When movie makers are casting for a film, an actor’s box office performance in previous films as well as his or her fitness for a role is considered. And besides the ability to draw at the domestic box office, studios also have to weigh an actor’s bankability worldwide.
To determine the most bankable actors in terms of potential global box office earning power, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from industry site Opus Data, a product of Nash Information Services. Actors were ranked based on the amount they are forecasted to add to the average non-franchise film at the global box office as of October 2022. The estimated added value at the global box office is a component of The Numbers Bankability Index, and is based on past box office performance.
Data on each actor’s age and on global box office used to determine an actor’s highest-grossing film came from Opus Data and was adjusted for inflation using data on historical ticket prices from the National Association of Theatre Owners. To determine an actor’s highest-rated film, 24/7 Tempo developed an index based on user scores on IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon, and audience and critics’ Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, weighting all measures equally. Only films for which an actor was listed among the top-four billed actors on IMDb were included.
Movie makers care about an actor’s bankability because of what’s at stake. The costs of producing and marketing a motion picture have driven the average cost of making a movie to an average of about $100 million. With the escalating costs of movies in mind, movie makers try to avoid what the industry calls “box-office poison,” an age-old industry phrase that refers to overpaid actors whose motion pictures are not hits. (Here are some examples of some A-list actors’ biggest box office flops.)
Click here to see the world’s most bankable actors right now.
All but seven of the 50 most bankable actors at the global box office on our list are men, and 14 of these actors are from other countries, mostly from the United Kingdom and Australia. They can potentially add anywhere from $13.6 million to $36.8 million to a future non-franchise film’s domestic ticket sales. (See every movie genre’s top-grossing actor.)
50. Helena Bonham Carter
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$13.6 million
> Highest-grossing film: Alice in Wonderland (2010)
> Highest-rated film: The King’s Speech (2010)
> Age: 56 years
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49. Jude Law
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$13.7 million
> Highest-grossing film: Captain Marvel (2019)
> Highest-rated film: Gattaca (1997)
> Age: 49 years
48. Denzel Washington
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$13.8 million
> Highest-grossing film: Philadelphia (1993)
> Highest-rated film: Glory (1989)
> Age: 67 years
47. Andy Serkis
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$13.8 million
> Highest-grossing film: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
> Highest-rated film: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
> Age: 58 years
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46. Ben Affleck
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$13.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: Armageddon (1998)
> Highest-rated film: Good Will Hunting (1997)
> Age: 50 years
45. Adam Sandler
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$13.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
> Highest-rated film: The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)
> Age: 56 years
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44. Anne Hathaway
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.0 million
> Highest-grossing film: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
> Highest-rated film: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
> Age: 40 years
43. Stanley Tucci
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.0 million
> Highest-grossing film: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
> Highest-rated film: Big Night (1996)
> Age: 62 years
42. Channing Tatum
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.1 million
> Highest-grossing film: G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
> Highest-rated film: 21 Jump Street (2012)
> Age: 42 years
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41. Michael Keaton
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.3 million
> Highest-grossing film: Minions (2015)
> Highest-rated film: Spotlight (2015)
> Age: 71 years
40. Nicole Kidman
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.4 million
> Highest-grossing film: Batman Forever (1995)
> Highest-rated film: Lion (2016)
> Age: 55 years
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39. Seth Rogen
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.4 million
> Highest-grossing film: The Lion King (2019)
> Highest-rated film: 50/50 (2011)
> Age: 40 years
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38. Zoe Saldaña
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.6 million
> Highest-grossing film: Avatar (2009)
> Highest-rated film: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
> Age: 44 years
37. Steve Carell
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.7 million
> Highest-grossing film: Despicable Me 2 (2013)
> Highest-rated film: Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
> Age: 60 years
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36. Chiwetel Ejiofor
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.8 million
> Highest-grossing film: The Lion King (2019)
> Highest-rated film: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
> Age: 45 years
35. Jason Statham
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.8 million
> Highest-grossing film: Furious 7 (2015)
> Highest-rated film: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
> Age: 55 years
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34. Ben Mendelsohn
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: Captain Marvel (2019)
> Highest-rated film: Starred Up (2013)
> Age: 53 years
33. Sandra Bullock
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$14.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: Minions (2015)
> Highest-rated film: Gravity (2013)
> Age: 58 years
32. Hugh Jackman
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$15.0 million
> Highest-grossing film: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
> Highest-rated film: Logan (2017)
> Age: 54 years
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31. Mark Ruffalo
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$15.0 million
> Highest-grossing film: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> Highest-rated film: Spotlight (2015)
> Age: 55 years
30. Chris Hemsworth
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$15.1 million
