2018's highest grossing actresses

Written by:
August 8, 2018
Tessa Thompson in "Westworld"—HBO

2018's highest grossing actresses

In 2018, many of film’s highest grossing actresses had leading roles in blockbusters, from “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War” to “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The list also includes industry veterans like Meryl Streep, Viola Davis and Dame Judi Dench, as well as breakout stars like Sally Hawkins and Emilia Clarke.

Drawing data from The Numbers, our list is based on domestic box office hits from the past three years. Each actress’ star score is assigned to them based on the domestic box office rank of each movie they starred in within that time period. For example, an actress who starred in this year’s number-one movie would earn 100 points, whereas the number-two movie would earn 99 points. Read on to find out the top 50 highest grossing actresses in 2018.

ALSO: 2018's highest grossing films (so far)

1 / 50
Amy Schumer in "I Feel Pretty"—STX Films

#50. Amy Schumer

Star score: 112

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 1.0

After graduating with a theater degree from Towson University, this actress and comedian moved to the Big Apple, where she worked as a bartender while auditioning for roles. Known recently for her lead role in 2015’s “Trainwreck,” she is also the second cousin of U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer.

 

2 / 50
Sally Hawkins in "The Shape of Water"—Fox Searchlight Pictures

#49. Sally Hawkins

Star score: 112

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 1.5

This London-born actress was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as a mute office cleaner in “The Shape of Water,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2017. She also appeared in two Woody Allen films, including “Blue Jasmine,” starring alongside Cate Blanchett.

 

3 / 50
Felicity Jones in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"—Lucasfilm

#48. Felicity Jones

Star score: 117

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 1.5

In 2014, Jones’ performance as Jane Hawking earned her wide acclaim in the film “The Theory of Everything.” She was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award that same year. Jones was born in England and is the niece of Michael Hadley, who starred in “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.”

4 / 50
Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay in "Wonder"—Lionsgate

#47. Julia Roberts

Star score: 119

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 2.3

One of America’s most successful actresses, Roberts starred in the 2018 film “Ben is Back” and will star in “Homecoming,” a new TV series on Amazon.com, playing a caseworker helping soldiers transition back into civilian life after war. Now 50, Roberts catapulted to fame in her role as a plucky prostitute in “Pretty Woman” alongside Richard Gere. In 2000, she earned an Academy Award for her role in “Erin Brockovich.”

5 / 50
Regina Hall in "When the Bough Breaks"—Screen Gems

#46. Regina Hall

Star score: 123

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 2.0

Hall’s first role was in “The Best Man” in 1999. Her most recent film, "Girls Trip," features another great actress on this list. She's also starred in "When the Bough Breaks," and a few episodes of the show "Black-Ish." Before breaking into the film industry, Hall, who was born in Washington, D.C., earned a degree in journalism from NYU in 1997.

6 / 50
Michelle Williams in "Manchester by the Sea"—Amazon Studios

#45. Michelle Williams

Star score: 124

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 2.0

Williams, who recently starred in “Venom” and “All the Money in the World,” got her start on the show “Dawson’s Creek” as bad girl Jen Lindley. She also earned Academy Award nominations for her performances in 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain” and 2010’s “Blue Valentine.” Lately, she's had roles in "I Feel Pretty" and "The Greatest Showman," and "Manchester by the Sea" in 2016.

7 / 50
Cara Delevingne in "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets"—STX Entertainment

#44. Cara Delevingne

Star score: 125

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 6.5

This English actress started her career as a model. She made the transition to acting with a minor role in the 2012 film adaptation of “Anna Karenina,” and earned a leading role in “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” in 2017.

8 / 50
Katheryn Hahn in "Transparent"—Amazon Studios

#43. Kathryn Hahn

Star score: 133

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 3.0

Born in the Midwest, Hahn was educated at Yale and is best-known today for her work in “Transparent.” In 2017, she received an Emmy nomination for her role on the show as Rabbi Raquel Fein. She also had roles in “Bad Moms,” “Revolutionary Road” and “Captain Fantastic.” Her latest movies are “Private Life” and the “Hotel Transylvania” series.

