Over the past decade or so, movies have made more money than ever in theaters as box office numbers climbed consistently and records were set. Despite that, it's still pretty rare to see something the $1 billion mark. There are franchises known for hitting that mark but it still doesn't happen all that often.
Even rarer is to find an actor who has shown up in multiple $1 billion films. It obviously occurs in those popular franchises, as stars like Dwayne Johnson and Robert Downey Jr. have appeared in the Fast & Furious and MCU series in several $1 billion hits. However, some actors have done it across more than one franchise or even did so with a standalone film.
Updated on January 20th, 2022, by Kevin Pantoja: Following a rough 2020, movie theaters returned with a vengeance in 2021 and into 2022. More blockbusters have neared the $1 billion mark, while Spider-Man: No Way Home actually managed to do so. With it, some new actors ed the club of having multiple billion-dollar films under their belt. Even so, there were more than just the original ten actors to have pulled off the feat as well, across multiple genres.
Orlando Bloom
There was a time when Orlando Bloom was one of the highest-grossing actors of all-time despite having far fewer credits to his name than the others in the same category. That's because two of his franchises produced films that made it to the $1 billion mark and had several that finished just shy.
There was his role as the charismatic and lovable archer Legolas in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($1.066B).
Tyrese Gibson
It's not often that someone can make the move from a career in music to a successful run on the big screen. However, Tyrese Gibson has mostly pulled that off. He made waves as Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Robert Epps in the Transformers franchise.
The third entry in that series, Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1.123B) was the biggest of them all but Tyrese was already part of a franchise that was about to break out. He debuted in 2 Fast 2 Furious and returned in Fast Five and coming back again ever since. The movies got bigger than anyone expected, with Furious 7 ($1.515B) and Fate of the Furious ($1.236B) reaching the mark.
Alfre Woodard
Although she might not be the first name you think of when you consider box office stars, Alfre Woodward is a well-respected and versatile actor of this generation. She got her first taste of the billion-dollar mark with a small appearance as Miriam Sharpe in Captain America: Civil War. ($1.153B)
Shockingly, she had another MCU role as Mariah Stokes in Netflix's Luke Cage. However, it was when Woodard lent her voice to the 2019 remake of The Lion King ($1.662B) as Simba's mother Sarabi that she reached the mark again.
Josh Gad
His combination of acting and singing skills has made Josh Gad one of the most impressive performers in Hollywood in recent memory. He nearly reached the billion-dollar club with a part in the Ice Age franchise but got there in 2013 thanks to his voice work as the lovable Olaf in Frozen ($1.281B).
The next time that he found himself in a movie that reached the impressive mark was in 2017. He took on the coveted role of LeFou, Gaston's loyal buddy in the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast ($1.264B). He ed some fellow cast mates from that movie as multi-blockbuster actors.
Djimon Honsou
The extremely talented Djimon Honsou is one of those actors who kind of seems to pop up everywhere. From Gladiator to Blood Diamond, he's seemingly done in all. He's even appeared in multiple MCU films and played two different characters in the DCEU.
In the former, Honsou plays Korath the Pursuer in Aquaman ($1.148B). To add to it, Honsou also appeared in Furious 7 as Mose Jakande.
James Earl Jones
There aren't many voices in the world more famous and iconic than that of James Earl Jones. So, it totally lines up that his movies to sur $1 billion come from franchises where he voices two of the most legendary characters in cinema history.
In 1994, Jones voiced Mufasa in the original The Lion King (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($1.056B).
Naomie Harris
Naomie Harris actually made her debut as Tia Dalma in Dead Man's Chest, which was the first one to make it to the $1 billion mark. Harris reprised the role in the sequel, though that just barely missed grossing as much.
The other film for her to make it to this marker is another of the biggest franchises in history, James Bond. However, Harris took part in the only entry to sur $1 billion, which was No Time To Die.
Vin Diesel
Many people tend to forget that Fast & Furious franchise. It's the rare series to get better and more popular in later years, with Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious being massive hits.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Diesel also voices the character of Groot. While both Guardians of the Galaxy movies fell short of the $1 billion mark, the character was a key part in Avengers: Infinity War ($2.048B). Diesel is also reportedly set to the Avatar sequels and the first one set box office records.
Michelle Rodriguez
It's difficult to mention Vin Diesel and the entire Fast & Furious franchise without bringing up Michelle Rodriguez. As Letty Ortiz, Rodriguez is one of the original and most pivotal characters in the series. Like Diesel, she was a key character in both Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious.
Rodriguez has made an entire career out of playing some of the toughest females ever put on the big screen. It worked to make her a star with Fast & Furious but then also landed her a role in Avatar ($2.798B) as Captain Trudy Chacon, which was for a time the biggest movie in history.
Samuel L. Jackson
There aren't many actors with more prominent roles than Samuel L. Jackson. The obvious part that grossed a ton is as Nick Fury in the MCU, first cracking $1 billion with Spider-Man: Far From Home ($1.131B).
It could be argued that the other biggest film franchise in pop culture history alongside the MCU is Star Wars. Jackson Incredibles 2 ($1.243B).
