Zoe Saldaña Is Now The Highest-Grossing Actor Of All Time

For years, Zoe Saldaña occupied a strange but increasingly powerful position in Hollywood. She was everywhere and yet somehow still underrated in the broader celebrity hierarchy. She rarely topped "most famous actor" lists, didn't anchor prestige dramas, and wasn't the face of a single standalone franchise. And yet, quietly, film by film, Saldaña was building the most dominant box office résumé in movie history.

Now, that long-running anomaly has resolved itself. Thanks to the success of "Avatar: Fire and Ash," Zoe Saldaña has officially become the highest-grossing actor of all time.

With the third "Avatar" film pushing past $1.2 billion worldwide, Saldaña's cumulative global box office haul has surged to $15.47 billion. That allowed her to leapfrog both Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson. The milestone caps a run that was already unprecedented even before she claimed the top spot.

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Saldaña is now the only actor in history to star in four films that each grossed more than $2 billion worldwide: "Avatar," "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame" and with this latest Avatar already at $1.2 billion, she'll probably add a fourth movie to that list soon. She also appears in the three highest-grossing movies of all time overall. No other actor, male or female, comes close to matching that combination of consistency and scale.

What makes the achievement especially striking is how unconventional her path has been. Saldaña has never been the sole marketing centerpiece of a franchise. Instead, she has repeatedly landed key, indispensable roles inside the two most commercially dominant cinematic universes ever created: James Cameron's "Avatar" series and Marvel's interconnected superhero empire. As Neytiri in "Avatar" and Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she has been a constant presence at the very center of modern blockbuster filmmaking.

This wasn't a one-off statistical fluke. Saldaña has also appeared in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy, the "Star Trek" reboot films, and the first "Pirates of the Caribbean," giving her one of the deepest big-budget résumés of any actor working today. Even films that weren't massive hits added incremental weight to an already towering total.

And she may not be finished. With additional "Avatar" sequels planned, her lead may only widen from here.

The 10 Highest Grossing Actors of All Time (2026 Update)

As of January 2026, the global box office leaderboards have undergone a massive shift following the blockbuster release of "Avatar: Fire and Ash." Zoe Saldaña has officially claimed the top spot, becoming the highest-grossing actor in cinematic history. Here is the updated top 10 list based on worldwide grosses for leading and lead-ensemble roles:

• #1: Zoe Saldaña: With the $1.23 billion success of the third "Avatar" installment, Saldaña's career total has climbed to $15.47 billion. She is the only actor to star in four films that have each crossed the $2 billion mark.
• #2: Scarlett Johansson: Previously the record-holder after the 2025 release of "Jurassic World Rebirth," Johansson now sits at $15.40 billion. Her dominance remains anchored by her legendary nine-film run as Black Widow in the MCU.
• #3: Samuel L. Jackson: A mainstay of the top three, Jackson's nearly 70 leading/ensemble credits—spanning "Star Wars," "Pulp Fiction," and the MCU—bring his total to $14.61 billion.
• #4: Robert Downey, Jr.: The "Iron Man" star's total stands at $14.31 billion. While he currently sits at #4, his upcoming return to the MCU as Doctor Doom is expected to propel him back toward the top spot.
• #5: Chris Pratt: Pratt has seen a meteoric rise to $14.12 billion. In addition to his "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jurassic World" franchises, his leading voice roles in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and "The Garfield Movie" provided massive boosts.
• #6: Tom Cruise: Still the highest-grossing actor to reach these heights without a superhero franchise, Cruise has amassed $12.67 billion thanks to the enduring "Mission: Impossible" and "Top Gun" series.
• #7: Chris Hemsworth: The God of Thunder sits at $12.19 billion, a total driven by his central roles in the "Thor" and "Avengers" films, as well as recent turns in "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga."
• #8: Vin Diesel: Anchored by the "Fast and Furious" juggernaut and his voice work as Groot, Diesel's career worldwide gross has hit $12.04 billion.
• #9: Chris Evans: Captain America remains a top-tier earner with $11.49 billion, primarily from his pivotal roles during the MCU's Infinity Saga.
• #10: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: Entering the top 10 with $11.46 billion, Johnson's total reflects his immense pull in "Jumanji," "Fast & Furious," and the "Moana" franchise.