9 / 50
Tiffany Haddish in "The Last O.G."—Turner Entertainment Networks

#42. Tiffany Haddish

Star score: 135

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 7.0

Haddish was the first black female comedian to host “Saturday Night Live.” Known most recently for her role in “Girls Trip,” which came out in 2017, and is starring in "Night School" alongside comedian Kevin Hart this September.

10 / 50
Viola Davis in "How to Get Away with Murder"—ABC

#41. Viola Davis

Star score: 136

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 3.5

A South Carolina native, Davis, who starred recently in “Widows,” has been nominated for three Academy Awards (one of which she won, for her performance in “Fences”). She is also the only black actor to have won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony for acting.

11 / 50
Emilia Clarke in "Solo: A Star Wars Story"—Lucasfilm

#40. Emilia Clarke

Star score: 138

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 2.0

Born in London, Clarke’s breakthrough came in 2011 with the role of “Mother of Dragons” Daenerys Targaryen on “Game of Thrones.” Prior to that, she worked as a bartender and waitress. Her latest film is “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

12 / 50
Octavia Spencer in "The Shape of Water"—Fox Searchlight Pictures

#39. Octavia Spencer

Star score: 139

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 2.0

Netflix recently picked up a series produced by Spencer and basketball superstar LeBron James about entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker. Spencer is one of 11 actresses to win the Critic's Choice Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA and Oscar in the same year (for “The Help”). Spencer is known most recently for her supporting role in last year’s “The Shape of Water.”

 

13 / 50
Mila Kunis and Christine Baranski in "A Bad Moms Christmas"—STX Entertainment

#38. Christine Baranski

Star score: 141

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 4.5

Baranski recently starred alongside Meryl Streep in the “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” sequel, following her role in the original “Mamma Mia!”. She was also in “Chicago” and has enjoyed a storied theater career. Her breakout role was on the TV series “Cybill,” which came out in 1995.

14 / 50
Judi Dench in "Murder on the Orient Express"—Twentieth Century Fox

#37. Judi Dench

Star score: 141

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 4.3

Often considered Hollywood royalty, Dench plays Joan Stanley, a retired scientist and former Soviet agent, in “Red Joan,” a film inspired by a true story. She earned an Oscar in 1999 for “Shakespeare in Love,” even though she was only on-screen for a total of six minutes. It is the second-shortest performance ever to win a best supporting actress Oscar.

15 / 50
Sofia Boutella in "Farenheit 451"—HBO

#36. Sofia Boutella

Star score: 146

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 6.0

Boutella, who was born in Algeria, started her career in dance and shifted her focus to acting. She played the lead character in the drama “StreetDance 2,” and starred as the assassin Gazelle in “Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014).” Her latest film “Fahrenheit 451” is streaming on HBO Now.

 

16 / 50
Katherine Waterson in "Alien: Covenant"—Twentieth Century Fox

#35. Katherine Waterston

Star score: 148

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 5.5

Born in London, Waterston comes from an acting family; her father is an Academy Award-nominated actor Sam Waterston. She stars in the “Fantastic Beasts” movies alongside Eddie Redmayne. She also appeared in 2017’s “Alien: Covenant” and made her feature film debut in “Michael Clayton.”

 

17 / 50
Jada Pinkett Smith in "Gotham"—DC Comics

#34. Jada Pinkett Smith

Star score: 151

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 3.5

Smith, who was born in Baltimore, has done it all: dancing, acting, singing and songwriting. She began her career with a guest appearance on the sitcom “True Colors” in 1990. In the last couple of years, she starred in “Bad Moms” (2016) and in “Girls Trip” (2017).

18 / 50
Meryl Streep in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"—Universal Pictures

#33. Meryl Streep

Star score: 153

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 1.3

Streep, one of Hollywood’s best-known actresses, most recently starred in “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” and will join Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman on the set of HBO’s “Big Little Lies.” She has been nominated for an Academy Award an incredible 21 times, and has won three times. She frequently plays real-life characters, like Julia Child and Margaret Thatcher.

