Buzz
Marvel has consistently proven its ability to generate massive box office revenues. It’s no wonder that its leading stars dominate the list of top-earning actors in the action category.
A recent study by Uswitch reveals that the top five highest-grossing actors in the action genre are all part of the MCU. Leading the pack is Samuel L. Jackson, known for his role as Nick Fury in multiple MCU films, with his action movies amassing nearly $19 billion globally. Following him are Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff), and Chris Evans (Captain America).
In the horror genre, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga stand out as the top performers. They portray the real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring series, with both actors boasting extensive horror filmographies. Farmiga’s notable works include 2009’s Orphan and 2007’s Joshua, while Wilson has made his mark with the Insidious franchise and films like 2019’s In the Tall Grass. (For musical theater enthusiasts curious about Wilson’s return to Broadway, he has expressed his desire to do so in the future.)
Unsurprisingly, Julia Roberts leads the romance genre with an impressive $1.24 billion in box office earnings. Classics like Pretty Woman (1990), Runaway Bride (1999), and Notting Hill (1999) rank among the highest-grossing romantic comedies ever made.
Ben Stiller, securing fifth place in both romance and comedy, stands out as the sole actor to appear on two lists. His $3.22 billion in comedy earnings fell short of surpassing Bill Hader’s $3.94 billion, which earned him the top spot. While the SNL veteran has starred in numerous live-action comedies, such as Superbad (2007) and Trainwreck (2015), his voice roles in animated hits like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and Inside Out (2015) likely propelled him to first place.
If you’re curious about the absence of Old Hollywood stars in the list below, it’s because Uswitch’s analysis focused solely on living actors. (Those with fewer than 10 feature roles on IMDb were also excluded.) Discover more insights from the study here.
Action
- Samuel L. Jackson // $18.93 billion
- Robert Downey Jr. // $10.45 billion
- Zoe Saldana // $8.37 billion
- Elizabeth Olsen // $5.73 billion
- Chris Evans // $5.23 billion
Comedy
- Bill Hader // $3.94 billion
- Eddie Murphy // $3.65 billion
- Steve Carell // $3.28 billion
- Bonnie Hunt // $3.23 billion
- Ben Stiller // $3.22 billion
Horror
- Patrick Wilson // $636.8 million
- Vera Farmiga // $479.5 million
- James McAvoy // $466.7 million
- Emily Blunt // $410.1 million
- Michelle Pfeiffer // $381.8 million
Romance
- Julia Roberts // $1.24 billion
- Meryl Streep // $1.04 billion
- Bradley Cooper // $1.02 billion
- Owen Wilson // $1.01 billion
- Ben Stiller // $995.4 million
