Hollywood actor Zoe Saldana has emerged as the highest-grossing leading actor in global box office history, following the strong worldwide performance of Avatar: Fire and Ash.
According to data compiled by box office tracking website The Numbers, Saldana now tops the global rankings with cumulative worldwide earnings of USD 15.46 billion from 33 films in leading roles, averaging nearly USD 469 million per film.
The latest Avatar instalment, released in 2025, has already earned over USD 1.23 billion worldwide, pushing her past the previous record-holder.
Saldana’s box office dominance has been driven by her presence in some of the biggest franchises in cinema history.
Her filmography includes Avatar (2009), which grossed USD 2.92 billion, Avengers: Endgame (2019) at USD 2.71 billion, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) with USD 2.32 billion, and Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which earned USD 2.04 billion globally.
She is the only actor to feature in three of the highest-grossing films of all time and the first actress to appear in four films that have crossed the USD 2 billion mark worldwide.
Scarlett Johansson follows closely in second place with USD 15.40 billion from 36 films, while Samuel L Jackson ranks third with USD 14.61 billion accumulated over more than 70 films.
Other actors in the top 10 include Robert Downey Jr., Chris Pratt, Tom Cruise, Chris Hemsworth, Vin Diesel, Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson.
Johansson had briefly held the top position last year after Jurassic World Rebirth earned USD 869 million globally.
Reacting to the milestone, Saldana shared a video message on social media on Tuesday evening, expressing gratitude to filmmakers, collaborators and audiences around the world.
ALSO READ: Dimapur circus raided again for illegal animal performances, goat rescued
She described the achievement as the result of being part of extraordinary franchises and working with directors who trusted her abilities.
Saldana, who won her first Academy Award in 2025 for Emilia Perez, singled out filmmakers such as J J Abrams, Joe and Anthony Russo, James Gunn and James Cameron, crediting them for shaping her career.
She reserved special praise for Cameron for believing in her potential and continually challenging her as an artist.
Addressing fans, she said their consistent support and enthusiasm were central to the record.
Calling the achievement a shared one, Saldana said she was deeply grateful and hoped the next person to break the record would be another woman.
