Box Office Mojo just shared a list of the highest-grossing movie stars of all time and, though there are a ton of recognizable actresses on the list, no surprise here - Scarlett Johansson is hands down, the queen of the box office.
According to the data, Johansson’s movies, which now include 2016 hits Captain America: Civil War and The Jungle Book, have made a total of $3.3 billion dollars, which puts her ahead of the second highest grossing female movie star, Cameron Diaz and her $3 billion total. Behind Diaz, the next highest grossing actress is Helena Bonham Carter with $2.82 billion dollars thanks to the Harry Potter franchise and then Cate Blanchett with $2.8 billion. Her highest grossing film is Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
It’s no surprise for Johansson, what with the original Avengers as her No. 1 movie. The film itself was the fifth-highest grossing of all-time, making a reported $623.4 million. With the other female gracing Box Office Mojo’s Top 20 list, Cameron Diaz relied on her voice talents with with most money for coming in for Shrek 2.
At 31, Johansson is the youngest actor appearing in the top 10, but she’s also the only woman. Recently In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Johansson spoke about the gender wage gap she experiences in Hollywood:
“There’s something icky about me having that conversation unless it applies to a greater whole. I am very fortunate, I make a really good living, and I’m proud to be an actress who’s making as much as many of my male peers at this stage… I think every woman has [been underpaid], but unless I’m addressing it as a larger problem, for me to talk about my own personal experience with it feels a little obnoxious. It’s part of a larger conversation about feminism in general.”
These comments shine a light on the rest of the list in question. While Johansson’s $3.3 billion dollar total may seem like a ton of money, it was only enough to make her the 10th highest-grossing movie star of all time. Harrison Ford currently holds that #1 spot with about $4.9 billion dollars thanks to Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Ford is followed by Samuel L. Jackson who got a significant boost from the Marvel movies and then Morgan Freeman who's highest grossing film is The Dark Knight. Rounding out the top five we’ve got Tom Hanks and Iron Man himself, Robert Downey, Jr.
