The highest grossing British actors of all time
A number of Brits have dominated the box office in their time
It is no easy task to top the box office, but there are a few actors who have been able to do it time and again and, as a result, have become some of the highest grossing actors of all time.
There are Hollywood icons like Samuel L Jackson, who tops the list, but there are also a number of British actors to make the cut. Whether they're known for big budget franchise movies or because they've carved such a successful career that their name along will draw film fans to the cinemas, The Numbers reveals an interesting if unexpected list.
Here is everything you need to know about the highest grossing British actors of all time.
The Top 10 highest grossing British actors of all time
1 | Andy Serkis | ￡15.1bn
Andy Serkis tops the list of British actors thanks to the successful franchises he has been a part of since his breakout role as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The actor continued to pioneer motion-capture technology in Hollywood with his role as monkey Caesar in three Planet of the Apes movies, another box office success.
Read more: Lord of the Rings' Ian McKellen calls Gandalf return a 'great surprise'
Elsewhere, Serkis has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred in one of its biggest hits, Black Panther. He has also turned his eye to directing, and will soon direct a new film in the Lord of the Rings universe called The Hunt for Gollum.
2 | Benedict Cumberbatch | ￡15.05bn
Benedict Cumberbatch's name is certainly a box office draw and has been ever since he wowed the world with his portrayal of the iconic Sherlock Holmes in BBC's show Sherlock. Since being catapulted to fame, Cumberbatch has impressed both on stage and screen and has won numerous accolades and been nominated for two Oscars for The Imitation Game and Power of the Dog.
Read more: Benedict Cumberbatch burst into tears at ‘truly extraordinary’ Eric scene
Cumberbatch has also been a part of the MCU since 2016's Doctor Strange which has given an impressive boost to his filmography at the box office.
3 | Warwick Davis | ￡14.9bn
Warwick Davis' work has encompassed many children's childhoods, from his breakout role in Willow to his appearance in the original Star Wars movie Return of the Jedi as Wicket, the leader of the Ewoks, to the Harry Potter franchise and beyond. With so many big name movies in his filmography it stands to reason that he is one of the highest-grossing British actors of all time.
4 | Paul Bettany | ￡13.3bn
Paul Bettany is also a member of the MCU's main cast members, first voicing the character of J.A.R.V.I.S. before taking on the role of sentient robot Vision. He has appeared in eight Marvel projects, including the very first film in the MCU: 2008's Iron Man.
As well as star in Marvel movies, Bettany has had a number of box office hits including Wimbledon, A Knight's Tale, and A Beautiful Mind.
5 | Idris Elba | ￡13.3bn
Ever since his breakout role in The Wire as Stringer Bell, Idris Elba has been a huge draw. He followed up this success with a plethora of hit roles including DCI John Luther in BBC's Luther, and has appeared in big budget blockbusters including the Marvel movies as Heimdall and Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad.
Elba has also had a slew of box office hits like Pacific Rim, Prometheus, and The Harder They Fall. His career has seen him take on some gritty dramatic roles such as Nelson Mandela in the biopic Long Walk to Freedom, and a commandant in Beasts of No Nation.
6 | Gary Oldman | ￡11.9bn
Gary Oldman has played so many iconic roles its difficult to count, there's his terrifying yet seductive Dracula, his unpredictable take on Sid Vicious, his stunning Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise, and even his most recent role as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses.
He's played great villains and even greater heroes, won an Oscar for playing Winston Churchill, and starred in music videos for David Bowie and Annie Lennox. Basically, if Gary Oldman's name is attached to it, chances are the film or series will do well.
7 | Liam Neeson | ￡11.6bn
He may now be most associated with that iconic Taken monologue, but Liam Neeson has long had a hugely successful career which is why it makes sense he's made it into the highest grossing British actors list. Neeson rose to prominence in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List, in which he portrayed humanitarian Oskar Schindler and earned an Oscar nomination.
Neeson also appeared in the Star Wars prequels as Qui-Gon Jinn, voiced Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia movies, and played villain Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins. Not to mention his exceptional performances in Love Actually and Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York, he's certainly given more to cinema than just that monologue.
8 | Tom Holland | ￡11.1bn
He's the MCU's Spider-Man, so it shouldn't be too surprising that Tom Holland has made it onto the top 10 of highest grossing British actors. Holland has starred as Peter Parker in three Spider-Man movies as well as several Avengers team-ups, including Captain America: Civil War, but he's also turned his attention to dramas like The Crowded Room and Cherry.
9 | Benedict Wong | ￡10.9bn
Another MCU alum to make the cut is Benedict Wong, who portrays Wong in the Doctor Strange movies, the Avengers films, and others Marvel projects like Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The actor has also appeared in blockbuster hits like Prometheus, Sunshine, and Netflix series 3 Body Problem.
10 | Ian McKellen | ￡10.9bn
Ian McKellen has played Magneto and Gandalf, leading the charge on two of the biggest movie franchises of all time —X-Men and The Lord of the Rings— so it seems only natural that McKellen makes the cut. The actor began his career in theatre but has since become a mainstay of the TV and movie industry as well, and he is expected be returning as Gandalf in a new film by Andy Serkis, the Hunt for Gollum.
