By Alison O’Brien.
Film franchises gross billions of dollars each year, and draw in millions of viewers at the box office. They engage their audiences with spectacular effects and star-studded casts who play characters with richer backgrounds than your typical 90-minute flick. These actors and actresses deliver powerful performances and amass fans across the globe.
The celebrity experts at PrettyFamous, an entertainment research site part of the Graphiq network, ranked the actors and actresses who have tapped into blockbuster franchises. Using data from Box Office Mojo and Gracenote, PrettyFamous found the actors in each film from the 15 highest-grossing franchises. Then they ranked each actor by their “Actor Score” which is based on number of Wikipedia page views over the past 30 days, total number of award nominations, and total number of IMDb ratings for the movies and TV shows that they have been in. Actors and actresses who only appeared in one movie were excluded.
Note: Ties were awarded to the actor/actress with the most 30-day Wikipedia page views.
#10. James Franco
Franchise: Spider-Man
Franchise Domestic Gross: $1.58 billion
James Franco gained worldwide recognition after appearing in “Spider-Man” as Harry Osborn. Since then, he has been cast in films of nearly every genre including “Pineapple Express,” “Milk” and “127 Hours,” for which he received multiple award nominations.
#9. Scarlett Johansson
Actor Score: 94.3
Franchise: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Franchise Domestic Gross: $3.98 billion
Scarlett Johansson is known for her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. She also appears in “He’s Just Not That Into You” and “Don Jon.”
#8. Cameron Diaz
Franchise: Shrek
Franchise Domestic Gross: $1.42 billion
Diaz is well-known for her roles in romantic comedies. She gained critical acclaim for her work in “There’s Something About Mary,” “Being John Malkovich” and “Vanilla Sky.” Her voiceover of Fiona in the “Shrek” franchise earns her the No. 8 spot on this list.
#7. Sally Field
Actor Score: 95.7
Franchise: Spider-Man
Franchise Domestic Gross: $1.58 billion
Sally Field had already completed a lifetime’s worth of filmography before her role as Aunt May in the “Spider-Man” franchise. Now, she is known for her performance in “Lincoln,” for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, as well as her appearance in “Mrs. Doubtfire.”
#6. Amy Adams
Franchise: Superman
Franchise Domestic Gross: $1.14 billion
Amy Adams is a critically acclaimed actress known for her role in “Junebug,” from which she received an Oscar nomination. She appears in the “Superman” franchise as Lois Lane.
#5. Morgan Freeman
Actor Score: 96.3
Franchise: Batman
Franchise Domestic Gross: $2.23 billion
Morgan Freeman arguably has the world’s most sought after voice. He received an Academy Award for his performance in “Million Dollar Baby” and has been nominated for several other films. His portrayal of Lucius Fox in the “Batman” franchise solidifies his spot on this list.
#4. Tom Cruise
Franchise: Mission: Impossible
Franchise Domestic Gross: $0.93 billion
Tom Cruise’s extensive filmography is impressive. Even more impressive is his versatility as an actor and a producer. Cruise starred in, and produced, films from the “Mission Impossible” franchise as well as “The Others” and “Vanilla Sky.”
#3. Christian Bale
Actor Score: 96.7
Franchise: Batman
Franchise Domestic Gross: $2.23 billion
Christian Bale gained commercial recognition for his portrayal of the brooding and conflicted Bruce Wayne in the “Batman” franchise. Bale is known for fully committing to his roles, and once lost 63 pounds for his part in “The Machinist.”
#2. Jennifer Lawrence
Franchise: The Hunger Games
Franchise Domestic Gross: $1.45 billion
Franchise: X-Men
Franchise Domestic Gross: $1.78 billion
Despite her young age, Jennifer Lawrence has already proven herself to be an impressive force in Hollywood. She has appeared in two major franchises, “X-Men” and “The Hunger Games.” She has also gained critical acclaim for her performances in “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle.”
#1. Johnny Depp
Actor Score: 97.7
Franchise: Pirates of the Caribbean
Franchise Domestic Gross: $1.28 billion
Topping off our list is the one and only Johnny Depp. His portrayal of the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean” catapulted him to worldwide superstar status. Despite the controversy surrounding Depp regarding domestic violence claims, he is still considered to be one of the world’s biggest film stars.
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