BO Clout: Top Box Office Stars

This is a list of the top box office stars, as of 6/2/11. It's important to note that they are ranked by how many hits they have had and how many of those hits have become blockbusters (for tie breakers). This way we can see which stars consistently made money for studios over time. The reason why I'm using this method to rank them is because if you add up their total box office draw, then you might just have actors who do a lot of movies, who are in less hits that make a ton of money (like Samuel L Jackson), and who get involved in small roles of hit movies. But it isn't the small roles that sell the movies. So by measuring how many hits they have we can guage their box office clout and how successful they are at picking and making hit films. We start with the overall top box office actors (who's had the most hits over their whole careers), then their momentum (who's had the most hits in the last 10 years), and then we look at the same for the ladies.

We separated the male and female actors into two lists.

Definitions:
Hit = $100 million worldwide or more
Blockbuster = $200 million worldwide or more
Gold = $500 million worldwide or more
Platinum = $1 billion worldwide or more
Top Streak = Personal record for most hits in a row
Current Streak = Currently how many hits in a row
Total Hits = Counts all films that scored $100 million or more
What's Next = Films that the actor has lined up to make next
Missed = A film that did not Hit
Momentum = How many hits they've had in the last 10 years

NOTE: This is a work in progress. I'm currently at #20, Owen Wilson. Leave a comment if something needs to be updated.


TOP BOX OFFICE ACTORS (10 or more hits)



#1 Tom Cruise: 24 Total Hits, 14 Blockbusters, 3 Gold
Current Streak: 4 (Tropic Thunder, Valkyrie, Knight and Day, MI4)
Top Streak: 8 (MI2, Vanilla Sky, Space Station, Minority Report, Last Samurai, Collateral, War of the Worlds, MI3)
Gold: Mission Impossible 2, The War of the Worlds, MI4
Blockbusters: Top Gun, Rain Man, A Few Good Men, The Firm, Interview with the Vampire, Mission Impossible, Jerry Mcguire, Vanilla Sky, Minority Report, The Last Samurai, Collateral, Mission Impossible 3, Knight and Day, Valkyrie
Hits: Cocktail, Born on the 4th of July, Days of Thunder, Far and Away, Eyes Wide Shut, Space Station, Tropic Thunder
What's Next: Hardy Men, Top Gun 2, Adventurer's Club, Rock of Ages
Commentary: Tom Cruise started off making dramas, but he has slowly increased his focus on suspenseful films. You can see from his top hits that he tries to also find blockbuster-style films that are likely hits (such as Minority Report, Mission Impossible, War of the Worlds), and he wants to dabble in comedies if he thinks they'll hit (Knight and Day, Tropic Thunder) or epic dramas/thrillers (A Few Good Men, The Firm, Jerry Mcguire, Vanilla Sky, The Last Samurai, etc.). What's truly remarkable about Tom Cruise is that he has a fantastic nose for hits, and this has been evident as a young actor in the 80s (Top Gun, Rain Man, Cocktail, Born on the 4th of July) all the way to current films, whether it's a comedy, drama, or action adventure (granted that it's mostly back and forth between drama/thrillers and action adventures).



#2 Tom Hanks: 20 Total Hits, 13 Blockbusters, 2 Gold, 1 Platinum
Current Streak: 0 (Larry Crowne missed)
Top Streak: 7 (Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, Toy Story 2, Green Mile, Castaway, Road to Perdition, Catch Me if You Can)
Platinum: Toy Story 3
Gold: Forrest Gump, The DaVinci Code
Blockbusters: Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, Toy Story 2, The Green Mile, Castaway, Catch Me if You Can, The Terminal, Polar Express, Angels and Demons
Hits: Big, A League of Their Own, The Road to Perdition, Charlie Wilson's War
What's Next: Boone's Lick, Jungle Cruise, Toy Story 4
Commentary: Tom Hanks started as a comedian (after being on Bosom Buddies on TV), but then Big hit (got nominated for an Academy Award), and after League of Their Own, he was able to steer his choices more toward drama and hit comedies (or dramadies). He has also dabbled in suspense a little, but he's unique because none of his hits have been conventional blockbusters that rely on action and effects (no giant robots, machine guns, sci fi, or aliens in his films).  Hanks barely edges out for the #1 spot because he's had a Platinum hit.


