Zoe Saldaña is now the highest-grossing actor of all time
- - Zoe Saldaña is now the highest-grossing actor of all time
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYJanuary 14, 2026 at 12:52 AM
0
Looking for a surefire box office hit? Try putting Zoe Saldaña in space.
The Oscar-winning "Avatar" star, 47, has become the highest-grossing actor of all time at the worldwide box office, according to The Numbers.
The movie industry data site estimates that films starring Saldaña in a leading role have collectively grossed approximately $15.47 billion worldwide. This puts her above the previous highest-grossing actor, Scarlett Johansson. Movies starring Johansson in a leading role have grossed $15.40 billion, per the site.
Saldaña achieved the milestone thanks to the success of James Cameron's blockbuster "Avatar: Fire and Ash," in which she returned as her character Neytiri for the third time. The sci-fi film, which premieres in theaters in December, has so far grossed more than $1.2 billion.
The original "Avatar," released in 2009, stands as the highest-grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office, not adjusted for inflation, with a total gross of $2.9 billion. Its 2022 sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water," again starring Saldaña, is the third highest-grossing movie ever, with $2.3 billion.
Zoe Saldaña attends the premiere of "Avatar: Fire and Ash" in Hollywood, California, on Dec. 1, 2025.
But these aren't the only huge blockbusters Saldaña has appeared in. She has also played Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy and two "Avengers" movies: 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" and 2019's "Avengers: Endgame." The latter is the second-highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide, meaning the top three biggest films in history all star Saldaña.
With 'Avatar 3,' Zoe Saldaña just achieved this box office milestone
Saldaña also played Uhura in the rebooted "Star Trek" films, which grossed more than $1 billion across three movies released from 2009 to 2016. Outside of the sci-fi genre, the original "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," starring Saldaña as Anamaria, grossed more than $650 million.
Zoe Saldana attends the "Avatar: Fire And Ash" photocall on Dec. 4, 2025, in Paris, France.
Johansson's box office grosses, meanwhile, also include the "Avengers" movies and other Marvel blockbusters, as she has played Black Widow in the franchise since 2010's "Iron Man 2." In 2025, Johansson added another blockbuster series to her resume when she starred in "Jurassic World Rebirth," which grossed more than $800 million. The 2016 version of "The Jungle Book," in which Johansson voiced Kaa, is another one of the actress' biggest hits, grossing more than $900 million.
How 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' opening weekend compared to first two films
According to The Numbers, the third-highest-grossing actor is another Marvel star: Samuel L. Jackson, whose films, in which he has a leading role, have grossed $14.6 billion, per the site's estimate.
The Saldaña record takes into account whether an actor's role in a movie is as a lead. When factoring in "all roles, including voice roles, cameos, and minor supporting roles," The Numbers estimates the highest-grossing star is technically Stan Lee, thanks to his dozens of cameo appearances in Marvel films.
Saldaña's box office milestone comes less than a year after she won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in March 2025 for her role in "Emilia Pérez." She is expected to return as Neytiri in two more "Avatar" sequels.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Avatar' star Zoe Saldaña is now highest-grossing actor ever
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
