List of highest-grossing actors


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.

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.

Lead roles

This list only includes leading roles and lead ensemble roles, including voice acting. The list is updated as of 2026.
RankActorWorldwide totalFilmsAverageTop-grossing film
1$15,470,006,20033$468,788,067Avatar
2$15,401,507,14136$427,819,643Avengers: Endgame
3$14,613,700,73170$208,767,153Avengers: Endgame
4$14,315,110,84045$318,113,574Avengers: Endgame
5$14,128,303,78428$504,582,278Avengers: Endgame
6$12,669,366,86245$281,541,486Top Gun: Maverick
7$12,189,865,78531$393,221,477Avengers: Endgame
8$12,043,063,42428$430,109,408Avengers: Infinity War
9$11,489,026,78729$396,173,337Avengers: Endgame
10$11,466,158,58241$279,662,404Furious 7

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 2026.
RankActorWorldwide totalFilmsAverageTop-grossing film
1$30,527,135,36350$610,542,707Avengers: Endgame
2$28,361,777,544146$194,258,750Avengers: Endgame
3$18,651,665,46347$396,843,946Zootopia 2
4$18,482,324,14154$342,265,262Inside Out 2
5$17,489,352,325114$153,415,371Transformers: Dark of the Moon
6$16,860,833,11249$344,098,635Avatar
7$16,724,080,15057$293,404,915Zootopia 2
8$16,435,483,78457$288,341,821Avengers: Endgame
9$16,244,881,83568$238,895,321Avengers: Endgame
10$15,861,129,62541$386,856,820Avengers: Endgame
11$15,750,289,81960$262,504,830Minions
12$15,499,789,01757$271,926,123Avengers: Infinity War
13$15,251,473,92442$363,130,332Avengers: Endgame
14$15,201,463,82640$380,036,596Star Wars: The Force Awakens
15$15,124,724,57450$302,494,491Avengers: Endgame
16$14,955,100,54824$623,129,190Star Wars: The Force Awakens
17$14,089,688,13537$380,802,382Avengers: Endgame
18$14,019,660,93534$412,342,969Avengers: Endgame
19$13,973,624,85445$310,524,997Avengers: Endgame
20$13,758,873,77544$312,701,677Avengers: Endgame

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.
RankActorTicket sales
1Clark Gable1,168,300,000
2John Wayne1,114,000,000
3Bing Crosby1,077,900,000
4James Stewart981,900,000
5Cary Grant942,500,000
6Spencer Tracy937,200,000
7Gary Cooper878,600,000
8Mickey Rooney867,900,000
9Harrison Ford852,700,000
10Gregory Peck728,000,000

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. 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. 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.
RankActorTotal
Top-grossing film
Films on chartAverage
1$113,422,000How the West Was Won 17$6,671,882
2$110,500,000Ben-Hur 7$15,785,714
3$105,075,000How the West Was Won 14$7,505,357
4$95,450,000From Here To Eternity 17$5,614,706
5$85,825,000Cleopatra 10$8,582,500
6$79,950,000Cleopatra 7$11,421,429
7$77,700,000How the West Was Won 9$8,633,333
8$68,500,000White Christmas 11$6,227,273
9$65,100,000Gone with the Wind 6$10,850,000
10$62,610,000The Bridge on the River Kwai 10$6,261,000
11$62,550,000Operation Petticoat 11$5,686,364
12$62,150,000Around the World in 80 Days 7$8,878,571
13$61,250,000How the West Was Won 6$10,208,333
14$58,300,000The Shaggy Dog 8$7,287,500
15$57,950,000How the West Was Won 6$9,658,333
16$57,450,000The Robe 7$8,207,143
17$56,405,000Irma La Douce 8$7,050,625
18$56,150,000Sayonara 9$6,238,889
19$54,400,000Around the World in 80 Days 6$9,066,667
20$53,900,000Lover Come Back 9$5,988,889