#3 Sylvester Stallone: 20 Total Hits, 6 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 4 (Rocky Balboa, Rambo, Expendables, Zookeeper)
Top Streak: 4 (see above)
Blockbusters: Rocky, Rocky 2, Rambo First Blood 2, Rocky 4, Cliffhanger, The Expendables
Hits: Rocky 3, First Blood, Staying Alive, Rambo 3, Rocky 5, Demolition Man, The Specialist, Judge Dredd, Daylight, Antz, Spy Kids 3-D, Rocky Balboa, Rambo, Zookeeper
What's Next: Expendables 2, Death Wish
Commentary: Sylvester Stallone is unique in that he might not be the best actor in the world, but he's a great writer, a good director, and he understands the business of synergy. When his acting jobs aren't lining up or aren't great roles, then you can see the points in his career when he wrote movies for himself to act in. When his career seemed all dried up in 1997 - 2005, he came back in 2006 by writing, directing, and starring in Rocky Balboa, Rambo, and The Expendables (the latter was a Blockbuster film that Stallone stacked with action stars... Stallone, Arnold, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture (a UFC star), Dolph Lundgren (who starred with Stallon in Rocky 4), Steve Austin, and Mickey Rourke). As Stallone expected, the momentum of those three hit films revitalized his career, and Stallone went back to acting (including the future Expendables 2) while others write and direct for him. So if you're wondering how he got so many hits and stayed around for so long, it's because he understands how to write and direct films and how valuable it is to use those abilities as synergy (the best examples of that are Clint Eastwood and Ron Howard, who are more successful as directors than actors).



#4 Eddie Murphy: 19 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters, 3 Gold
Current Streak: 1 (Shrek Forever After)
Top Streak: 6 (Daddy Day Care, Haunted Mansion, Shrek 2, Dreamgirls, Norbit, Shrek 3)
Gold: Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Shrek Forever After
Blockbusters: Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Mulan, Doctor Dolittle, Nutty Professor 2, Shrek
Hits: Another 48 Hours, Boomerang, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Doctor Dolittle 2, Daddy Day Care, The Haunted Mansion, Dreamgirls, Norbit
What's Next: Tower Heist, Beverly Hills Cop 4, Hong Kong Phooey
Commentary: After becoming a star on SNL, Murphy took his comedy to film, and he's stayed in comedy ever since (with a brief turn in the drama, Dreamgirls). Murphy keeps working on redefining his career after picking up a few stinkers for the cash. So it's almost as if he takes whatever's paying and then once the stinkers add up to result in him getting worse offers (both in pay and quality), then he knuckles down and molds a hit (for example: Beverly Hills Cop, Nutty Professor, and Norbit).



#5 Brad Pitt: 19 Total Hits, 10 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 0 (Tree of Life missed)
Top Streak: 5 (Troy, Ocean's Twelve, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Babel, Ocean's Thirteen)
Blockbusters: Interview with the Vampire, Se7en, Ocean's Eleven, Troy, Ocean's Twelve, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Ocean's Thirteen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Inglorious Basterds, Megamind
Hits: Twelve Monkeys, Sleepers, The Devil's Own, Seven Years in Tibet, Fight Club, The Mexican, Spy Game, Babel, Burn After Reading
What's Next: Happy Feet 2, Cogan's Trade, World War Z, The Odyssey, The Zombie Survival Guide
Commentary: Brad Pitt started out with dramatic roles, which got more and more intense. Before long he was pumping out hits and proving his acting chops.



#6 Bruce Willis: 18 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters, 2 Gold
Current Streak: 1 (Red)
Top Streak: 3 (Armageddon, Siege, Sixth Sense)
Gold: Armageddon, The Sixth Sense,
Blockbusters: Look Who's Talking, Die Hard 2, Pulp Fiction, Die Hard with a Vengeance, The Fifth Element, Unbreakable, Over the Hedge, Live Free or Die Hard
Hits: Die Hard, Death Becomes Her, Twelve Monkeys, The Jackal, The Siege, Sin City, Surrogates, Red
What's Next: Die Hard 5, Expendables 2, GI Joe 2, Kane & Lynch
Commentary: Bruce Willis got his start on Moonlighting, and his first hit was Die Hard, when he/we realized that he's action gold. He tried drama and comedy, but he mostly missed with them. So he focused on action, which peaked with Armageddon. He then wanted to pull back and try drama and comedy again, but he mostly missed with that. He's been focusing more on action lately, and he's had some success with it (Die Hard 4, Surrogates, Red). He really needs to get Michael Bay back on his team!



