List of highest-grossing actors

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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.

Contents

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]

Lead roles

This list only includes leading roles and lead ensemble roles, including voice acting. The list is updated as of 30 December 2025.

RankActorWorldwide totalFilmsAverageTop-grossing filmRef.
1 Scarlett Johansson $15,401,507,14136$427,819,643 Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [2]
2 Zoe Saldaña $14,998,849,82533$454,510,601 Avatar ($2,923,706,026) [3]
3 Samuel L. Jackson $14,613,700,731[ dubious – discuss ]70$208,767,153Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [4]
4 Robert Downey Jr. $14,315,110,84045$318,113,574Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [5]
5 Chris Pratt $14,128,303,78428$504,582,278Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [6]
6 Tom Cruise $12,669,366,862 [7] 45$281,541,486 Top Gun: Maverick ($1,452,163,362) [8]
7 Chris Hemsworth $12,189,865,785 [7] 31$393,221,477Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [9]
8 Vin Diesel $12,043,063,42428$481,722,537 Avengers: Infinity War ($2,048,158,241) [10]
9 Chris Evans $11,489,026,787 [7] 29$396,173,337Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [11]
10 Dwayne Johnson $11,466,151,356 [7] 41$279,662,228 Furious 7 ($1,510,065,395) [12]

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 30 December 2025.

RankActorWorldwide totalFilmsAverageTop-grossing filmRef.
1 Stan Lee $30,527,135,363 50 $610,542,707 Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [13]
2 Samuel L. Jackson $28,361,777,634 146 $194,258,751Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [14]
3 John Ratzenberger $18,482,321,55054$342,265,214 Inside Out 2 ($1,698,831,782) [15]
4 Alan Tudyk $18,417,648,529[ dubious – discuss ]47$391,864,862 Zootopia 2 ($1,654,744,584) [16]
5 Frank Welker $17,489,352,325 114 $153,415,371 Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1,123,794,079) [17]
6 Dwayne Johnson $16,490,249,120 57 $289,302,616 Zootopia 2 ($1,654,744,584) [18]
7 Scarlett Johansson $16,435,483,784 57 $288,341,821Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [19]
8 Zoe Saldaña $16,389,676,73749$334,483,199 Avatar ($2,923,706,026) [20]
9 Robert Downey Jr. $16,244,881,835 68 $238,895,321Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [21]
10 Chris Pratt $15,861,129,62541$386,856,820Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [22]
11 Bob Bergen $15,750,289,14460$262,504,819 Minions ($1,157,271,759) [23]
12 Idris Elba $15,265,965,213 57 $267,823,951 Avengers: Infinity War ($2,048,158,241) [24]
13 Jon Favreau $15,248,541,561 42 $363,060,513Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [25]
14 Andy Serkis $15,200,463,704 40 $380,011,593 Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,056,046,835) [26]
15 Benedict Cumberbatch $15,124,168,063 50 $302,483,361Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [27]
16 Warwick Davis $14,948,923,557[ dubious – discuss ]24$622,871,815Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,056,046,835) [28]
17 Vin Diesel $14,089,688,135[ dubious – discuss ]37$380,802,382Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [29]
18 Chris Hemsworth $14,019,660,935 [7] 34$412,342,969Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [30]
19 Chris Evans $13,972,982,269 45 $310,510,717Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [31]
20 Bradley Cooper $13,755,728,77844$312,630,200Avengers: Endgame ($2,717,503,922) [32]

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. [33] [34]

RankActorTicket 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. [35] 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. 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. [35] They also noted that Gable was the undisputed king until he went into the Army in 1942 and that he was not ranked higher as many of his earlier hits did not reach their $4 million cut-off and were therefore not included in his total. [35]

RankActorTotal
(US/Canada rentals) [35] 		Top-grossing film
(US/Canada rentals)		Films on chartAverage
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 $105,075,000How 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 $79,950,000Cleopatra ($23,500,000)7$11,421,429
7 James Stewart $77,700,000How 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 $61,250,000How 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 $57,950,000How 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 $54,400,000Around 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 . Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Scarlett Johansson". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Zoe Saldana". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Samuel L. Jackson". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Robert Downey, Jr". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Chris Pratt". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Top 100 Stars in Leading Roles at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Tom Cruise". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Chris Hemsworth". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Vin Diesel". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Chris Evans". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Dwayne Johnson". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Stan Lee". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Samuel L. Jackson". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  15. ↑ "John Ratzenberger". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Alan Tudyk". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Frank Welker". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Dwayne Johnson". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Scarlett Johansson". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Zoe Saldana". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Robert Downey, Jr". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Chris Pratt". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Bob Bergen". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Idris Elba". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Jon Favreau". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Andy Serkis". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Benedict Cumberbatch". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Warwick Davis". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Vin Diesel". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Chris Hemsworth". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Chris Evans". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  32. ↑ "Bradley Cooper". The Numbers . Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  33. ↑ 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.
  34. ↑ "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.
  35. 1 2 3 4 Beaupre, Lee (January 5, 1966). "Star, Producer, Director Identification With All-Time Top-Grossing Features". Variety . p. 7.
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