List of highest-grossing actors

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The following is a non-definitive list of the actors with the highest career-film grosses. The list is not adjusted for inflation.

Because of the long-term effects of inflation on movie theater ticket prices, a list unadjusted for inflation gives far more weight to later actors.[1] Therefore, this list is largely meaningless for comparing acting careers widely separated in time, as many actors from earlier eras will never appear on a modern unadjusted list, despite their films achieving higher commercial success when adjusted for price increases.[2]

A survey in 2000 found that the three actors who had sold the most movie tickets were Clark Gable (1,168,300,000), John Wayne (1,114,000,000), and Bing Crosby (1,077,900,000).[3]

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.

  Background shading indicates actors whose films are currently playing in theaters.
Rank Actor Worldwide total[4] Top-grossing film Films Average
1 Stan Lee $30,607,168,726 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 49 $624,636,096
2 Samuel L. Jackson $27,684,734,363 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 138 $200,614,017
3 Frank Welker $17,443,260,012 Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1,123,794,079) 111 $157,146,487
4 John Ratzenberger $16,769,049,880 Incredibles 2 ($1,242,805,359) 51 $328,804,900
5 Robert Downey Jr. $15,724,617,388 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 67 $234,695,782
6 Bob Bergen $15,710,576,714 Minions ($1,159,631,140) 60 $261,842,945
7 Scarlett Johansson $15,220,489,224 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 50 $304,409,784
8 Alan Tudyk $15,008,722,133[dubious – discuss] Frozen II ($1,447,244,586) 40 $375,218,053
9 Warwick Davis $14,986,669,044[dubious – discuss] Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,065,478,084) 24 $624,444,544
10 Andy Serkis $14,430,308,015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,065,478,084) 35 $412,294,515
11 Benedict Cumberbatch $13,901,922,253 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 41 $339,071,274
12 Jon Favreau $13,752,831,126 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 41 $335,434,906
13 Chris Evans $13,537,821,045 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 40 $338,445,526
14 Paul Bettany $13,401,964,370[dubious – discuss] Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 32 $418,811,387
15 Dwayne Johnson $12,479,559,044 Furious 7 ($1,517,179,709) 49 $254,684,878
16 Don Cheadle $12,418,000,329 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 46 $269,956,529
17 Zoe Saldana $12,270,690,383 Avatar ($2,845,979,541) 44 $278,879,327
18 Idris Elba $12,089,076,866 Avengers: Infinity War ($2,044,540,523) 45 $268,646,153
18 Jeremy Renner $11,956,859,007 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 31 $385,705,129
20 Gwyneth Paltrow $11,863,417,392 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 45 $263,631,498

Live-action roles[]

This list does not include cameos or voice acting.

  Background shading indicates actors whose films are currently playing in theaters.
Rank Actor Worldwide total[5] Top-grossing film Films Average
1 Samuel L. Jackson $20,688,765,824 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 111 $186,385,278
2 Robert Downey Jr. $15,459,043,529 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 65 $237,831,439
3 Warwick Davis $14,588,834,555 Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,065,478,084) 22 $663,128,843
4 Scarlett Johansson $13,193,779,154[dubious – discuss] Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 45 $293,195,092
5 Andy Serkis $13,029,780,431 Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,065,478,084) 30 $434,326,014
6 Benedict Cumberbatch $12,981,753,739 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 34 $381,816,286
7 Don Cheadle $12,418,000,329 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 46 $269,956,529
8 Paul Bettany $12,185,592,577[dubious – discuss] Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 30 $406,186,419
9 Zoe Saldana $12,085,027,623 Avatar ($2,845,979,541) 40 $302,125,691
10 Jeremy Renner $11,947,164,438 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 30 $398,238,815

Lead roles[]

This list only includes lead roles, including voice acting.

  Background shading indicates Actors whose films are currently playing in theaters.
Rank Actor Worldwide total[6] Top-grossing film Films Average
1 Robert Downey Jr. $14,396,129,469 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 43 $334,793,709
2 Scarlett Johansson $14,355,260,693 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 32 $448,601,897
3 Samuel L. Jackson $14,340,189,355 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 63 $227,622,053
4 Chris Hemsworth $11,200,792,128 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 25 $448,031,685
5 Chris Evans $11,061,812,689 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 27 $409,696,766
6 Zoe Saldana $10,976,958,807 Avatar ($2,845,979,541) 28 $392,034,243
7 Chris Pratt $10,742,179,179 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 20 $537,108,959
8 Tom Hanks $10,691,083,366 Toy Story 4 ($1,073,080,329) 53 $201,718,554
9 Vin Diesel $10,539,933,239 Avengers: Infinity War ($2,044,540,523) 26 $405,382,048
10 Bradley Cooper $10,411,243,825 Avengers: Endgame ($2,797,800,564) 27 $385,601,623

Supporting roles[]

This list only includes supporting roles, including voice acting.

  Background shading indicates Actors whose films are currently playing in theaters.
Rank Actor Worldwide total[7] Top-grossing film Films Average
1 Warwick Davis $14,483,414,161 Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,065,478,084) 18 $804,634,120
2 Frank Welker $13,657,121,996 Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1,123,794,079) 46 $296,893,956
3 Bob Bergen $11,729,649,380 Minions ($1,159,631,140) 29 $404,470,668
4 John Ratzenberger $11,658,410,276 Incredibles 2 ($1,242,805,359) 37 $315,092,170
5 Alan Tudyk $10,998,158,695[dubious – discuss] Frozen II ($1,447,244,586) 28 $392,791,382
6 J. K. Simmons $10,953,237,856 Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1,690,985,988) 50 $219,064,757
7 Hugo Weaving $10,644,914,920 Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1,123,794,079) 21 $506,900,710
8 Jess Harnell $9,986,353,300 Minions ($1,159,631,140) 20 $499,317,665
9 Gary Oldman $9,834,091,467 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ($1,334,392,544) 23 $427,569,194
10 Samuel L. Jackson $9,687,077,030 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ($1,072,944,222) 51 $189,942,687

Earlier eras[]

As noted above, a survey in 2000 found that the three actors who had sold the most movie tickets were Clark Gable (1,168,300,000), John Wayne (1,114,000,000), and Bing Crosby (1,077,900,000).[3]

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.[8] 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.[8] 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 therefore, were not included in his total.[8]

Rank Actor Total
(US/Canada rentals)[8]		 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[]

  1. ^ Bialik, Carl (January 29, 2010). "How Hollywood Box-Office Records Are Made". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  2. ^ Pincus-Roth, Zachary (July 6, 2009). "Best Weekend Never". Slate. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Macfarlane, Malcolm (2001). Bing Crosby – Day by Day. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 670–671. ISBN 0-8108-4145-2.
  4. ^ "Top Stars at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved 2021-04-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Top Live Action Stars at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved 2021-04-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Top 100 Stars in Leading Roles at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved 2021-04-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Top 100 Stars in Supporting Roles at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved 2021-04-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ a b c d Beaupre, Lee (5 January 1966). "Star, Producer, Director Identification With All-Time Top-Grossing Features". Variety. p. 7.
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