#7 Morgan Freeman: 18 Total Hits, 7 Blockbusters, 1 Gold, 1 Platinum
Current Streak: 0 (last was Dolphin Tale)
Top Streak: 5 (Bucket List, Wanted, Dark Knight, Invictus, Red)
Platinum: The Dark Knight
Gold: War of the Worlds
Blockbusters: Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Se7en, Deep Impact, Bruce Almighty, Million Dollar Baby, Batman Begins, Wanted
Hits: Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven, Along Came a Spider, Sum of All Fears, March of the Penguins, Evan Almighty, The Bucket List, Invictus, Red
What's Next: The Dark Knight Rises, Now You See Me, Las Vegas, Oblivion
Commentary: After acting for awhile, he caught his break doing the drama "Driving Miss Daisy" in 89. He followed it up with Robin Hood in 91, and since then he's managed to get into many successful films. He developed an important relationship with director Clint Eastwood, which led to several of his hits (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Invictus). So he found most of his success much later in life.



#8 Jim Carrey: 17 Total Hits, 13 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 1 (Mr. Popper's Penguins)
Top Streak: 8 (Ace Ventura 1, The Mask, Dumb & Dumber, Batman Forever, Ace Ventura 2, Cable Guy, Liar Liar, Truman Show)
Blockbusters: The Mask, Dumb & Dumber, Batman Forever, Ace Ventura 2, Liar Liar, Truman Show, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty, Series of Unfortunate Events, Fun with Dick and Jane, Horton Hears a Who, Yes Man, A Christmas Carol
Hits: Ace Ventura 1, Cable Guy, Me Myself & Irene, Mr. Popper's Penguins
What's Next: Ripley's Believe it or Not, Popeye
Commentary: Jim Carrey was hot off of In Living Color and came out to films with a bang, starring in 8 hit films in a row! However, as he branched out to more dramatic roles, securing the hits has become a little challenging for him, but he has still been very successful.



#9 Harrison Ford: 17 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters, 4 Gold
Current Streak: 1 (Cowboys and Aliens)
Top Streak: 3 (Devil's Own, Air Force One, Six Days Seven Nights)
Gold: Star Wars 4: A New Hope, Star Wars 5: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars 6: Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Blockbusters: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Presumed Innocent, The Fugitive, Clear and Present Danger, Air Force One, What Lies Beneath
Hits: American Graffiti, Patriot Games, The Devil's Own, Six Days Seven Nights, Cowboys and Aliens
What's Next: Indiana Jones 5
Commentary: Ford got his break with George Lucas, which led to American Graffiti, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. In between those films, he's had the most success with intense thrillers (Fugitive, Clear and Present Danger, Air Force One, and What Lies Beneath).



#10 Robin Williams: 17 Total Hits, 10 Blockbusters, 2 Gold
Current Streak: 0 (Old Dogs was a miss)
Top Streak: 2 (Happy Feet, Night at the the Museum)
Gold: Aladdin, Night at the Museum
Blockbusters: Dead Poet's Society, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Good Will Hunting, Patch Adams, Artificial Intelligence, Robots, Happy Feet, Night at the Museum 2
Hits: Good Morning Vietnam, Nine Months, The Birdcage, Flubber, Insomnia
What's Next: Happy Feet 2, The Wedding
Commentary: Robin Williams got his start on Mork and Mindy (after proving his chops in stand up and on the short-lived Richard Pryor show). Oddly, he didn't do well in comedies (which he started with Popeye in 80), and his first hit was the drama, Good Morning Vietnam in 87, which led to several hit dramas. But he also scored his first hit adventure with Hook in 91, his first animated hit Aladdin in 92 (with Happy Feet, Robots, and Happy Feet 2 to follow), and his first hit comedy with Mrs. Doubtfire in 93. Then he scored about a hit a year from 91 to 2006, but lately he hasn't been pumping out as many films and hasn't had as many hits (with his last being 2009's Night at the Museum).



#11 Matt Damon: 17 Total Hits, 10 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 0 (currently Contagion)
Top Streak: 3 (Hereafter, True Grit, Adjustment Bureau)
Blockbusters: Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, Ocean's Eleven, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, Ocean's Twelve, The Departed, Ocean's Thirteen, The Bourne Ultimatum, True Grit
Hits: Courage Under Fire, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Spirit, The Brothers Grimm, Invictus, Hereafter, The Adjustment Bureau
What's Next: Happy Feet Two, Liberace
Commentary: Stuck in small roles, Damon decided to team up with friend Ben Affleck to write themselves into starring roles, and Good Will Hunting was the result. Damon has since ridden the momentum and has had the most success with the Ocean's Eleven and Bourne Identity series of 6 films (3 each). While Damon is #7 overall, he is #1 in the Momentum list below (he's had the most hits in the last 10 years). Damon isn't doing the numbers that some of the others on this list are, but he's been pumping out two or three films most years, which means he has more opportunities to get more hits out in the last 10 years.



