10 Highest-Grossing Actors of the 2000s at the Box Office, Ranked

As a die-hard fan of cinema, I must admit that the 2000s were truly a golden era for the silver screen, and no one embodied this more than the enigmatic Orlando Bloom. With his ethereal good looks and versatile acting chops, he swiftly became a household name, gracing our screens in iconic roles such as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean.

The 2000s produced a wealth of timeless films, ranging from indie gems like “Children of Men” and “Memento,” Academy favorites such as “No Country for Old Men” and “The Departed,” to blockbuster franchises including “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” This era showcased a diverse array of cinematic experiences. Unsurprisingly, several stars in Hollywood contributed significantly to the success of many movies during this period. The list below presents the highest-earning domestic stars from 2000 to 2009.

Keep in mind that unacknowledged appearances were factored into performers’ overall domestic box office earnings. So, Samuel L. Jackson’s brief role in Iron Man contributed to the film’s total, despite not being credited. However, it’s important to note that the performance had to be genuine; the actor needed to deliver a line. In simpler terms, Cameron Diaz’s fleeting appearance in Minority Report, where she was merely a bus passenger, didn’t contribute to her total earnings because she didn’t speak any lines.

10 Matt Damon

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.669 Billion

Matt Damon has consistently been a significant figure in Hollywood for quite some time. He wasn’t only popular during the 2000s; in fact, his appeal was evident even before then. However, his debut in the 2000 film “Titan A.E.” didn’t fare too well, and the same could be said about “The Legend of Bagger Vance” and “All the Pretty Horses”; these movies weren’t major financial successes.

Mostly Thanks to Bourne and Ocean’s

In the year 2001, he played a role in “Ocean’s Eleven”, which turned out to be quite significant. The 2000s also saw him launch his first franchise with “The Bourne Identity”, and surprisingly, this intellectual property became even more profitable with its initial two sequels. To top it off, he starred in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning film, “The Departed”, as well as some moderately budgeted and earning smaller movies. All in all, the 2000s were a successful decade for Damon.

9 Cameron Diaz

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.84 Billion

Cameron Diaz last appeared on the big screen in ‘Annie’ back in 2014, but don’t worry her fans, she plans to return from retirement soon with a film titled ‘Back in Action’. The ’90s were when she became a familiar name thanks to movies like ‘The Mask’, ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’, and ‘There’s Something About Mary’. However, it was the 2000s that proved to be her most lucrative decade. She kicked off this successful run in 2000 with ‘Charlie’s Angels’, followed by ‘Shrek’ in 2001.

Voicing Princess Fiona Proved to Be a Reliable Gig

2001 brought her the financially successful psychological drama “Vanilla Sky”, followed by a role in Martin Scorsese’s 2002 film “Gangs of New York”. In 2003, she reprised her role as Natalie Cook in the critically panned yet profitable “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle”. However, it was her portrayal of Princess Fiona that truly made bank. The 2004 animation “Shrek 2” was enormous, with ticket sales so high that they were hard to secure for several weeks. Although “Shrek the Third” wasn’t quite as culturally influential, it still performed well financially.

8 Johnny Depp

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.867 Billion

There’s no doubt about it; the 2000s marked Johnny Depp’s high point when it comes to stardom and financial success. A large part of this can be attributed to his iconic character, Captain Jack Sparrow, in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. However, one might wonder which of Johnny Depp’s roles outside of Captain Jack Sparrow were profitable as well.

Captain Jack Sparrow Money

2000’s film “Chocolat” was a significant financial success, and it marked the only major role he had before taking on the legendary Disney character. Between the first and second installments of the “Pirates” series, there were releases like “Finding Neverland”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, and “Corpse Bride”. Following “At World’s End”, both “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and “Public Enemies” performed well at the box office.

7 Emma Watson

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.874 Billion

If you’re looking for Daniel Radcliffe, I’m sorry to say he isn’t present. However, Emma Watson is here instead, as her voice role in “The Tale of Despereaux” from 2008 set her apart from Radcliffe, who continued his Harry Potter journey beyond a minor part in the 2001 film “The Tailor of Panama,” which didn’t have a significant impact at the box office. Interestingly, Watson’s presence here highlights the enormous financial success of the Harry Potter series in the 2000s, a decade during which all films except the two-part “Deathly Hallows” conclusion were released in theaters.

The Wizarding World Was a Profitable One

Was it during the first movie, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” that the Harry Potter series saw its greatest financial success? Indeed, with a domestic earning of $318.9 million in 2001, it was an incredibly large sum. Even the franchise’s smallest earner before “Fantastic Beasts” – specifically, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” – managed to bring in over $250 million domestically. Despite seeing a decrease, this figure is still nearly double the movie’s budget of $130 million.

6 Eddie Murphy

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.924 Billion

Despite being one of the most prominent figures in the 1980s, Eddie Murphy struggled to attract an audience in the 1990s. However, the early 2000s marked a new era for his career, as he shifted focus towards family-friendly films, which proved to be quite profitable.

