The success of most movies especially franchises, asides from the star-packed cast, can be attributed to their large and devoted fan base. Movies such as Star Wars, The Avengers, The Hunger Games, and so on are good examples. The list of highest-grossing actors contains a handful of actors who are a part of a franchise, but some independent movie actors can also hold their own at the Box-office. Actors like Samuel. L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr, Idris Elba, and Vin Diesel make an appearance on this list.
Here are the seven highest-grossing actors of all time;
Samuel L. Jackson
With a brilliant career spanning over three decades, the 73-year-old actor has held the top spot on this list for the past couple of years. He has starred in critically acclaimed films like Pulp Fiction, and A Time to Kill, including starring as the famous Nick Fury in the Avengers franchise and Mace Windu in Star Wars. His films collectively have earned him a whopping $18.93 billion worldwide. He has voiced animations such as The Incredibles and Turbo. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Honorary Award by The Academy in March 2022.
Scarlett Johansson
Academy Award nominee and five-time Golden Globe nominee Scarlett Johansson began her acting career as a child actor in 1994. Since then, she has appeared in critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies like Marriage story, Lost in Translation, Home Alone, and many others. She is mostly famous for her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has contributed largely to her $14.3 billion box-office grossing. She has also won several awards which include a Tony Award, and a BAFTA for her films.
Robert Downey Jr.
Despite his challenging past, two-time Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee, Robert Downey Jr has managed to turn his career around to become one of Hollywood’s leading actors. With his breakout role in Less Than Zero, in 80s classics like Weird Science. His real recognition though came with the successful Avengers films playing the role of Iron Man and subsequently Sherlock Holmes. He has earned a spot on this list with an impressive $12.79 billion and was named Hollywood’s highest-paid actor by Forbes between 2013 and 2015.
Andy Serkis
This English actor and producer shot to fame after playing the role of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings films from 2001 to 2003. He played the leading role in the movie King Kong and has starred in films like Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, and Black Panther. His impressive resume in the industry has helped him earn over $12.57 billion at the box office. He has received a BAFTA award for his outstanding contribution to British media and made his directorial debut in 2017 with Breathe.
Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana began acting in 1999, appearing in the television series, Law&Order and from there went on to star in a handful of movies before breaking out in the Star Trek films as Nyota Uhura. She achieved major success after playing Neytiri in Avatar which grossed over $ 2 billion worldwide, Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy, and reprised her role in two of the Avengers films. Her movies have grossed over $11 billion worldwide, making her the second highest-grossing actress after Scarlett Johansson.
Dwayne Johnson
Popularly known as “The Rock”, Dwayne Johnson began his career as a wrestler. He started acting in 2001 with The Mummy Returns and later The Scorpion King in 2002. He left wrestling in 2004 to act full-time and appeared in movies like Race to Witch Mountain, Get Smart, Tooth Fairy, and many others. After returning to the wrestling ring in 2011 part-time, The Rock officially retired from wrestling in 2019. His movies have made over $ 11 billion worldwide.
Chris Pratt
This 43-year-old actor gained recognition for playing Andy Dwyer on the sitcom Parks and Recreation which ran from 2009 to 2015. He is also famous for playing Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy and appearing in the Avengers franchise. He has grossed over $10 billion at the box office.
Conclusion
It cannot be denied that some actors can draw an audience no matter what genre of movie they choose to star in. It is most rewarding to have these movies be well received by fans and the entire world.
Who is the highest-grossing actor of all time?
The highest-grossing actor of all time is Samuel L. Jackson
Who is the highest-paid actor?
The highest-paid actor for the last two years is Dwayne Johnson.
