“Bad Boys For Life”, the top movie on our list, was the third-highest-grossing film released in January of all time. It is therefore no wonder that the film produced a few actors on our list of the top movie stars of 2020! Who can forget Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in their starring roles in the film? Others on our list from this film are Alexander Ludwig and Vanessa Hudgens. Four of the 25 top movie stars for 2020 from the same movie are not too bad!
Other top movie stars on our list are old favorites Hugh Grant in the movie “The Gentlemen”, and Harrison Ford in “The Call of the Wild”. Younger stars like Ben Schwartz in “Sonic The Hedgehog” are not to be taken lightly. In fact, our list is full of younger stars which bodes well for the future of movies!
To determine the top movie stars by year, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on domestic box office from the film industry site The Numbers, a subsidiary of Nash Information Services. Actors were ranked based on their total contributions to the domestic box office in a given year. Box office contributions were calculated based on billing order, with domestic box office figures successively halved according to billing order. If an actor received top billing, for example, they would be assigned half of the film’s box office. Actors receiving second billing were assigned one-fourth of a film’s box office, actors receiving third billing one-eighth, actors receiving fourth billing one-sixteenth, and so on. Domestic box office data is adjusted for inflation. (Also See The Most Nominated Actors Who Have Not or Did Not Win an Oscar)
Here are the top movie stars for 2020.
25. Alexander Ludwig
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Actor Alexander Ludwig attends Heels season finale Atlanta screening at Regal Atlantic Station on October 06, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Starz)
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $14.3 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Bad Boys For Life ($228.7 million)
24. Michael Peña
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Michael Peña attends La Cena Los Angeles at NeueHouse Hollywood on January 05, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for La Cena, celebrating Latino success in film and television )
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $14.8 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Fantasy Island ($29.6 million)
23. Emma Stone
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $15.7 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: The Croods: A New Age ($62.7 million)
22. Robert Pattinson
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $16.4 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Tenet ($65.4 million)
21. Tom Holland
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $17.3 million
- Movies in 2020: 2 credits
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Dolittle ($86.2 million)
20. Terry Notary
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $17.4 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: The Call of the Wild ($69.8 million)
19. Aldis Hodge
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $18.2 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: The Invisible Man ($72.6 million)
18. Anya Taylor-Joy
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 27: Anya Taylor-Joy attends as Tiffany & Co. Celebrates the reopening of NYC Flagship store, The Landmark on April 27, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.)
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $19.0 million
- Movies in 2020: 2 credits
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: The New Mutants ($26.7 million)
17. Hugh Grant
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $20.4 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: The Gentlemen ($40.8 million)
16. Tika Sumpter
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $20.4 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Sonic The Hedgehog ($163.5 million)
15. Antonio Banderas
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $21.6 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Dolittle ($86.2 million)
14. Mary Elizabeth Winstead
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 10: Mary Elizabeth Winstead attends Netflixs Scott Pilgrim Takes Off LA premiere on November 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Netflix)
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $23.5 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) ($94.2 million)
13. Gal Gadot
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 27: Gal Gadot attends as Tiffany & Co. Celebrates the reopening of NYC Flagship store, The Landmark on April 27, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.)
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $24.9 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Wonder Woman 1984 ($49.8 million)
12. Vanessa Hudgens
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $28.6 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Bad Boys For Life ($228.7 million)
11. Nicolas Cage
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $31.8 million
- Movies in 2020: 2 credits
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: The Croods: A New Age ($62.7 million)
10. John David Washington
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $32.7 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Tenet ($65.4 million)
9. Chris Pratt
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Chris Pratt attends a playoff basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on May 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $34.4 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Onward ($68.9 million)
8. Harrison Ford
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $34.9 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: The Call of the Wild ($69.8 million)
7. Elisabeth Moss
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $36.3 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: The Invisible Man ($72.6 million)
6. James Marsden
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $40.9 million
- Movies in 2020: 2 credits
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Sonic The Hedgehog ($163.5 million)
5. Robert Downey, Jr.
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $43.1 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Dolittle ($86.2 million)
4. Margot Robbie
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $47.1 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) ($94.2 million)
3. Martin Lawrence
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $57.2 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Bad Boys For Life ($228.7 million)
2. Ben Schwartz
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $81.7 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Sonic The Hedgehog ($163.5 million)
1. Will Smith
- Box office contributions in 2020 (inflation-adjusted): $114.4 million
- Movies in 2020: 1 credit
- Highest grossing movie in 2020: Bad Boys For Life ($228.7 million)