Shrek & Dolittle Money

According to the information provided about Diaz, Shrek was an enormous financial success three times throughout the 10-year span. However, it wasn’t just Shrek that made an appearance; there were also Dr. Dolittle 2, Daddy Day Care, The Haunted Mansion, Meet Dave, and Imagine That, which weren’t as successful financially. Notably, Norbit managed to turn a profit despite its quality issues, and she delivered a serious performance in Dreamgirls. Unfortunately, not all projects were successful, with The Adventure of Pluto Nash being one of the most notable flops.

5 Cate Blanchett

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $3.015 Billion

Among the most adaptable actresses of her time or any other era, Cate Blanchett is often recognized more for her performances in lesser-known films rather than blockbusters. Interestingly, despite this, her abundant work during the 2000s positioned her as the leading star among the cast of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, with only one exception. So, what were some of her major roles beyond portraying Galadriel?

Not Only Because of LOTR

Movies such as “The Gift,” “The Shipping News,” and “The Missing” garnered some attention, but not to a significant extent. However, “The Aviator” (2004) was quite successful, while “Babel” (2006) earned a decent income. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” also managed well despite its high production cost. But it was “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” that topped off the list of profitable films.

4 Owen Wilson

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $3.346 Billion

It’s likely that Ben Stiller would be included in this list, but a significant number of his top films actually starred Owen Wilson. During the 2000s, Wilson ventured off to do many projects independently, giving him an edge in terms of diversity. As for Stiller’s movies, he had hits like “Meet the Parents” with $166.2 million, “Zoolander,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Starsky & Hutch” (2004) earning a moderate $88.2 million, “Meet the Fockers” with an astounding $279.3 million, and the successful duo of “Night at the Museum” and “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

“Wow” Is One Word for It

Following the Stiller-less comedies, several notable triumphs emerged: “Shanghai Noon,” “Shanghai Knights,” “Wedding Crashers” which grossed an impressive $209.3 million, and “You, Me and Dupree”. However, some failed to take flight, such as “I Spy”, “The Big Bounce” with a modest $6.5 million, “Around the World in 80 Days” (2004), and “Drillbit Taylor”. In addition, Wes Anderson’s films continued alongside “The Royal Tenenbaums,” including “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” “The Darjeeling Limited,” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Notably, a war film titled “Behind Enemy Lines” was also released, as well as an animated hit by Pixar called “Cars,” and the holiday favorite “Marley & Me.

3 Morgan Freeman

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $3.387 Billion

Among all the performers listed, Morgan Freeman stands out for his frequent appearances in films, a trait shared by only one other artist. Known for his endearing presence in Hollywood, Freeman demonstrated a versatility in acting during the 2000s that matched the scale of the movies’ box office successes. Curious to know which productions made the biggest impact?

Almost Always a Box Office Draw

The 2000s saw films like “Along Came a Spider,” “The Sum of All Fears,” and “Million Dollar Baby.” In 2005, the year was particularly significant with hits such as “March of the Penguins,” “War of the Worlds,” and “Batman Begins.” Interestingly, “Batman Begins” was a standout for Freeman in that decade. His highest-grossing film of the 2000s was “The Dark Knight,” but he also starred in “Wanted” that same year.

2 Orlando Bloom

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $3.99 Billion

Orlando Bloom isn’t just included on this list; he’s almost at its peak, and that’s largely due to two movie franchises: The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean. To put it simply, Bloom kicked off his career spectacularly in 2001 with his portrayal of Legolas in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which grossed an impressive $313.4 million. However, Black Hawk Down’s earnings of $108.6 million should also be noted.

An Aughts Favorite for a Period Piece

During the early 2000s, things were going exceptionally well at the box office. In particular, movies like “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002), which made $339.8 million, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) with its earnings of $305.4 million, and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003), which reached a franchise peak of $377 million, were massive hits.

The Pirates series experienced remarkable growth with the release of Dead Man’s Chest, only to see less impressive results with At World’s End in comparison. Additionally, outside the two Pirates franchises, there was the successful swords-and-sandals film Troy, as well as a few other films that didn’t quite manage to gain traction, like another swords-and-sandals movie titled Kingdom of Heaven.

1 Samuel L. Jackson

Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $4.093 Billion

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I can confidently say that even I, with my modest acting career, wouldn’t make this particular list. The man we’re talking about, Samuel L. Jackson, starred in almost forty films during the 2000s, which is quite an impressive feat! It comes as no surprise then, that when you add up the earnings of all those movies, he clinched the top spot. So, what were the films that made him a box office sensation?

So Many Movies

2000’s films like “Shaft” and “Unbreakable” were successful, but movies such as “The Caveman’s Valentine” and “Formula 51” from 2001 did not perform well. The 2002 release of “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” and the 2005 release of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” didn’t achieve the same level of success as “The Phantom Menace” from 1999, but they were still big hits. Additionally, Jackson appeared in films like “xXx”, “S.W.A.T.”, “The Incredibles”, and had a cameo in “Iron Man”. Jackson has consistently demonstrated his dedication to work throughout these years.

2024-09-23 06:02