 

19 / 50
Helena Bonham Carter and Mindy Kaling in "Ocean's Eight"—Warner Bros. Entertainment

#32. Helena Bonham Carter

Star score: 154

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 6.0

Carter is an English actress who was nominated for Best Actress Academy Awards for her role as Kate Croy in “The Wings of the Dove” and as Queen Elizabeth in “The King's Speech.” She recently starred in heist film “Ocean’s 8” and will play Princess Margaret in season three of Netflix’s “The Crown.”

20 / 50
Anne Hathaway in "Interstellar"—Paramount Pictures

#31. Anne Hathaway

Star score: 154

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 2.5

Long considered a girl-next-door-type due to her roles in films like “The Princess Diaries,” Hathaway shed her good girl image for “Love and Other Drugs,” and later cut off her hair for “Les Misérables.” Her portrayal of Fantine won her an Academy Award. She will star alongside Ben Affleck in “The Last Thing He Wanted,” about a journalist who quits her newspaper job and becomes an arms dealer for a covert government agency.

21 / 50
Kristen Bell in "Like Father"—Netflix

#30. Kristen Bell

Star score: 156

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 2.7

Known for comedy, Bell had her breakout film role as the title character in the lovable rom-com, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” In 2013, she starred in “Frozen,” and next year, she’s set to star in “Frozen 2.” Since 2016, she’s portrayed Eleanor Shellstrop on the NBC comedy series “The Good Place.”

22 / 50
Lily James in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"—Universal Pictures

#29. Lily James

Star score: 157

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 3.0

James, who is English and a sixth cousin to former President George Bush, portrayed a young Meryl Streep in “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” this summer. She played a supporting role on “Downton Abbey” and starred in the action crime drama “Baby Driver” last year.

23 / 50
Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis in "The Spy Who Dumped Me"—Lionsgate

#28. Kate McKinnon

Star score: 159

Number of movies recently starred in: 4

Average billing: 5.5

As the longest-serving female cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” McKinnon has plenty of Emmy nominations. She won one in 2016, becoming the first SNL actor or actress to win the award since 1993. McKinnon’s spot-on impersonation of Hillary Clinton won her acclaim, and Clinton herself even appeared alongside McKinnon in a sketch when she ran for president. Her latest movie is “The Spy Who Dumped Me.”

24 / 50
Alicia Vikander in "Tomb Raider"—Warner Bros.

#27. Alicia Vikander

Star score: 159

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 2.0

Vikander, a Swedish actress, recently starred in a revival of the “Tomb Raider” series. She received an Academy Award for her role as painter Gerda Wegener in 2015’s “The Danish Girl.”

 

25 / 50
Michelle Pfeiffer in "Ant Man and the Wasp"—Marvel Studios

#26. Michelle Pfeiffer

Star score: 164

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 7.0

Pfeiffer, a California native, had a breakout role in “Grease 2” and later starred in “Dangerous Minds” and “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” both of which earned her Academy Award nominations. She took a respite from acting and later returned. Her most recent film is “Ant-Man and The Wasp."

26 / 50
Amy Adams in "Justice League"—DC Comics

#25. Amy Adams

Star score: 165

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 2.0

Born in Italy, Adams starred in “The Fighter” and won two Golden Globes for best actress for her roles in 2013’s “American Hustle” and 2014’s “Big Eyes. She currently stars in HBO’s “Sharp Objects” as a troubled reporter who returns to her hometown to cover a series of murders.

27 / 50
Rachel McAdams in "Game Night"—Warner Bros.

#24. Rachel McAdams

Star score: 169

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 2.5

This year, McAdams, who is Canadian, starred in “Disobedience” and premiered in a new dark comedy called “Game Night” alongside co-stars Jason Bateman and Michael C. Hall. She rose to fame in 2004 with her role as a popular teenager in “Mean Girls.”

28 / 50
Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon in "The Spy Who Dumped Me"—Lionsgate

#23. Mila Kunis

Star score: 169

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 1.0

Kunis co-stars with Kate McKinnon in the comedy “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” released in 2018. She is widely known for her role in “Black Swan,” alongside Natalie Portman and is married to “That 70’s Show” co-star Ashton Kutcher.