#12 Mel Gibson: 17 Total Hits, 10 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 0 (The Beaver was a miss)
Top Streak: 5 (Lethal Weapon 4, Payback, Chicken Run, Patriot, What Women Want)
Blockbusters: Leathal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, Braveheart, Pocahontas, Ransom, Lethal Weapon 4, Chicken Run, The Patriot, What Women Want, Signs
Hits: Lethal Weapon, Bird on a Wire, Forever Young, Maverick, Conspiracy Theory, Payback, We Were Soldiers
What's Next: How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Commentary: Mel grew up in Australia and got his start making films there (including the Mad Max series). Lethal Weapon was his breakout film, and he had an impressive string of hits from 84 to 02. He hasn't had a hit since 2002.


#13 John Travolta: 17 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 0 (last was From Paris with Love)
Top Streak: 4 (Broken Arrow, Phenomenon, Michael, Face/Off)
Blockbusters: Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Look Who's Talking, Pulp Fiction, Face/Off, Wild Hogs, Hairspray, Bolt
Hits: Staying Alive, Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Phenomenon, Michael, The General's Daughter, Swordfish, Ladder 49, Taking of Pelham 123
What's Next: Expendables 2, Savages,
Commentary: After Carrie, Travolta was a musical heart throb with Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Staying Alive in the late 70s and early 80s. Look Who's Talking was a brief comeback in 1989, but it wasn't until 1994 when Pulp Fiction put him on the map and gave him the chance to be a star, and he lined them up with Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Phenomenon, Michael, and Face/Off in 95-97. However, he was then hit and miss, scoring General's Daughter in 99, Swordfish in 2001, Ladder 49 in 04, and then a nice line up with Wild Hogs, Hairspray, Bolt, and Pelham 123 in 07-09. His last two films have been misses (Old Dogs and From Paris with Love), but he's obviously trying to line up hits and be a heavy hitter who can do action and drama hits (sort of like Tom Cruise).



#14 Robert De Niro: 17 Total Hits, 3 Blockbusters, 1 Gold
Current Streak: 0 (last was Beng Flynn)
Top Streak: 3 (Shark Tale, Meet the Fockers, Hide and Seek)
Gold: Meet the Fockers
Blockbusters: Meet the Parents, Shark Tale, Little Fockers
Hits: Backdraft, Cape Fear, Frankenstein, Casino, Heat, Sleepers, Analyze This, The Score, Hide and Seek, Arthur and the Invisibles, Stardust, Limitless, New Year's Eve
What's Next: Grudge Match, The Wedding, Las Vegas
Commentary: Interestingly, Robert De Niro didn't have a hit until 91 (Backdraft), after 22 films. He was doing gritty dramas and focusing on the character films, including several Scorsese films (Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, New York New York, Raging Bull, King of Comedy, and Goodfellas) and other, similar gritty dramas (Godfather 2, Deer Hunter, Untouchables). Eventually he figured out the formula for hits and used his momentum and producing to line some up.




#15 Will Smith: 16 Total Hits, 9 Blockbusters, 4 Gold
Current Streak: 10 (MIB 2, Bad Boys 2, I Robot, Shark Tale, Hitch, Pursuit of Happyness, I Am Legend, Hancock, Seven Pounds, MIB 3)
Top Streak: 10 (see above)
Gold: Independence Day, Men in Black, I Am Legend, Hancock
Blockbusters: Enemy of the State, Wild Wild West, Men in Black 2, Bad Boys 2, I Robot, Shark Tale, Hitch, The Pursuit of Happyness, MIB 3
Hits: Made in America, Bad Boys, Seven Pounds
What's Next: Time Share, MIB 3, Overboard, Amulet, Monster Hunter, Last Pharaoh, Independence Day 2, Independence Day 3, Bad Boys 3, I Robot 2
Commentary: The only actor who started out in the music business, then scored with a hit TV comedy (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), and then went on to be a box office superstar. Will is hit and miss with dramas, but he's the #1 sci-fi and action star on this list, and he knows how to line them up. He also has the least amount of misses, the most golds, and he's currently in his hottest streak, so he's catching up!



