5 3
Age 72

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 87

#19

Current Rank

#41

#4

Peak Rank

#3

45

Years Ranked

43

19

Years in Top 10

6

14.6

Average Rank

28.2

51

Theatrical Releases

42

Gladiator II $172.4 Million

Biggest Hit

Beauty and the Beast $504.0 Million

$2.8 Billion

Career Domestic
Box Office

$3.9 Billion

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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, Denzel Washington versus Ian McKellen is best read as a compact career snapshot rather than an all-time verdict. The biggest-hit category sharpens the box office contrast, especially because Ian McKellen's leading film creates the stronger single-release benchmark.

Elite Top 10 presence favors Denzel Washington, whose advantage across Top 10 seasons gives the comparison more long-range context. From a historical perspective, the matchup leans toward Denzel Washington and remains tied to the selected ranking season.

CAREER RANKING HISTORY

Denzel Washington Ian McKellen

FILMOGRAPHY COMPARISON

Denzel Washington

51 theatrical releases • $2.8 Billion Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2025 Highest 2 Lowest $1.5 Million
2024 Gladiator II $172.4 Million
2023 The Equalizer 3 $92.4 Million
2021 The Little Things $15.3 Million
2018 The Equalizer 2 $102.1 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