Lights, camera, action! Movies and television are an ever-evolving cornerstone to how the world enjoys entertainment and inspiration. Almost everyone has a favorite movie, a favorite actor, and a favorite television show. With great power, comes great profit. According to the Motion Picture Association, the film and television industry provides nearly 3 million jobs, pays over $242 billion in wages annually, and encompasses over 122,000 businesses. This would not be possible without the dazzling array of talent that star in these films and series. To celebrate cinema and the spectacular actors who make it possible, the team at EverPresent have created this ultimate guide to the 50 highest-grossing leading actors of all time. Let’s press play!

Who is the highest-grossing actor of all time? 

Who is the most successful actor of all time based on total box office gross? Samuel L. Jackson takes the crown for being the number one actor in the world as far as box office revenue goes. The total worldwide box office gross for the 69 movies that Samuel L. Jackson has starred in is an awe-inspiring $14.628 billion! Much of this success has come from Samuel L. Jackson’s role as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the founder of The Avengers, Nick Fury has been a significant player in nearly all of the massively profitable Marvel movies and television shows, beginning with a post-credits cameo in the first MCU film Iron Man (2008). Samuel L. Jackson’s filmography goes far beyond the MCU. You may recognize him from iconic films such as Pulp Fiction (1994), Django Unchained (2012), and the Hateful Eight (2015). 

Samuel L. Jackson’s impressive roster of supercharged films has secured his legacy as an international movie star. In the words of Nick Fury, “Legend tells us one thing, history another. But every now and then we find something that belongs to both.” Samuel L. Jackson is that “something.”

Who is the highest-grossing female actor of all time? 

Who is the female actor that has starred in the highest-grossing films of all time? That would be Scarlett Johansson, a talented and versatile American actor who has starred in 33 films grossing $14.545 billion! Many of the most successful films she has starred in were also in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (as with many of this most successful actors list); Scarlett Johansson’s highest-grossing film was Avengers: Endgame which earned $2.75 billion worldwide! Who is Scarlett Johansson in the MCU? Scarlett Johansson portrayed Black Widow (AKA Natasha Romanoff) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making an appearance in nine of the franchise films. 

How much did Scarlett Johansson make from Avengers: Endgame? According to this detailed breakdown by Screenrant on how much each actor made in the MCU, Johansson made around $15 million from her role as Black Widow. This is a significant increase from the $400,000 she made in her first Marvel appearance in Iron Man 2. 

Scarlett Johansson’s filmography demonstrates that she has achieved stardom far beyond her venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with critically acclaimed films such as Her (2013), Lost in Translation (2003), and Lucy (2014) under her belt. 

Who is the highest-paid actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

With phenomenal success comes colossal paychecks! As we mentioned earlier, many of the most successful actors on this list are featured in films across the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, a Marvel movie is the highest-grossing film for 26 out of 50 of the actors included on our list! So who is the highest-paid actor in the Avengers? Robert Downey Jr., the actor who portrays Iron Man, is the highest-paid Marvel actor by far. He earned an impressive $75 million from just his appearance in Avengers: Endgame alone. Many Marvel fans would agree that this incredible sum is well-deserved; his captivating performance as philanthropist playboy billionaire Tony Stark in the first MCU film Iron Man was no doubt a vital impetus for the soaring heights the franchise would go on to reach. In fact, director Christopher Nolan described Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Iron Man as “one of the most consequential casting decisions that’s ever been made.” 

How much did Zoe Saldana make from Avatar? 

According to FandomWire, Zoe Saldana earned around $4 million for her role as the formidable Na’vi warrior Neytiri. Saldana is the 4th highest-grossing actor on our list and the lead female actor in Avatar (2009), the highest-grossing film of all time.  The Avatar films aren’t the only box office juggernaut that Zoe Saldana has starred in, her appearances in Marvel’s three Guardians of the Galaxy films and two of Marvel’s Avengers films as Gamora, a skilled assassin who is known for never failing a mission, also played a part in earning her impressive spot on the list.

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The Complete List of the Actors That Have Starred in the Highest-Grossing Films of All Time

Rank

Name

Number of Movies

Total Worldwide Box Office Gross ($Billions)

Highest Grossing Film

Worldwide Box Office of Highest Grossing Film ($ Billions)

1

Samuel L. Jackson

69

$14.628

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

2

Scarlett Johansson

33

$14.545

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

3

Robert Downey, Jr.

44

$14.347

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

4

Zoe Saldana

34

$14.255

Avatar

$2.92

5

Chris Pratt

24

$14.148

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

6

Vin Diesel

28

$12.092

Avengers: Infinity War

$2.05

7

Tom Cruise

44

$12.091

Top Gun: Maverick

$1.46

8

Chris Hemsworth

28

$12.086

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

9

Bradley Cooper

30

$11.420

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

10

Chris Evans

28

$11.227

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

11

Tom Hanks

56

$10.858

Toy Story 4

$1.07

12

Johnny Depp

53

$10.356

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

$1.07

13

Dwayne Johnson

38

$10.228

Furious 7

$1.51

14

Tom Holland

15

$9.967

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

15

Mark Ruffalo

23

$9.788

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

16

Emma Watson

15

$9.224

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

$1.31

17

Don Cheadle

23

$9.027

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

18

Will Smith

37

$8.995

Aladdin

$1.05

19

Dave Bautista

27

$8.853

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

20

Jeremy Renner

19

$8.811

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

21

Karen Gillan

17

$8.479

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

22

Josh Brolin

26

$8.389

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

23

Elizabeth Olsen

18

$8.383

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

24

Daniel Radcliffe

24

$8.349

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

$1.31

25

Benedict Cumberbatch

20

$8.281

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

26

Harrison Ford

42

$8.174

Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens

$2.06

27

Steve Carell

31

$7.802

Minions

$1.16

28

Rupert Grint

13

$7.641

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

$1.31

29

Chadwick Boseman

11

$7.607

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

30

Letitia Wright

12

$7.522

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

31

Leonardo DiCaprio

27

$7.370

Titanic

$2.22

32

Matt Damon

46

$7.317

Oppenheimer

$0.98

33

Sebastian Stan

16

$7.093

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

34

Danai Gurira

5

$6.987

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

35

Brad Pitt

46

$6.923

Deadpool 2

$0.79

36

Jack Black

29

$6.911

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

$1.36

37

Tom Hiddleston

14

$6.900

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

38

Paul Bettany

16

$6.836

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

39

Bruce Willis

88

$6.761

The Sixth Sense

$0.67

40

Eddie Murphy

46

$6.751

Shrek 2

$0.94

41

Liam Neeson

60

$6.689

The Dark Knight

$1.08

42

Sam Worthington

25

$6.519

Avatar

$2.92

43

Pom Klementieff

5

$6.514

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

44

Benedict Wong

6

$6.458

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

45

Ben Stiller

35

$6.378

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

$0.75

46

Hugh Jackman

36

$6.367

Deadpool 2

$0.79

47

Jason Statham

40

$6.321

Furious 7

$1.51

48

Ian McKellen

19

$6.293

Beauty and the Beast

$1.27

49

Gwyneth Paltrow

20

$6.126

Avengers: Endgame

$2.75

50

Jennifer Lawrence

25

$6.081

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

$0.86

Source:

https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-star-records/worldwide/lifetime-acting/top-grossing-leading-stars

 

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