1 7
Age 69

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 87

#45

Current Rank

#41

#9

Peak Rank

#3

44

Years Ranked

43

1

Years in Top 10

6

30.4

Average Rank

28.2

18

Theatrical Releases

42

Lincoln $182.2 Million

Biggest Hit

Beauty and the Beast $504.0 Million

$598.7 Million

Career Domestic
Box Office

$3.9 Billion

COMMUNITY VOTE

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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.

At this point in the rankings, Daniel Day-Lewis versus Ian McKellen is best read as a compact career snapshot rather than an all-time verdict. Commercial scale is another meaningful divider, with the career domestic box office measure giving Ian McKellen the larger theatrical footprint.

The category score gives Ian McKellen the broader edge, though the result remains a comparison of career outcomes rather than personal popularity. From a historical perspective, the matchup leans toward Ian McKellen and remains tied to the selected ranking season.

CAREER RANKING HISTORY

Daniel Day-Lewis Ian McKellen

FILMOGRAPHY COMPARISON

Daniel Day-Lewis

18 theatrical releases • $598.7 Million Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2025 Anemone $1.2 Million
2017 Phantom Thread $21.2 Million
2012 Lincoln $182.2 Million
2009 Nine $19.7 Million
2007 There Will Be Blood $40.2 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