359,754) | [32] |
19 | Bradley Cooper | $13,017,541,896[14] | 40 | $325,438,547 | Avengers: Endgame ($2,794,731,755) | [33] |
20 | Tom Cruise | $12,783,203,247 [34] | 48 | $266,316,734 | Top Gun: Maverick ($1,478,933,621) | [35] |
Earlier eras
Up until 2000
A survey by TLA Video in 2000 estimated that the following actors had sold the most movie tickets at the box office.[36][37]
Rank | Actor | Ticket sales (est.) |
---|---|---|
1 | Clark Gable | 1,168,300,000 |
2 | John Wayne | 1,114,000,000 |
3 | Bing Crosby | 1,077,900,000 |
4 | James Stewart | 981,900,000 |
5 | Cary Grant | 942,500,000 |
6 | Spencer Tracy | 937,200,000 |
7 | Gary Cooper | 878,600,000 |
8 | Mickey Rooney | 867,900,000 |
9 | Harrison Ford | 852,700,000 |
10 | Gregory Peck | 728,000,000 |
Up until 1966
In 1966, Variety calculated a list of the highest-grossing stars using their All-Time Top Grossing Films lists based on the number of films that had earned theatrical rentals of $4 million or more in the United States and Canada by the end of 1965.[38] As the list was based on number of films on the chart, there may have been some stars who appeared in fewer films listed but with a higher total rental. As with current lists, the list favors films and stars of the later eras as later films generally gross more. John Wayne topped the list. Variety noted that Crosby's last hit prior to 1965 was High Society in 1956, and at that date he would have led the list.[38] They also noted that Gable was the undisputed king until he went into the Army in 1942 and that he wasn't ranked higher, as many of his earlier hits did not reach their $4 million cut-off and were therefore not included in his total.[38]
Rank | Actor | Total (US/Canada rentals)[38] |
Top-grossing film (US/Canada rentals) |
Films on chart | Average |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Wayne | $113,422,000 | How the West Was Won ($23,000,000) | 17 | $6,671,882 |
2 | Charlton Heston | $110,500,000 | Ben-Hur ($38,000,000) | 7 | $15,785,714 |
3 | Gregory Peck | $105,075,000 | How the West Was Won ($23,000,000) | 14 | $7,505,357 |
4 | Frank Sinatra | $95,450,000 | From Here To Eternity ($12,200,000) | 17 | $5,614,706 |
5 | Elizabeth Taylor | $85,825,000 | Cleopatra ($23,500,000) | 10 | $8,582,500 |
6 | Richard Burton | $79,950,000 | Cleopatra ($23,500,000) | 7 | $11,421,429 |
7 | James Stewart | $77,700,000 | How the West Was Won ($23,000,000) | 9 | $8,633,333 |
8 | Bing Crosby | $68,500,000 | White Christmas ($12,000,000) | 11 | $6,227,273 |
9 | Clark Gable | $65,100,000 | Gone with the Wind ($41,200,000) | 6 | $10,850,000 |
10 | William Holden | $62,610,000 | The Bridge on the River Kwai ($17,195,000) | 10 | $6,261,000 |
11 | Cary Grant | $62,550,000 | Operation Petticoat ($9,500,000) | 11 | $5,686,364 |
12 | Shirley MacLaine | $62,150,000 | Around the World in 80 Days ($22,000,000) | 7 | $8,878,571 |
13 | Henry Fonda | $61,250,000 | How the West Was Won ($23,000,000) | 6 | $10,208,333 |
14 | Fred MacMurray | $58,300,000 | The Shaggy Dog ($9,600,000) | 8 | $7,287,500 |
15 | Spencer Tracy | $57,950,000 | How the West Was Won ($23,000,000) | 6 | $9,658,333 |
16 | Jean Simmons | $57,450,000 | The Robe ($17,500,000) | 7 | $8,207,143 |
17 | Jack Lemmon | $56,405,000 | Irma La Douce ($11,250,000) | 8 | $7,050,625 |
18 | Marlon Brando | $56,150,000 | Sayonara ($10,500,000) | 9 | $6,238,889 |
19 | David Niven | $54,400,000 | Around the World in 80 Days ($22,000,000) | 6 | $9,066,667 |
20 | Doris Day | $53,900,000 | Lover Come Back ($8,500,000) | 9 | $5,988,889 |
See also
References
- ↑ Bialik, Carl (January 29, 2010). "How Hollywood Box-Office Records Are Made". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ↑ Pincus-Roth, Zachary (July 6, 2009). "Best Weekend Never". Slate. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Top 100 Stars in Leading Roles at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Scarlett Johansson". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Robert Downey, Jr". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Samuel L. Jackson". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Zoe Saldana". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Pratt". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Vin Diesel". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Hemsworth". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Tom Cruise". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Evans". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Bradley Cooper". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Top Stars at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Stan Lee". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Samuel L. Jackson". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Frank Welker". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "John Ratzenberger". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Bob Bergen". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Pratt". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Zoe Saldana". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Scarlett Johansson". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Robert Downey, Jr". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Andy Serkis". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Benedict Cumberbatch". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Alan Tudyk". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Warwick Davis". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Vin Diesel". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Jon Favreau". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Dwayne Johnson". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Chris Evans". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Idris Elba". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ "Bradley Cooper". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ https://www.the-numbers.com/person/540401-Tom-Cruise
- ↑ "Tom Cruise". The Numbers. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ Macfarlane, Malcolm (2001). "Chapter 11: Epilogue". Bing Crosby – Day by Day. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 670–671. ISBN 0-8108-4145-2. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ↑ "Top Stars of All-Time: Estimated Ticket Sales". TLA Video. Archived from the original on December 11, 2001. Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via Internet Archive.
- 1 2 3 4 Beaupre, Lee (January 5, 1966). "Star, Producer, Director Identification With All-Time Top-Grossing Features". Variety. p. 7.