There are many stars in Hollywood, but which stars have been most successful in terms of starring in box office hits? Here is the top 10.
When people talk about big stars in Hollywood, there are many ways of trying to work out who is the biggest, whether it is highest paid, most awards or number of movies. It is a great debate to have with friends in the bar.
But one metric that can be used is highest grossing films appeared in. While this kind of list is skewed to modern-day actors, as later films have taken more at the box office, it nonetheless provides an indication of who is the biggest.
There are some sites out there that dispute these figures and have other criteria for who appears in the list, but these figures are taken from The Numbers and have been widely reported.
Zoe Saldana $15.5 billion
Zoe Saldana is the queen of the multi-billion dollar franchise movies. Over the past 15 years and more, Zoe has appeared in numerous blockbusters – indeed, she is the only actress to be a lead in four movies that have grossed more than $2 billion at the global box office. She is a stalwart of the Avatar franchise, having appeared in the first two films, as well as a regular in the MCU, where she has played Gamora in multiple movies, including Avengers: Endgame and all three Guardians of the Galaxy films.
Scarlett Johansson $15.4 billion
Hot on Zoe’s heels is another regular in blockbuster franchises, Scarlett Johansson. She has also been a regular in the MCU, playing Black Widow in numerous movies – again including Avengers: Endgame. Scarlett has also appeared in the most recent Jurassic Park movie, which again fared well at the box office, showing that the public’s appetite for seeing people being chased by dinosaurs is undiminished.
Samuel L Jackson $14.6 billion
Yet another Marvel alumni, Samuel has starred in many movies over the past 30 years and more. He was/is Nick Fury in the MCU, but has also appeared in the Star Wars universe as
Robert Downey Jr $14.3 billion
Continuing the Marvel theme, Robert Downey Jr appeared in many films as Iron Man – all three of his own, plus the Avengers films. He could movie up this list later this year when he returns to the MCU as Dr Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
Chris Pratt $14.1 billion
Chris Pratt is another actor who seems to crop up in many major franchises. He was Starlord/Peter Quill in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, as well as appearing in several Avengers movies. He also appeared in three Jurassic World movies in the past decade, when the 90s franchise was successfully reinvigorated. Chris also lends his voice talents to Emmet in The Lego Movie and Mario in The Super Mario Bros Movie.
Tom Cruise $12.7 billion
The first non-Marvel entry in the top 10 is perennial favourite Tom Cruise. He is arguably best known for starring in the Mission: Impossible franchise, but has appeared in a string of hit movies over the past 40 years, including Top Gun and its much-delayed sequel, Tom Gun Maverick.
Chris Hemsworth $12.2 billion
Chris Hemsworth is best known for playing Thor in the MCU. The demigod is one of the longest-serving characters in the MCU, having starred in four movies under his name, as well as being a founder member of the Avengers and starring in all those movies. Outside of the MCU, he has found success in movies such as Rush.
Vin Diesel $12 billion
Vin Diesel has been in the MCU, voicing the tree-based creature Groot in several movies. Not that this is a particularly taxing role – all he says is “I am Groot”, although a lot of meaning can be conveyed through those three words. What is more taxing is his role as Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious series, which is currently up to 10 movies in the main timeline.
Chris Evans $11.49 billion
Another actor most famous for his role in the incredibly successful MCU. Chris has played Captain America in many movies, including three under his own name and the Avengers films. After seemingly waving goodbye to the role in Avengers: Endgame, it has been confirmed that he is returning for Avengers: Doomsday this year.
Dwayne Johnson $11.46 billion
Dwayne Johnson – the most successful acting convert from the world of WWE – has been in many action blockbusters in recent years, including several Fast & Furious movies. He hasn’t been in the MCU, but was in the original DCU, where he played Black Adam.
