Big box-office numbers don’t happen by accident. Over the past 25 years, a relatively small group of actors have become inseparable from the films that defined modern blockbuster culture, superhero sagas, animated classics, and franchise entries that audiences kept showing up for, year after year. Some led these movies from the front, others appeared briefly or lent their voices, but their presence added up to something massive. Based on cumulative worldwide box office totals, these are the 15 highest-grossing actors of the last quarter-century, and the roles that quietly (or very loudly) helped shape the era of the mega-hit.
Stan Lee

Samuel L. Jackson

Alan Tudyk

John Ratzenberger

Frank Welker

Zoe Saldaña

Dwayne Johnson

Scarlett Johansson

Robert Downey Jr.

Chris Pratt

Bob Bergen

Idris Elba

Jon Favreau

Andy Serkis

Benedict Cumberbatch
