As of 2022, 50 movies have made over a billion at the box office, and all of them came from Hollywood. Being the largest movie industry in the world, it’s no surprise that these blockbusters also helped catapult many actors’ careers to stardom. But to become a high-grossing actor in Hollywood, just a single blockbuster isn’t going to cut it. We’re talking about possibly hundreds of movies throughout their careers. Not only that, we got fans of the cinema industry who played a significant role in the blockbusters’ success and the actors’ paychecks too.
The 21st century is the era of record-breaking blockbusters. On the path to becoming box office greats, a select group of actors saw their opportunities and played in numerous movies, including blockbusters, and are now some of the highest-grossing actors of all time. For this list, we are looking at 10 actors who achieved such a feat.
#1 Eddie Murphy
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Eddie is the only actor on this list to make it big in the comedy genre. While he is not very active these recent years, he was a big deal from the 1980s to the early 2010s.
His highest-grossing movie is Shrek 2 (2004).
#2 Gary Oldman
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Gary’s acting career used to be all about being the villain. It wasn’t until The Dark Knight (2008) when he portrayed James Gordon, the police chief that he became the good guy, arguably for the first time. This movie is also his greatest success commercially.
#3 Harrison Ford
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Harrison Ford was one of the most popular options in Hollywood in the 1980s and 90s. The success of the Indiana Jones franchise ultimately led to him starring as Han Solo in the Star Wars saga, with The Force Awakens (2015) promoting him to one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.
#4 Johnny Depp
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Let’s be honest here: we all know Captain Jack Sparrow himself will be on this list. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was a major commercial success, promoting Johnny Depp to become one of the highest-earning actors in Hollywood.
#5 Michael Caine
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Michael Caine boasts a truly impressive career that spanned over seven decades and over 160 movies. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) is his most notable modern role and featured Caine as Batman‘s loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth.
#6 Morgan Freeman
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Freeman is without a doubt one of the most beloved names in Hollywood. His six-decade-long career was showered with awards and nominations. Not only that, but he is also one of the best documentary narrators out there.
#7 Robert Downey Jr.
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Before making it big in the MCU, RDJ struggled with his addiction. He even went to prison at one point. But these elements also contributed to creating one hell of a comeback for Iron Man.
#8 Samuel L. Jackson
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Samuel’s acting career is just as impressive as that of Michael Caine or Morgan Freeman mentioned above. Nowadays, he is a household name in Hollywood. His performances as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Mace Windu in the “Star Wars” franchises have aided his rise to become one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood.
#9 Tom Cruise
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Tom Cruise dominates the box office with every blockbuster he appears in, especially the Mission Impossible franchise. The recent critical and commercial success of Top Gun: Maverick further reinforces Tom’s reputation.
#10 Tom Hanks
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Every time we hear his name, we think of Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, and more. With three decades of brilliant acting, it’s no surprise that Tom Hanks is Hollywood’s favorite actor.
