The 20 Highest Grossing Actors Of All Time

Actors and actresses who’ve made this list have managed to accrue a high cumulative gross for the scores and scores of films they’ve made. Being a part of a successful franchise is one way to do it. Taking what seems like every role presented to the first actor on this list is another way to do it.  Still, it takes something pretty special to pull in the high grossing numbers the actors (and one actress) on this list do. Whether they make us hang on to the edge of our seats, cower in fear, or laugh until we nearly pee ourselves, these 20 actors all share one thing in common – they’ve made the most money for the films they’ve starred in. All numbers are based on domestic box office and have not been adjusted for inflation. #20) Alan Rickman Films: 36 Total Box Office: $3,453,301,228 Average Box Office:  $95,925,034 Factor in making this list: Playing Professor Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. #19) Elizabeth Banks Films: 42 Total Box Office: $3,464,819,134 Average Box Office:  $82,495,694 Factor in making this list: Playing Effie Trinket in the Hunger Games franchise. #18) Bruce Willis Films: 75 Total Box Office: $3,523,501,796 Average Box Office:  $46,980,024 Factor in making this list: Playing John McClane in the Die Hard franchise. #17) Robin Williams Films: 70 Total Box Office: $3,570,290,291 Average Box Office:  $51,004,147 Factor in making this List: Being one of the most beloved actors of our time. Also starring in films like Aladdin, Good Will Hunting, and 68 more films. #16) Warwick Davis Films: 21 Total Box Office: $3,625,108,164 Average Box Office:  $172,624,198 Factor in making this list: Playing Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter franchise. #15) Mickie McGowan Films: 26 Total Box Office: $3,790,590,257 Average Box Office: $145,791,933 Factor in making this list: McGowan is a prolific voice over artists who has voiced characters in the Despicable Me, Monsters Inc./Monsters University, and Toy Story franchises, as well as A Bug’s Life, Wall-E, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Up, Cars, Lilo and Stich, and many more. #14) Eddie Murphy Films: 39 Total Box Office: $3,807,036,356 Average Box Office: $97,616,317 Factor in making this list: Voicing the donkey in the Shrek series. #13) Tom Cruise Films: 40 Total Box Office: $3,837,189,970 Average Box Office: $95,929,749 Factor in making this list: Being Tom Cruise. Seriously, he has been one of the most bankable stars for several decades. Though his draw has faded a bit, filmmakers can still count on him to bring a certain amount of box office grosses to their films. #12) Jack Angel Films: 27 Total Box Office: $3,841,838,296 Average Box Office: $142,290,307 Factor in Making this list: Jack Angel is a voice over artist who has voiced Chunk in the Toy Story franchise as well as provided his vocal stylings for the Monsters Inc. franchise and appeared in Cars, Lilo and Stitch, The Smurfs, Despicable Me, and a host of other films. #11) Liam Neeson Films: 73 Total Box Office: $3,953,988,080 Average Box Office: $54,164,220 Factor in making this list: He has a very specific set of skills, skills he has acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for people like you. #10) Harrison Ford Films: 48 Total Box Office: $3,980,782,015 Average Box Office: $82,932,959 Factor in making this list: He’s Indiana Jones AND Han Solo. It doesn’t get much cooler (or bankable) than that. #9) Hugo Weaving Films: 33 Total Box Office: $4,007,931,801 Average Box Office: $121,452,479 Factor in making this list: The Matrix trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Happy Feet, and Captain America. Weaving knows how to choose roles. #8) Gary Oldman Films: 45 Total Box Office: $4,020,848,321 Average Box Office: $89,352,185 Factor in Making this list: Gary Oldman has had a long and distinguished career, but he can thank his roles as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise and as Commissioner Gordon on the Batman franchise for his spot on this list. #7) Tom Hanks Films: 52 Total Box Office: $4,458,076,534 Average Box Office: $85,732,241 Factor in making this list: Every actor makes missteps in his or her career, but when it comes to Hanks, those are incredibly rare.  For every Joe Vs. the Volcano, he’s got several Oscar winning films. And, of course, voicing Woody in the Toy Story franchise doesn’t hurt. #6) John Ratzenberger Films: 52 Total Box Office: $4,458,076,534 Average Box Office: $85,732,241 Factor in making this list: Ratzenberger became known for playing postman Cliff Clavin on Cheers. He’s made this list for his voice work as Hamm the Piggy Bank in the Toy Story franchise as well as work in the Monsters Inc. franchise, Up, Wall-E, and a bunch of other beloved animated films. Ratzenberger has been called Pixar’s lucky charm and is offered a voice role in every movie they produce. #5) Morgan Freeman Films: 73 Total Box Office: $4,680,730,309 Average Box Office: $64,119,593 Factor in making this list: A stellar track record of choosing roles. From The Dark Knight to Bruce Almighty to The Shawshank Redemption and Unforgiven, Freeman has put out high grossing films one after another. #4) Stan Lee Films: 23 Total Box Office: $4,833,826,255 Average Box Office: $210,166,359 Factor in making this list: Stan Lee is credited with creating the Marvel Comics universe. #3) Bob Bergen Films: 53 Total Box Office: $4,915,377,798 Average Box Office: $92,742,977 Factor in making this list: If there is one thing this list proves, it is that it pays to be a voice over artist.  Bergen’s claim to fame includes Wall-E, Monsters University, Up, and Tangled. #2) Frank Welker Films: 107 Total Box Office: $6,749,717,201 Average Box Office: $63,081,469 Factor in Making this list: Frank Welker is yet another voice over artist. He makes this list due to the Transformers. He was the voice of Shockwave, Barricade, and Soundwave in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Galvatron in Transformers: Age of Extinction. #1) Samuel L. Jackson Films: 114 Total Box Office: $6,767,518,427 Average Box Office: $59,364,197 Factor in Making this list: Samuel L. Jackson has been in some amazing movies, but let’s be honest, he makes this list due to the sheer volume of films he has appeared in.