#16 Johnny Depp: 16 Total Hits, 5 Blockbusters, 2 Gold, 3 Platinum
Current Streak: 4 (Alice in Wonderland, The Tourist, Rango, Pirates 4)
Top Streak: 4 (see above)
Platinum: Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest, Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides
Gold: Pirates of the Caribbean 1: Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End
Blockbusters: Sleepy Hallow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Public Enemies, The Tourist, Rango
Hits: Platoon, Chocolat, Finding Neverland, The Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd, Dark Shadows
What's Next: Shantarum, Rum Diary, Lone Ranger, Dark Shadows, 21 Jump Street, Pirates 5, Ginger Man, Thin Man, Paul Revere
Commentary: Depp started out in the TV show, 21 Jump Street. After languishing in dramas, Burton tried him out for his own quirky ends with Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hallow. Sleepy Hallow was Depp's first starring hit, and then when Depp delivered Captain Jack Sparrow, he began to become more choosey and focus on the quirky characters that got him there... thus Pirates films, Sweeney Todd, Mad Hatter, and Willie Wonka. Now Depp has seemed to line up hits with Tim Burton films (Sleepy Hallow, Charlie, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd, Alice, Dark Shadows), Pirates films, and the director of the first 3 Pirates films, Gore Verbinski (also directed Rango and currently slated for Lone Ranger). Depp also has the most Platinum hits of anyone on this list. He has caught up quickly.




#17 Nicolas Cage: 16 Total Hits, 9 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 0 (last was Seeking Justice)
Top Streak: 5 (The Rock, Con Air, Face Off, City of Angels, Snake Eyes)
Blockbusters: The Rock, Con Air, Face Off, Gone in 60 Seconds, National Treasure, Ghost Rider, National Treasure 2, G-Force, Sorcerer's Apprentice
Hits: City of Angels, Snake Eyes, Family Man, World Trade Center, Knowing, Kick-A, Ghost Rider 2
What's Next: The Croods, National Treasure 3
Commentary: Nicolas Cage got started as a comedic actor and first made it big with Moonstruck in 87. After a string of comedies, he barely kept his career alive until his Oscar winning performance in Leaving Las Vegas (95). He used that momentum to line up The Rock and his 5-hit streak. He has since been hit and miss, but he has enough sense in him to get a hit in every third movie or so. It helps that he stars in 2 or 3 movies a year, which increases his odds and gives him a hit about every two years. He has been able to turn a few dramas into hits, but most of hits rely on action adventures.



#18 Denzel Washington: 16 Total Hits, 2 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 3 (Taking of Pelham 123, Book of Eli, Unstoppable)
Top Streak: 3 (see above)
Blockbusters: Philadelphia, American Gangster
Hits: The Pelican Brief, Crimson Tide, Courage Under Fire, The Siege, The Bone COllector, Remember the Titans, Training Day, John !, Man on Fire, Inside Man, Deja Vu, Taking of Pelham 123, Book of Eli, Unstoppable
What's Next: Safe House
Commentary: Denzel Washington knows drama. He started out early in his career with an Oscar nomination for Cry Freedom, a win for Glory, and then nominations for Malcolm X, Hurricane, and Training Day. He's translated his ability for intensity to make thrillers and intense dramas. Those haven't landed him many blockbusters, but it brought him 14 hits that made between $100 million and $200 million world-wide. So he's consistent.




#19 Adam Sandler: 15 Total Hits, 6 Blockbusters
Current Streak: 4 (Grown Ups, Just Go with It, Zookeeper, Jack and Jill)
Top Streak: 3 (see above)
Blockbusters: Big Daddy, Click, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Betime Stories, Grown Ups, Just Go with It
Hits: The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, Mr. Deeds, Anger Management, 50 First Dates, The Longest Yard, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Zookeeper, Jack and Jill
What's Next: Hotel Transylvania, That's My Boy, Take Me to Your Leader, Fat Man, Golddigging 101, Valet Guys
Commentary: Like Eddie Murphy, Adam was at the top of SNL in his days, and he left to become a star (he was lovingly pushed). After a successful comedy album, Sandler basically put together his own movies and hired all his friends. When Adam and his writing partner, Tim Herlihy, presented Billy Madison to SNL's Lorne Michaels, Lorne said, "That will never work." Thus Lorne never produced any of Sandler's movies. Sandler has successfully kept a continued momentum of hits since Wedding Singer (on the films that he produces and puts together). With one missed attempt at the action genre (Bulletproof) and several misses in drama (including Funny People), Sandler is clearly a comedy star who can't cross over. However, he's the most consistent comedy star at pumping out hits.


