List of highest-grossing actors
The following is a non-definitive list of the actors with the highest career-film grosses. The list is not adjusted for inflation.
Due to the long-term effects of inflation on movie theater ticket prices, a list unadjusted for inflation gives far more weight to later actors. Therefore, this list is largely meaningless for comparing acting careers widely separated in time, as many actors from earlier eras will never appear on a modern unadjusted list, despite their films achieving higher commercial success when adjusted for price increases.
A survey in 2000 found that the three actors who had sold the most movie tickets were Clark Gable, John Wayne, and Bing Crosby.
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.| Rank | Actor | Worldwide total | Top-grossing film | Films | Average |
| 1 | $30,648,396,569 | ' | 48 | $638,508,262 | |
| 2 | $27,560,738,592 | Avengers: Endgame | 137 | $201,143,854 | |
| 3 | $16,600,113,376 | Incredibles 2 | 49 | $338,777,824 | |
| 4 | $15,793,141,099 | ' | 110 | $143,574,010 | |
| 5 | $15,458,463,520 | Minions | 59 | $262,007,856 | |
| 6 | $15,333,721,841 | Avengers: Endgame | 67 | $228,861,520 | |
| 7 | $15,046,431,571 | ' | 24 | $626,934,649 | |
| 8 | $14,705,112,307 | Frozen II | 36 | $408,475,342 | |
| 9 | $14,628,350,949 | Avengers: Endgame | 49 | $298,537,774 | |
| 10 | $14,456,069,336 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 33 | $438,062,707 | |
| 11 | $13,414,404,804 | Avengers: Endgame | 32 | $419,200,150 | |
| 12 | $13,219,986,629 | Avengers: Endgame | 35 | $377,713,904 | |
| 13 | $12,283,060,164 | Avengers: Endgame | 45 | $272,956,893 | |
| 14 | $12,254,274,438 | Furious 7 | 46 | $266,397,270 | |
| 15 | $12,213,736,159 | Avengers: Endgame | 43 | $284,040,376 | |
| 16 | $12,100,178,301 | Avengers: Endgame | 35 | $355,887,597 | |
| 17 | $12,071,355,385 | Avengers: Endgame | 40 | $301,783,885 | |
| 18 | $11,969,675,126 | Avengers: Endgame | 30 | $398,989,171 | |
| 19 | $11,958,186,676 | ' | 42 | $398,989,456 | |
| 20 | $11,868,950,079 | Avengers: Endgame | 45 | $263,754,446 |
Live-action roles
This list does not include cameos or voice acting.| Rank | Actor | Worldwide total | Top-grossing film | Films | Average |
| 1 | $20,552,760,549 | ' | 110 | $186,843,278 | |
| 2 | $15,058,390,411 | Avengers: Endgame | 64 | $235,287,350 | |
| 3 | $14,647,306,096 | ' | 22 | $665,786,641 | |
| 4 | $13,050,469,932 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 28 | $466,088,212 | |
| 5 | $12,820,718,654 | Avengers: Endgame | 44 | $291,379,969 | |
| 6 | $12,276,145,403 | Avengers: Endgame | 45 | $272,803,231 | |
| 7 | $12,187,740,628 | Avengers: Endgame | 30 | $406,258,021 | |
| 8 | $12,029,847,661 | Avengers: Endgame | 40 | $300,746,192 | |
| 9 | $11,949,446,084 | Avengers: Endgame | 29 | $412,049,865 | |
| 10 | $11,865,237,302 | Avengers: Endgame | 45 | $263,671,940 |
Lead roles
This list only includes lead roles, including voice acting.| Rank | Actor | Worldwide total | Top-grossing film | Films | Average |
| 1 | $14,370,951,327 | ' | 43 | $334,208,170 | |
| 2 | $14,238,510,456 | Avengers: Endgame | 63 | $226,008,102 | |
| 3 | $13,675,360,865 | Avengers: Endgame | 29 | $471,564,168 | |
| 4 | $11,203,044,415 | Avengers: Endgame | 24 | $466,793,517 | |
| 5 | $11,056,795,251 | Avengers: Endgame | 24 | $460,699,802 | |
| 6 | $10,921,331,667 | Avengers: Endgame | 28 | $390,047,560 | |
| 7 | $10,695,390,273 | Avengers: Endgame | 17 | $629,140,604 | |
| 8 | $10,640,794,116 | Toy Story 4 | 51 | $208,643,022 | |
| 9 | $10,405,372,022 | Avengers: Endgame | 27 | $385,384,149 | |
| 10 | $10,315,040,792 | ' | 52 | $198,366,169 |
Supporting roles
This list only includes supporting roles, including voice acting.Earlier eras
As noted above, a survey in 2000 found that the three actors who had sold the most movie tickets were Clark Gable, John Wayne, and Bing Crosby.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. As with current lists, 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 wasn't ranked higher as many of his earlier hits did not reach their $4 million cut off and therefore, were not included in his total.
| Rank | Actor | Total | Top-grossing film | Films on chart | Average |
| 1 | $113,422,000 | How the West Was Won | 17 | $6,671,882 | |
| 2 | $110,500,000 | Ben-Hur | 7 | $15,785,714 | |
| 3 | $105,075,000 | How The West Was Won | 14 | $7,505,357 | |
| 4 | $95,450,000 | From Here To Eternity | 17 | $5,614,706 | |
| 5 | $85,825,000 | Cleopatra | 10 | $8,582,500 | |
| 6 | $79,950,000 | Cleopatra | 7 | $11,421,429 | |
| 7 | $77,700,000 | How The West Was Won | 9 | $8,633,333 | |
| 8 | $68,500,000 | White Christmas | 11 | $6,227,273 | |
| 9 | $65,100,000 | Gone With the Wind | 6 | $10,850,000 | |
| 10 | $62,610,000 | Bridge on the River Kwai | 10 | $6,261,000 | |
| 11 | $62,550,000 | Operation Petticoat | 11 | $5,686,364 | |
| 12 | $62,150,000 | Around the World in 80 Days | 7 | $8,878,571 | |
| 13 | $61,250,000 | How The West Was Won | 6 | $10,208,333 | |
| 14 | $58,300,000 | The Shaggy Dog | 8 | $7,287,500 | |
| 15 | $57,950,000 | How The West Was Won | 6 | $9,658,333 | |
| 16 | $57,450,000 | The Robe | 7 | $8,207,143 | |
| 17 | $56,405,000 | Irma La Douce | 8 | $7,050,625 | |
| 18 | $56,150,000 | Sayonara | 9 | $6,238,889 | |
| 19 | $54,400,000 | Around the World in 80 Days | 6 | $9,066,667 | |
| 20 | $53,900,000 | Lover Come Back | 9 | $5,988,889 |