3 4
Age 51

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 87

#11

Current Rank

#41

#5

Peak Rank

#3

30

Years Ranked

43

6

Years in Top 10

6

21.6

Average Rank

28.2

48

Theatrical Releases

42

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness $411.3 Million

Biggest Hit

Beauty and the Beast $504.0 Million

$2.7 Billion

Career Domestic
Box Office

$3.9 Billion

COMMUNITY VOTE

Who had the greater Hollywood career overall?

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Career Comparison Summary AI-generated historical comparison. Click to expand.

Note: Films released during the selected year influence the following year's rankings.

Looking at the Hollywood Rankings in 2026, this matchup highlights how differently two careers can score within the same historical snapshot. Selected-year rank is the clearest ranking-side separator, with Charlize Theron holding the stronger position in this snapshot.

Commercial scale is another meaningful divider, with the career domestic box office measure giving Ian McKellen the larger theatrical footprint. From a historical perspective, the matchup leans toward Ian McKellen and remains tied to the selected ranking season.

CAREER RANKING HISTORY

Charlize Theron Ian McKellen

FILMOGRAPHY COMPARISON

Charlize Theron

48 theatrical releases • $2.7 Billion Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2023 Fast & Furious 10 $146.1 Million
2022 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness $411.3 Million
2021 The Addams Family 2 $56.5 Million
2021 Fast & Furious 9 $173.0 Million
2019 Bombshell $31.8 Million

Ian McKellen

42 theatrical releases • $3.9 Billion Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2026 The Christophers $1.8 Million
2024 The Critic $449,020
2019 Cats $27.2 Million
2019 The Good Liar $17.2 Million
2019 All Is True $1.2 Million