#20 Owen Wilson: 14 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
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Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#21 Dustin Hoffman: 14 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
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#22 Liam Neeson: 14 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
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#23 Ben Stiller: 13 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
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#24 Samuel L. Jackson: 13 Total Hits, 6 Blockbusters, 2 Gold
Current Streak: 0
Top Streak: 2 (Shaft, Unbreakable)
Gold: Jurassic Park, The Incredibles
Blockbusters: Pulp Fiction, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Unbreakable, xXx, SWAT, Jumper
Hits: Patriot Games, A Time to Kill, Deep Blue Sea, Shaft, 1408
What's Next: The Avengers, Nick Fury, xXx 3, Afro Samurai, The Last Dragon, Django Unchained
Commentary: Samuel L Jackson actually has the largest box office total (over 10 billion) and the most total hits (23). However, 3 of those were cameos in Star Wars movies, 4 were cameos in Marvel hero movies (as Nick Fury), and 3 were cameos in other hits (The Other Guys, Coming to America, and Kill Bill). So we're only giving him 13 for this list, since it's about how well the actor can sell a film. But he has at least two coming films where he'll play larger rolls as Nick Fury, so there's hope! Jackson is also unique because he focuses more on supporting rolls and cranks out 3-5 films a year!


#25 Arnold Schwarzenegger: 13 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
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#26 Jack Black: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#27 Tommy Lee Jones: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#28 Jack Nicholson: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#29 Ralph Fiennes: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#30 Patrick Stewart: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#31 Alan Rickman: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#32 Danny DeVito: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#33 Sean Connery: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#34 Seth Rogen: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#35 Hugh Jackman: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#36 Antonio Banderas: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#37 Anthony Hopkins: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#38 Keanu Reeves: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#39 Ian McKellan: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#40 Christopher Walken: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#41 Alec Baldwin: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#42 Hugo Weaving: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#43 Leonardo DiCaprio: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#44 Shia LeBeouf: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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#45 Steve Carell: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
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What's Next: -
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#46 Jamie Foxx: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#47 Bill Murray: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#48 Geoffrey Rush: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#49 Sean William Scott: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#50 Hugh Grant: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#51 Pierce Brosnan: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#52 Rob Schneider: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#53 Michael Douglas: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#54 Gene Hackman: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#55 Richard Gere: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#56 Stanley Tucci: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -


#57 Danny Glover: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold
Current Streak: -
Top Streak: -
Gold: -
Blockbusters: -
Hits: -
What's Next: -
Commentary: -






Now let's talk Momentum. Momentum is how many hits the actors have had in the last 10 years. This helps tell us how likely they are to get a box office hit, since it removes the factor that their box office favor could have been over a decade old.



BOX OFFICE MOMENTUM - ACTORS (6 or more)