 

29 / 50
Daisy Ridley in "The Last Jedi"—Industrial Light & Magic

#22. Daisy Ridley

Star score: 170

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 6.5

This English actress had minor roles in television and short films before landing her breakout role as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. She also starred in “Murder on the Orient Express,” a 2017 film adaptation of Agatha Christie's detective novel.

30 / 50
Charlize Theron in "Atomic Blonde"—87Eleven

#21. Charlize Theron

Star score: 170

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 3.7

Theron’s latest project is “Fair and Balanced,” a film about the women of Fox News under the reign of Roger Ailes. Theron’s portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in “Monster” earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. That made her the first South African to win an Oscar in a major acting category.

31 / 50
Marisa Tomei in "Spider-Man: Homecoming"—Marvel Studios

#20. Marisa Tomei

Star score: 174

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 6.0

This Brooklyn native landed a role in “My Cousin Vinny” which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In recent years, she has appeared in “Captain America: Civil War,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and in the upcoming “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which will debut in 2019.

32 / 50
Zendaya in "The Greatest Showman"—Chernin Entertainment

#19. Zendaya

Star score: 178

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 4.0

Zendaya was born in California and began her career as a child model. She later became widely known for her role as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom "Shake It Up.” In 2017, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Michelle in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and is set to begin work on an HBO project called “Euphoria” alongside Drake.

 

33 / 50
Tessa Thompson in "Westworld"—HBO

#18. Tessa Thompson

Star score: 184

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 4.0

Thompson is well-known for her role as Charlotte Hale in the HBO science fiction thriller “Westworld.” Her breakout role was in Tina Mabry's 2009 indie film “Mississippi Damned,” and she later starred in “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Annihilation” and “Sorry to Bother You.”

34 / 50
Cate Blanchett in "Thor: Ragnarok"—Marvel Studios

#17. Cate Blanchett

Star score: 185

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 2.5

In 2018, Blanchett starred in “Ocean's 8,” the all-female spin-off of the “Ocean's Eleven” franchise. She also portrayed the villain Hela in the 2017 Marvel Comics superhero film “Thor: Ragnarok.” In 2013, Woody Allen cast her in the title role in “Blue Jasmine,” which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

35 / 50
Emily Blunt in "A Quiet Place"—Paramount Pictures

#16. Emily Blunt

Star score: 187

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 1.7

Blunt came to fame for her roles as Queen Victoria in “Young Victoria” and as Meryl Streep’s mean assistant in “The Devil Wears Prada.” She recently starred in “The Girl On the Train” and worked alongside her husband John Krasinski in the hit horror film “A Quiet Place.”

36 / 50
Margot Robbie in "Goodbye Christopher Robin"—Fox Searchlight Pictures

#15. Margot Robbie

Star score: 188

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 2.3

An Australian actress, Robbie received critical acclaim in 2017 for her portrayal of the figure skater Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya.” Robbie earned Best Actress nods from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, SAG and BAFTA Awards. She is well-known for her breakout role in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” where she starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.

 

37 / 50
Angela Bassett in "Black Panther"—Marvel Studios

#14. Angela Bassett

Star score: 189

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 6.0

Bassett is a native New Yorker and Yale University graduate who began her film career in the mid-1980s. She played the role of Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic “What's Love Got to Do with It” and was nominated for an Academy Award. This year, she stars as Ramonda in "Black Panther," as well as Erika Sloane in the latest "Mission: Impossible" movie.

 

38 / 50
Dakota Johnson in "Fifty Shades Freed"—Perfect World Pictures

#13. Dakota Johnson

Star score: 191

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 1.0

It all comes back to the “Fifty Shades of Grey” film series for this actress, who is the daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. She made her screen debut alongside her mother in the comedy-drama “Crazy in Alabama.”

39 / 50
Pom Klementieff in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"—Marvel Studios

#12. Pom Klementieff

Star score: 195

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 16.5

Klementieff, who is a French-born Canadian actress, plays the role of Mantis in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” She also had a supporting role in “Ingrid Goes West.”

