Movie Stars With the Most Time at No. 1 at the Box Office

“Avatar,” “Avengers: End Game,” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” top the list of highest-grossing movies. Yet, none of them have one of the top three movie stars with the most time at No. 1 at the box office. Who is on that list? We took a look at the 40 actors who appeared in box office smashes to see who topped the list.

For decades, I’ve watched movies hit the big screen and become huge successes, leaving me to wonder what others see in them. Other movies I think should be big never reach the acclaim I feel they deserve. I had that same reaction as I started exploring the top 40 actors with the most time at No. 1.

Movies have provided me with entertainment and a rainy day escape since I was young. I’ve seen the careers of many of the actors in the top 40 from the very first roles in movies and TV. It’s fascinating to see how far some have come, and even how far some have fallen.

I admit to being slightly saddened to see women not making a strong showing on this list. In fact, there are only three women on the entire list, and that was one of the first surprises. As I dug deeper, I realized that because statistics only go back to 1977, that plays a role in why actors I feel should be on the list are missing.

It’s time to dive in and see who made it to the top 40 actors who have been at No. 1 the longest. (Are you interested in learning more about box office hits? Read the highest-grossing movies of all time .)

To determine the movie stars with the most time at No. 1 at the box office, 24/7 Tempo reviewed historical data on weekly box office performance from Box Office Mojo. Actors were ranked based on the total number of weeks their movies were the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office. Only movies for which an actor received top billing were included in the tally. Data on cast credits and billing is from IMDb. Box office data is for 1977 to 2023.

40. Liam Neeson

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 11 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 9 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Schindler’s List (1993)

39. Robert De Niro

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 12 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 6 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Cape Fear (1991)

38. Kristen Stewart

Source: Courtesy of Summit Distribution

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 12 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 6 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)

37. Sandra Bullock

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 12 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 8 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Gravity (2012)

36. Johnny Depp

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 12 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 8 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

35. Daniel Radcliffe

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 12 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 6 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

34. Adam Sandler

Source: Courtesy of NOS Audiovisuais

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 12 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 11 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Big Daddy (1999)

33. Morgan Freeman

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 13 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 5 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Se7en (1995)

32. Sean Connery

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 13 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 7 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Thunderball (1965)

31. Mark Wahlberg

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 13 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 11 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2013)

30. Clint Eastwood

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 7 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: In the Line of Fire (1993)

29. Brad Pitt

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 9 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Troy (2004)

28. Steven Seagal

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 7 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Under Siege (1992)

27. Bill Murray

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 5 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Ghostbusters (1984)

26. Ben Affleck

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 10 films
• Highest grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2015)

25. Denzel Washington

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 15 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 13 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: American Gangster (2007)

24. Mike Myers

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 16 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 9 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

23. John Travolta

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 17 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 9 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Grease (1978)

22. Vin Diesel

Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 17 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 10 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Furious 7 (2014)

21. Robert Downey Jr.

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 18 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 8 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Avengers: Endgame (2018)

20. Bruce Willis

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 20 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 11 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: The Sixth Sense (1999)

19. Chris Pratt

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 21 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 8 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Jurassic World (2014)

18. Ben Stiller

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 21 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 10 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Night at the Museum (2006)

17. Mel Gibson

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 21 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 13 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

16. Nicolas Cage

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 23 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 11 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

15. Michael J. Fox

Source: Courtesy of Netflix

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 23 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 6 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Back to the Future (1985)

14. Dwayne Johnson

Source: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 23 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2016)

13. Leonardo DiCaprio

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 25 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 6 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Titanic (1997)

12. Robin Williams

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 25 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 7 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

11. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 25 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

10. Sigourney Weaver

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 26 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 5 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Alien (1979)

9. Michael Douglas

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 26 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 10 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Basic Instinct (1992)

8. Will Smith

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 26 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Independence Day (1996)

7. Harrison Ford

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 26 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 15 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

6. Jim Carrey

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 27 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 15 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: The Mask (1994)

5. Sylvester Stallone

Source: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 28 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 14 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Rocky (1976)

4. Dustin Hoffman

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 30 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 5 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Rain Man (1988)

3. Eddie Murphy

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 32 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 12 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

2. Tom Hanks

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 44 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 20 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Forrest Gump (1994)

1. Tom Cruise

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Time at No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 45 weeks
• Movies that went No. 1 at the U.S. box office: 23 films
• Highest-grossing movie, adjusted for inflation: Top Gun: Maverick (2020)

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