Matt Damon: 13 Momentum Hits


Johnny Depp: 12 Momentum Hits


Brad Pitt: 12 Momentum Hits


Morgan Freeman: 12 Momentum Hits


Ben Stiller: 11 Momentum Hits


Adam Sandler: 11 Momentum Hits


Seth Rogen: 11 Momentum Hits


Tom Cruise: 10 Momentum Hits


Owen Wilson: 10 Momentum Hits


Shia LaBeouf: 10 Momentum Hits


Steve Carell: 10 Momentum Hits


Liam Neeson: 10 Momentum Hits


Alec Baldwin: 10 Momentum Hits


Will Smith: 9 Momentum Hits


Denzel Washington: 9 Momentum Hits


Hugh Jackman: 9 Momentum Hits


Eddie Murphy: 9 Momentum Hits


Jamie Foxx: 9 Momentum Hits


Geoffrey Rush: 9 Momentum Hits


Bradley Cooper: 9 Momentum Hits


Jack Black: 9 Momentum Hits


Ralph Fiennes: 9 Momentum Hits


Orlando Bloom: 9 Momentum Hits


Ian McKellan: 9 Momentum Hits


Stanley Tucci: 9 Momentum Hits


Alan Rickman: 9 Momentum Hits


Hugo Weaving: 9 Momentum Hits


Leonardo DiCaprio: 8 Momentum Hits


Will Ferrell: 8 Momentum Hits


Tom Hanks: 8 Momentum Hits


Nicholas Cage: 8 Total Hits


Jason Bateman: 8 Momentum Hits


Robert De Niro: 8 Momentum Hits


Ewan McGregor: 8 Momentum Hits


Gerard Butler: 8 Momentum Hits


Jude Law: 8 Momentum Hits


Michael Cain: 8 Momentum Hits


Justin Long: 8 Momentum Hits


John Tuturro: 8 Momentum Hits


Jon Favreau: 8 Momentum Hits


Christian Bale: 7 Momentum Hits


Vince Vaughn: 7 Momentum Hits


Samuel L. Jackson: 7 Momentum Hits


Daniel Craig: 7 Momentum Hits


Jim Carrey: 7 Momentum Hits


Vin Diesel: 7 Momentum Hits


Mark Wahlberg: 7 Momentum Hits


James Franco: 7 Momentum Hits


Kevin James: 7 Momentum Hits


Dustin Hoffman: 7 Momentum Hits


Jonah Hill: 7 Momentum Hits


Sean William Scott: 7 Momentum Hits


Antonio Banderas: 7 Momentum Hits


Chris Rock: 7 Momentum Hits


Collin Firth: 7 Momentum Hits


John C. Reilly: 7 Momentum Hits


Rob Schneider: 7 Momentum Hits


Robert Downey, Jr.: 6 Momentum Hits


Russell Crowe: 6 Momentum Hits


Ashton Kutcher: 6 Momentum Hits


Zach Galifianakis: 6 Momentum Hits


George Clooney: 6 Momentum Hits


Colin Farrell: 6 Momentum Hits


Anthony Hopkins: 6 Momentum Hits


John Travolta: 6 Momentum Hits


Robin Williams: 6 Momentum Hits


Matthew McConaughey: 6 Momentum Hits


Keanu Reeves: 6 Momentum Hits


Hugh Grant: 6 Momentum Hits


Patrick Stewart: 6 Momentum Hits


John Goodman: 6 Momentum Hits


Tobey Maguire: 6 Momentum Hits


Christopher Walken: 6 Momentum Hits


Nick Nolte: 6 Momentum Hits




No Momentum (despite having many box office hits over their careers, they have 5 or less hits in the last 10 years):
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Ben Affleck
- Bill Murray
- Bill Pullman
- Billy Bob Thornton
- Brendan Fraser
- Bruce Willis
- Cary Elwes
- Charlie Sheen
- Chevy Chase
- Chris Evans
- Chris Pine
- Clint Eastwood
- Clive Owen
- Craig T. Nelson
- Cuba Gooding, Jr.
- Dan Aykroyd
- Danny DeVito
- Danny Glover
- David Spade
- Edward Norton
- Elijah Wood
- Emilio Estevez
- Eric Bana
- Freddie Prinze, Jr.
- Gene Hackman
- Greg Kinnear
- Guy Pearce
- Haley Joel Osment
- Harrison Ford
- Jack Nicholson
- Jake Gyllenhaal
- Jason Segel
- Jeff Bridges
- Jim Belushi
- Joaquin Phoenix
- Joe Pesci
- John Belushi (deceased)
- John Candy (deceased)
- John Cusack
- Josh Duhamel
- Jusin Timberlake
- Kevin Bacon
- Kevin Costner
- Kevin Kline
- Kevin Spacey
- Kiefer Sutherland
- Luke Wilson
- Martin Lawrence
- Martin Sheen
- Martin Short
- Mel Gibson
- Michael Douglas
- Michael Keaton
- Patrick Dempsey
- Paul Giamatti
- Paul Newman
- Paul Rudd
- Paul Walker
- Pierce Brosnan
- Richard Dreyfuss
- Richard Gere
- Richard Pryor
- Ricky Gervais
- Rob Schneider
- Robert Duvall
- Robert Pattinson
- Robert Redford
- Russell Brand
- Ryan Reynolds
- Sean Connery (retired)
- Steve Martin
- Sylvester Stallone
- Thomas Haden Church
- Tyrese Gibson
- Val Kilmer
- Willem Dafoe
- William H. Macy
- Zac Efron



And onto women (7 or more hits)...



TOP BOX OFFICE ACTRESSES (7 or more hits)