> Highest-grossing film: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> Highest-rated film: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> Age: 39 years
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29. Tom Holland
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$15.1 million
> Highest-grossing film: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
> Highest-rated film: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
> Age: 26 years
28. Alan Tudyk
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$15.3 million
> Highest-grossing film: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
> Highest-rated film: Serenity (2005)
> Age: 51 years
27. Michael Peña
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$15.5 million
> Highest-grossing film: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
> Highest-rated film: End of Watch (2012)
> Age: 46 years
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26. Djimon Hounsou
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$15.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: Constantine (2005)
> Highest-rated film: In America (2002)
> Age: 58 years
25. Benedict Cumberbatch
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$15.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: Doctor Strange (2016)
> Highest-rated film: The Imitation Game (2014)
> Age: 46 years
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24. Angelina Jolie
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$16.1 million
> Highest-grossing film: Maleficent (2014)
> Highest-rated film: Kung Fu Panda (2008)
> Age: 47 years
23. Chris Pratt
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$16.4 million
> Highest-grossing film: Jurassic World (2015)
> Highest-rated film: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
> Age: 43 years
22. Chris Evans
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$16.5 million
> Highest-grossing film: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> Highest-rated film: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> Age: 41 years
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21. Idris Elba
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$17.1 million
> Highest-grossing film: Zootopia (2016)
> Highest-rated film: Zootopia (2016)
> Age: 50 years
20. Willem Dafoe
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$17.5 million
> Highest-grossing film: Finding Nemo (2003)
> Highest-rated film: Finding Nemo (2003)
> Age: 67 years
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19. Colin Farrell
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$17.7 million
> Highest-grossing film: Minority Report (2002)
> Highest-rated film: In Bruges (2008)
> Age: 46 years
18. Woody Harrelson
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$17.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
> Highest-rated film: No Country for Old Men (2007)
> Age: 61 years
17. Ryan Reynolds
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$18.1 million
> Highest-grossing film: Deadpool (2016)
> Highest-rated film: Deadpool (2016)
> Age: 46 years
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16. Mark Wahlberg
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$18.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
> Highest-rated film: The Departed (2006)
> Age: 51 years
15. Morgan Freeman
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$19.1 million
> Highest-grossing film: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
> Highest-rated film: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
> Age: 85 years
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14. Liam Neeson
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$19.1 million
> Highest-grossing film: Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
> Highest-rated film: Schindler’s List (1993)
> Age: 70 years
13. Matt Damon
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$20.2 million
> Highest-grossing film: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
> Highest-rated film: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
> Age: 52 years
12. Johnny Depp
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$20.3 million
> Highest-grossing film: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
> Highest-rated film: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
> Age: 59 years
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11. Leonardo DiCaprio
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$20.9 million
> Highest-grossing film: Titanic (1997)
> Highest-rated film: The Departed (2006)
> Age: 48 years
10. Robert De Niro
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$21.7 million
> Highest-grossing film: Meet the Fockers (2004)
> Highest-rated film: The Godfather: Part II (1974)
> Age: 79 years
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9. Tom Cruise
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$21.8 million
> Highest-grossing film: Mission: Impossible (1996)
> Highest-rated film: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
> Age: 60 years
8. Scarlett Johansson
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$23.2 million
> Highest-grossing film: The Avengers (2012)
> Highest-rated film: The Avengers (2012)
> Age: 38 years
7. Brad Pitt
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$23.5 million
> Highest-grossing film: Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
> Highest-rated film: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
> Age: 58 years
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6. Will Smith
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$23.6 million
> Highest-grossing film: Independence Day (1996)
> Highest-rated film: Men in Black (1997)
> Age: 54 years
5. Bradley Cooper
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$23.7 million
> Highest-grossing film: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
> Highest-rated film: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
> Age: 47 years
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4. Robert Downey, Jr.
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$24.6 million
> Highest-grossing film: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> Highest-rated film: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> Age: 57 years
3. Tom Hanks
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$25.0 million
> Highest-grossing film: Forrest Gump (1994)
> Highest-rated film: Toy Story (1995)
> Age: 66 years
2. Dwayne Johnson
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$27.8 million
> Highest-grossing film: Furious 7 (2015)
> Highest-rated film: Moana (2016)
> Age: 50 years
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1. Samuel L. Jackson
> Added global box office to avg. non-franchise film: +$36.8 million
> Highest-grossing film: Star Wars Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
> Highest-rated film: Pulp Fiction (1994)
> Age: 73 years
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