There isn't one single actor with the most, as several actors tie or lead depending on the source, but Samuel L. Jackson, Johnny Depp, Gary Oldman, and Hugo Weaving are often cited with multiple (around 3-4) billion-dollar films, while actors like Zoe Saldaña, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Hemsworth lead in overall box office gross due to their involvement in massive franchises like the MCU and Avatar.
The #1 richest actor is often cited as Arnold Schwarzenegger, with an estimated net worth around $1.49 billion, followed closely by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, while some lists place Tyler Perry at the top due to his studio ownership, but Schwarzenegger consistently leads actor-focused lists with vast wealth from acting, business, and politics.
The first actor to earn a guaranteed $1 million for a single film was Elizabeth Taylor for Cleopatra (1963), though she earned much more with profit-sharing; however, Mary Pickford signed the first million-dollar contract in 1916 (over several films), and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was the first with a $1 million annual guarantee in 1919. Marlon Brando also broke the $1 million barrier for a single movie with Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) before Taylor.
Mithun Chakraborty holds the dubious honour of giving the highest number of flop films among lead actors in Bollywood. The actor has 180 flop films in a career that has spanned over 40 years.
The Billion-Dollar Movie Club: 62 Movies to Reach $1 Billion Worldwide. List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
Yes, several movies have made over $2 billion at the global box office, led by James Cameron's Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, alongside Marvel's Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and China's Ne Zha, with a total of seven films reaching this elite club, though sometimes numbers vary slightly by source and re-releases.
The fastest movie to reach $1 billion worldwide is Avengers: Endgame (2019), achieving the milestone in just 5 days, followed by Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in 11 days, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) tying at 12 days, with recent releases like Inside Out 2 (2024) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) also hitting it quickly.
While several films compete for the title, John Carter (2012) is often cited as the biggest flop due to massive losses (around $200-225 million after accounting for a $350m budget) and its impact, leading to studio head resignations, with The Lone Ranger (2013) also a contender for huge inflation-adjusted losses, and historically, Heaven's Gate (1980) is infamous for destroying a studio and changing the industry. Other major contenders include The Marvels, Mortal Engines, and Cutthroat Island, depending on whether you consider raw dollar loss or percentage loss, notes Screen Rant and DirecTV Insider.
Sonakshi Sinha
The actress has a strict no-kissing policy on screen, and she had earlier explained her reasons in an interview with ETimes. She revealed that she has never missed out on opportunities because of her decision not to do on-screen kissing scenes.
Dwayne Johnson: $800 million (£600m)
The sought-after star can command more than $20 million (£15m) per movie, according to Forbes. Johnson further profits from his 30% stake in the tequila company Teremana, which was recently valued at $3.5 billion (£2.7bn). His total estimated fortune is $800 million (£600m).
The youngest person ever to accumulate a million dollars was the American child film actor Jackie Coogan (1914-84) born in Los Angeles, California, USA. In 1923-24 he was earning $22,000 (£11,936) per week and retained approximately 60% of his films' profits. At the age of 13, he was a millionaire in his own right.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: $16 million (£12m)
Part of GOT's highest-paid stars club, he reportedly earned $1.1 million (£820k) per episode in the final two seasons.
Tom Cruise is significantly richer than Brad Pitt, with estimated net worths in 2025 placing Cruise around $891 million compared to Pitt's figures closer to the $500-$700 million range, though estimates vary. Cruise consistently ranks as one of Hollywood's wealthiest actors, leveraging blockbuster success and high earnings from films like Top Gun: Maverick, making him the wealthier of the two.
Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a billionaire', is a billionaire, with Forbes estimating his net worth at around $1.2 billion in 2025, earned through successful careers in bodybuilding, blockbuster movies (like Terminator), real estate, and smart business investments, including early stakes in companies like Google and Starbucks, as well as following advice from Warren Buffett.
Highest annual earnings
Dwayne Johnson was the highest-paid actor in 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024. Sylvester Stallone was the highest-paid actor in 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1995. Julia Roberts was the highest-paid actress in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Neal McDonough had one rule in Hollywood — he would never kiss another woman on screen except his wife. It cost him roles, money, and even his reputation. But he never broke that promise. 💍❤️ Years later, he finally filmed an on-screen kiss — with his real-life wife Ruvé, who plays his partner in The Last Rodeo.
The most prominent actor known for refusing on-screen kisses is Neal McDonough, who has a strict personal and contractual rule against kissing any woman other than his wife, Ruvé, leading him to be temporarily shut out by Hollywood for several years despite his devout Catholic faith and commitment to his family. Other actors like Kevin Hart and Bollywood stars have also had no-kiss policies for various personal or comfort reasons, but McDonough's case is well-documented for its impact on his career.
Denzel Washington famously refused to kiss Julia Roberts (co-star in the 1993 film The Pelican Brief, citing respect for his Black female audience, who were often excluded from romantic leads and might react negatively to such an interracial kiss after past backlash he experienced, wanting to prioritize their representation and desire.
While several films compete for the title, John Carter (2012) is often cited as the biggest flop due to massive losses (around $200-225 million after accounting for a $350m budget) and its impact, leading to studio head resignations, with The Lone Ranger (2013) also a contender for huge inflation-adjusted losses, and historically, Heaven's Gate (1980) is infamous for destroying a studio and changing the industry. Other major contenders include The Marvels, Mortal Engines, and Cutthroat Island, depending on whether you consider raw dollar loss or percentage loss, notes Screen Rant and DirecTV Insider.
Mithun Chakraborty holds the dubious honour of giving the highest number of flop films among lead actors in Bollywood. The actor has 180 flop films in a career that has spanned over 40 years.
The highest-grossing film of all time, based on unadjusted worldwide box office revenue, is Avatar (2009), directed by James Cameron, with over $2.9 billion, followed closely by Marvel's Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). When adjusted for inflation, however, Gone with the Wind (1939) is often considered the top earner.
The movie that took 48 years to make is The Other Side of the Wind, Orson Welles' final, unfinished film that began shooting in the 1970s and was finally completed and released by Netflix in 2018, long after Welles' death. The project was famously trapped in legal issues and distribution nightmares, with production spanning years and the editing process continuing posthumously until its eventual release, making it one of the longest-produced films ever.
The 2011 film, 'Zyzzyx Road', starring Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore, sold only six tickets and grossed a mere $30 upon screening just one week at a Dallas theater.