40 / 50
Rebecca Ferguson in "Mission: Impossible - Fallout"—Paramount Pictures

#11. Rebecca Ferguson

Star score: 180

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 2.7

Born in Sweden, Ferguson stars in “Mission: Impossible—Fallout” having starred in 2015’s “Mission: Impossible” and later in 2016’s “Girl on the Train.” Prior to acting, she worked as a model and also taught tango at a dance company in Sweden.

41 / 50
Taraji P. Henson in "Acrimony"—The Tyler Perry Company

#10. Taraji P. Henson

Star score: 194

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 1.0

In 2016, Henson starred in “Hidden Figures,” which nabbed three Oscar nominations and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. Her movies in 2018 include thriller-drama film “Proud Mary,” “Acrimony,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and the historical drama “The Best of Enemies.”

42 / 50
Letitia Wright in "Black Panther"—Marvel Studios

#9. Letitia Wright

Star score: 199

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 12.5

Wright is best-known for playing the character Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” A Guyanese-British actress, she also had roles in several British TV series, including “Doctor Who.”

43 / 50
Danai Gurira in "Black Panther"—Marvel Studios

#8. Danai Gurira

Star score: 199

Number of movies recently starred in: 2

Average billing: 9.0

Gurira is well-known for her role as Michonne on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” She also stars as Okoye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, beginning with “Black Panther” and later reprising her role in “Avengers: Infinity War.”

44 / 50
Melissa McCarthy in "Life of the Party"—Warner Bros.

#7. Melissa McCarthy

Star score: 202

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 1.0

McCarthy, who began her career as a standup comedian, rose to fame for her comedic role in the hit show “Gilmore Girls” and films like “Bridesmaids.” In 2016, she starred in the comedy films “The Boss” and “Ghostbusters.” In 2018, she appears in the comedy film “Life of the Party.”

45 / 50
Jennifer Lawrence in "Red Sparrow"—Twentieth Century Fox

#6. Jennifer Lawrence

Star score: 222

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 1.7

Lawrence was the highest-paid actress worldwide in 2015 and 2016, and she is the only person born in the 1990s to have won an Oscar for acting. Known for her roles in “Winter’s Bone,” “The Hunger Games” series and “Silver Linings Playbook,” Lawrence recently starred in “Red Sparrow.”

46 / 50
Elizabeth Olsen "Avengers: Infinity War"—Marvel Studios

#5. Elizabeth Olsen

Star score: 224

Number of movies recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 7.3

Olsen’s breakthrough came in 2011 when she appeared in the critically acclaimed film “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” In recent years, she starred in ”Ingrid Goes West,” “Wind River,” “Captain America: Civil War,” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” She is the younger sister of actresses and fashion moguls Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

47 / 50
Scarlett Johansson in "Avengers: Infinity War"—Marvel Studios

#4. Scarlett Johansson

Star score: 247

Number of movies recently starred in: 5

Average billing: 2.4

This New Yorker has acted in a wide range of films during a career that has spanned nearly two decades. Recent films include “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” Her 2017 roles include the sci-fi action thriller “Ghost in the Shell” and the dark comedy “Rough Night.” 

48 / 50
Zoe Saldana in "Avengers: Infinity War"—Marvel Studios

#3. Zoe Saldana

Star score: 280

Number of movies they recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 8.0

This actress portrays Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and in “Avengers: Infinity War.” She starred in the wildly popular film “Avatar” and landed her first big-screen role as Eva Rodriguez in the film “Center Stage.”

49 / 50
Gal Gadot in "Justice League"—DC Comics

#2. Gal Gadot

Star score: 282

Number of movies they recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 4.3

This “Wonder Woman” star is an actress and model who was crowned Miss Israel in 2004 when she was only 18 years old. She played Gisele Yashar in “The Fast and the Furious” film franchise and went on to achieve worldwide recognition for portraying Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe.

50 / 50
Karen Gillan in "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle"—Columbia Pictures

#1. Karen Gillan

Star score: 292

Number of movies they recently starred in: 3

Average billing: 12.3

Known for her work on “Doctor Who,” this Scottish actress, director, screenwriter and model was busy in 2017 and 2018 working on films like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” Also in 2018, she released “The Party's Just Beginning,” her first feature film as writer and director.

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