Highest Grossing Actors of All Time

They say you’re only as good as your last movie, but some of the actors on this list might disagree with that old adage. Though they’re at the top of their class in box office totals, they’ve each had their fair share of flops. Their hits, however, are among the biggest movies of all time. We should note for the time being, these totals account for domestic box office returns only and do not factor in inflation. Furthermore, only major roles for the actors are being counted, cameos are not a factor, and given the climate of blockbuster box office totals these days, we’ll be sure to update this article as more movies featuring the actors below continue to roll out.

15 Highest Grossing Actors

Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #15: Ian McKellen

Box Office Total: $3.15 billion

Notable films:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - $303 million
X-Men: The Last Stand - $234 million

Trivia: Six of the top ten films in McKellen's filmography are all of the “Middle-earth” movies, both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #15: Ian McKellen

Highest grossing film: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - $377.8 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #15: Ian McKellen

Lowest grossing film: Emile (2005) $5,799
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #14: Anthony Daniels

Box Office Total: $3.162 billion

Notable films:
Star Wars: Episode I -The Phantom Menace - $474 million
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - $380 million

Trivia: Not counting bit parts and cameos in other films, Daniels has only appeared in the seven theatrically released Star Wars movies

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #14: Anthony Daniels

Highest grossing film: Star Wars: The Force Awakens - $936 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #14: Anthony Daniels

Lowest grossing film: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - $290 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #13: Stellan Skarsgard

Box Office Total: $3.171 billion

Notable films:
Avengers: Age of Ultron – $459 million
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $$423 million

Trivia: Born in Sweden, Skarsgard saw much success in his native country but made his big break in American films with 1990’s The Hunt for Red October.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #13: Stellan Skarsgard

Highest-grossing film: Marvel’s The Avengers – $623.3 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #13: Stellan Skarsgard

Lowest-grossing film: Boogie Woogie – $2,618
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #12: Bruce Willis

Box Office Total: $3.189 billion

Other notable films:
Armageddon – $201.5 million
Over the Hedge – $155 million

Trivia: Willis is best known for playing John McClane in the Die Hard series. All five films in the series have combined for $502 million at the domestic box office.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #12: Bruce Willis

Highest-grossing film: The Sixth Sense – $293.5 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #12: Bruce Willis

Lowest-grossing film: Extraction – $16,775
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #11: Robin Williams

Box Office Total: $3.279 billion

Notable films:

Mrs. Doubtfire – $219.1 million
Aladdin – $217.3 million

Trivia: Williams’ four Academy Award-nominated films, for roles in Good Morning, Vietnam, The Fisher King, Dead Poet’s Society, and Good Will Hunting, have all combined for a total of over $400 million.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #11: Robin Williams

Highest-grossing film: Night at the Museum – $250.8 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #11: Robin Williams

Lowest-grossing film: The Secret Agent – $106,606
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #10: Michael Caine

Box Office Total: $3.286 billion

Notable films:
Inception – $292.5 million
Austin Powers in Goldmember – $213.3 million

Trivia: When Michael Caine won his first Academy Award for the film Hannah and Her Sisters, he was unable to attend the ceremony due to filming Jaws IV: The Revenge, which when released grossed half of what the Woody Allen film brought in with just $20.5 million.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #10: Michael Caine

Highest-grossing film: The Dark Knight – $534.9 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #10: Michael Caine

Lowest-grossing film: Around the Bend – $193,637
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #9: Gary Oldman

Box Office Total: $3.290 billion

Notable films:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – $292 million
Air Force One – $172.9 million

Trivia: Oldman is well known for appearing in roles where he is unrecognizable with the highest-grossing of these being Hannibal at $165 million.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #9: Gary Oldman

Highest-grossing film: The Dark Knight – $534.9 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #9: Gary Oldman

Lowest-grossing film: We Think the World of You – $20,998
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #8: Johnny Depp

Box Office Total: $3.291 billion

Notable films:
Alice in Wonderland – $334.1 million
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – $206.4

Trivia: Depp’s four appearances in the Pirates of the Caribbean series have brought in a domestic total of $1.279 billion, accounting for 39% of his entire box office total.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #8: Johnny Depp

Highest-grossing film: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $423.3 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #8: Johnny Depp

Lowest-grossing film: Arizona Dream – $112,547
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #7: Robert Downey, Jr.

