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Zoe Saldana Crowned Highest-Grossing Actor Ever with Avatar Success

Zoe Saldana has officially become the highest-grossing actor in film history, surpassing Scarlett Johansson's record. Her roles in the top-grossing films 'Avatar', 'Avengers: Endgame', and 'Avatar: The Way of Water' are central to this achievement. The recent release of 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', which has earned $1.23 billion, pushed her total film earnings to $16.8 billion globally. Saldana thanked directors like James Cameron and the fans in an emotional video message celebrating the milestone.

Key Points: Zoe Saldana Becomes Highest-Grossing Actor of All Time

  • Starred in 3 highest-grossing films
  • First actress in four $2B+ films
  • Total gross reaches $16.8 billion
  • Beat Scarlett Johansson's record
  • Set to return for more Avatar sequels
3 min read

'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Zoe Saldana becomes highest-grossing actor of all time

Zoe Saldana surpasses Scarlett Johansson as the top-grossing actor, thanks to Avatar and Marvel films. Her movies have earned $16.8 billion globally.

"I just want to express my sincerest gratitude for the extraordinary journey... - Zoe Saldana"

Los Angeles, January 14

Hollywood's Zoe Saldana has become the highest-grossing actor of all time, beating 'Black Widow' star Scarlett Johansson, reported Variety.

The Academy Award-winning actor received the feat for her latest release, 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'.

Saldana has featured in the three highest-grossing films of all time, including 2009's 'Avatar' and its 2022 sequel 'The Way of Water', which hold the No 1 and 3 spots respectively. It is followed by 2019's 'Avengers: Endgame', which has been holding the No 2 position.

With the addition of the 2018 Marvel film 'Avengers: Infinity War', Zoe Saldana has become the first actress to feature in four films that have collected over USD 2 billion globally. In addition to 'Avatar' and her other MCU appearances as Gamora, Saldana's 'Star Trek' trilogy also generated over USD 1 billion worldwide.

Coming to 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', which was nominated for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement at the 2026 Golden Globes, has reached USD 1.23 billion at the worldwide box office, as per E! News, thus bringing the gross total of films starring Saldana to USD 16.8 billion.

Scarlett Johansson previously held the record with USD 16.4 billion. Others in the top five were Samuel L Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Pratt.

On Tuesday, the actor expressed her gratitude on Instagram via a video message.

"I just want to express my sincerest gratitude for the extraordinary journey that has led me to become the highest-grossing film actor of all time today. An achievement made possibly entirely entirely by the incredible franchises and the collaborators that I have been fortunate to be a part of. To every director who placed their trust in me, thank you. JJ Abrams (Star Trek), Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers), James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), and most importantly, thank you, James Cameron (Avatar), for believing in my potential for seeing something in me that I have not always seen in myself and for challenging me to always rise to the occasion. Your faith, your guidance, and your vision - they shape not only these films but me as an artist and to the fans around the world, thank you. Your unwavering support, passion, and loyalty are the true foundation of this milestone," Saldana said in the video.

In 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', Zoe Saldana reprised her character as Na'vi warrior Neytiri, whose relationship with human soldier-turned-Na'vi leader Jake Sully remains the focus of the sequel.

She is now expected to return for the fourth and fifth instalments of 'Avatar'.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
While this is a great feat, it's mostly due to being part of massive franchises. I'd be more impressed if an actor achieved this with original, standalone films. Still, congratulations to her!
R
Rohit P
James Cameron's vision is truly global. Avatar films have a huge fanbase here in India too. The box office numbers from our country must have contributed significantly. Well deserved!
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Sarah B
Her humility in the video message is so refreshing. She credited everyone who helped her. That's a true sign of a great professional. Also, Neytiri is one of the most memorable characters in modern cinema.
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Vikram M
It's interesting to see how franchise films dominate these records. I wonder when we will see an Indian actor on a similar global list? Our film industry is massive, but we need more crossover appeal.
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Kavya N
Gamora, Neytiri, Uhura... she's played such strong, diverse roles. It's not just about the money, it's about the impact. Young girls everywhere have amazing characters to look up to because of her work. 👏

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