#1 Julia Roberts: 20 Total Hits


#2 Cameron Diaz: 17 Total Hits


#3 Angelina Jolie: 14 Total Hits


#4 Sandra Bullock: 13 Total Hits


#5 Nicole Kidman: 12 Total Hits


#6 Kathy Bates: 12 Total Hits


#7 Natalie Portman: 11 Total Hits


#8 Anne Hathaway: 11 Total Hits


#9 Meryl Streep: 11 Total Hits


#10 Catherine Zeta-Jones: 10 Total Hits


#11 Sigourney Weaver: 10 Total Hits


#12 Michelle Monoghan: 10 Total Hits


#13 Julie Andrews: 10 Total Hits


#14 Drew Barrymore: 9 Total Hits


#15 Renee Zellweger: 9 Total Hits


#16 Anna Faris: 9 Total Hits


#17 Queen Latifah: 9 Total Hits


#18 Halle Berry: 9 Total Hits


#19 Jennifer Aniston: 8 Total Hits


#20 Reese Witherspoon: 8 Total Hits


#21 Cate Blanchett: 8 Total Hits


#22 Michelle Pfeiffer: 8 Total Hits


#23 Rosario Dawson: 8 Total Hits


#24 Scarlett Johansson: 7 Total Hits


#25 Glenn Close: 7 Total Hits


#26 Amy Adams: 7 Total Hits


#27 Dakota Fanning: 7 Total Hits


#28 Joan Cusack: 7 Total Hits


#29 Keira Knightley: 7 Total Hits


#30 Jennifer Garner: 7 Total Hits


#31 Whoopi Goldberg: 7 Total Hits




BOX OFFICE MOMENTUM - ACTRESSES (4 or more in the last 10 years)



Angelina Jolie: 12 Momentum Hits


Cameron Diaz: 12 Momentum Hits


Anne Hathaway: 11 Momentum Hits


Julia Roberts: 10 Momentum Hits


Nicole Kidman: 10 Momentum Hits


Michelle Monaghan: 10 Momentum Hits


Meryl Streep: 9 Momentum Hits


Kathy Bates: 9 Momentum Hits


Natalie Portman: 8 Momentum Hits


Jennifer Aniston: 8 Momentum Hits


Reese Witherspoon: 8 Momentum Hits


Anna Faris: 8 Momentum Hits


Queen Latifah: 8 Momentum Hits


Julie Andrews: 8 Momentum Hits


Renee Zellweger: 7 Momentum Hits


Cate Blanchett: 7 Momentum Hits


Amy Adams: 7 Momentum Hits


Dakota Fanning: 7 Momentum Hits


Keira Knightley: 7 Momentum Hits


Jennifer Garner: 7 Momentum Hits


Scarlett Johansson: 6 Momentum Hits


Catherine Zeta-Jones: 6 Momentum Hits


Jessica Biel: 6 Momentum Hits


Michelle Rodriguez: 6 Momentum Hits


Sandra Bullock: 5 Momentum Hits


Drew Barrymore: 5 Momentum Hits


Bryce Dallas Howard: 5 Momentum Hits


Halle Berry: 5 Momentum Hits


Kate Beckinsale: 5 Momentum Hits


Diane Kruger: 5 Momentum Hits


Jennifer Connelly: 5 Momentum Hits


Abigail Breslin: 5 Momentum Hits


Zoe Saldana: 5 Momentum Hits


Brittany Murphy: 5 Momentum Hits


Kristen Stewart: 4 Momentum Hits


Katherine Heigl: 4 Momentum Hits


Joan Cusack: 4 Momentum Hits


Kate Hudson: 4 Momentum Hits


Rachel McAdams: 4 Momentum Hits


Kate Winslet: 4 Momentum Hits


Sigourney Weaver: 4 Momentum Hits


Mila Kunis: 4 Momentum Hits


Kristen Wiig: 4 Momentum Hits


Liv Tyler: 4 Momentum Hits


Kirsten Dunst: 4 Momentum Hits



No Momentum (these lady actresses have had some hits, but they had 3 or less in the last 10 years):
- Amanda Bynes
- Amanda Peet
- Anna Paquin
- Annette Bening
- Ashley Judd
- Barbra Streisand
- Bette Midler
- Betty White
- Charlize Theron
- Claire Danes
- Cybill Shepherd
- Debra Winger
- Diane Keaton
- Ellen Page
- Emma Stone
- Frances McDormand
- Glenn Close
- Goldie Hawn
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Hayden Panettiere
- Helen Hunt
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- Jane Fonda
- Jennifer Lopez
- Jennifer Love Hewitt
- Jodie Foster
- Kate Bosworth
- Katie Holmes
- Kristen Bell
- Lindsay Lohan
- Marisa Tomei
- Mary Stuart Masterson
- Meg Ryan
- Melanie Griffith
- Michelle Pfeiffer
- Michelle Williams
- Miley Cyrus
- Minnie Driver
- Rashida Jones
- Rosie O'Donnell
- Sally Field
- Salma Hayek
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Sarah Michelle Gellar
- Shirley MacLaine
- Sissy Spacek
- Uma Thurman
- Whoopi Goldberg