Box Office Total: $3,539.3 billion

Notable films:
Iron Man 3 – $409 million
Sherlock Holmes – $209 million

Trivia: RDJ has been nominated for two Academy Awards, for his performances in Chaplin and Tropic Thunder, which brought in $9.5 million and $110.5 million, respectively.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #7: Robert Downey, Jr.

Highest-grossing film: The Avengers – $623.4 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #7: Robert Downey, Jr.

Lowest-grossing film: Hugo Pool – $13,330
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #6: Tom Cruise

Box Office Total: $3.587 billion

Notable films:
Mission: Impossible II – $215.4 million
Top Gun – $179.8 million

Trivia: Cruise has starred in all five Mission: Impossible films, with the series bringing in a combined domestic total of $934.8 million, which is just 33% of the worldwide total for the five films.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #6: Tom Cruise

Highest-grossing film: War of the Worlds – $234.3 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #6: Tom Cruise

Lowest-grossing film: Losin’ It – $1,246,141
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #5: Eddie Murphy

Box Office Total: $3.810 billion

Other notable films:
Beverly Hills Cop – $234.7 million
Doctor Dolittle – $144.1 million

Trivia: Were it not for his involvement in the four Shrek films, which have a combined total of $1.27 billion, Murphy’s domestic box office total would knock him down to 38th place.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #5: Eddie Murphy

Highest-grossing film: Shrek 2 – $441.2 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #5: Eddie Murphy

Lowest-grossing film: The Adventures of Pluto Nash – $4.4 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #4: Tom Hanks

Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #4: Tom Hanks

Box Office Total: $4.337 billion

Notable films: Forrest Gump – $330.2 million; Cast Away – $233.6 million

Trivia: Tom Hanks’ five Academy Award-nominated roles, for his performances in Cast Away, Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia and Big, have all combined grossed over $970 million, more than the three Toy Story films combined ($852.5 million).

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #4: Tom Hanks

Highest-grossing film: Toy Story 3 – $415 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #4: Tom Hanks

Lowest-grossing film: Every Time We Say Goodbye – $278,623
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #3: Morgan Freeman

Box Office Total: $4.378 billion

Notable films:
The LEGO Movie – $257.7 million
Bruce Almighty – $242.8 million

Trivia: Morgan Freeman has been nominated for five Academy Awards, his first being for the film Street Smart, which is among his lowest-grossing movies with just $1,119,112.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #3: Morgan Freeman

Highest-grossing film: The Dark Knight – $534.9 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #3: Morgan Freeman

Lowest-grossing film: 10 Items or Less – $83,291
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #2: Harrison Ford

Box Office Total: $5.069

Notable films:
Raiders of the Lost Ark – $248 million
The Fugitive – $183.8 million

Trivia: The combined box office totals for Ford’s appearances in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films account for 60% of his domestic box office total at $2.936 billion.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #2: Harrison Ford

Highest-grossing film: Star Wars: The Force Awakens – $936 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #2: Harrison Ford

Lowest-grossing film: Crossing Over – $455,654
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #1: Samuel L. Jackson

Box Office Total: $5.832 billion

Notable films:
Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace – $474.5 million
Jurassic Park – $402.4 million

Trivia: Jackson has appeared in a starring role or an uncredited cameo in six of Quentin Tarantino‘s eight films, which have combined for over $550 million.

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Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #1: Samuel L. Jackson

Highest-grossing film: The Avengers – $623.4 million
Highest Grossing Actors of All Time #1: Samuel L. Jackson

Lowest-grossing film: Meeting Evil – $525