6 1
Age 65

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 96

Not Ranked

Current Rank

Not Ranked

#1

Peak Rank

#4

42

Years Ranked

35

11

Years in Top 10

7

21.8

Average Rank

23.9

38

Theatrical Releases

68

Shrek 2 $441.6 Million

Biggest Hit

The Firm $158.3 Million

$3.8 Billion

Career Domestic
Box Office

$2.2 Billion

COMMUNITY VOTE

Who had the greater Hollywood career overall?

Cast your vote and compare your opinion with the community.

Community voting reflects visitor opinion and is independent of the Hollywood Rankings methodology.

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, Eddie Murphy versus Gene Hackman is best read as a compact career snapshot rather than an all-time verdict. The category score gives Eddie Murphy the broader edge, though the result remains a comparison of career outcomes rather than personal popularity.

The biggest-hit category sharpens the box office contrast, especially because Eddie Murphy's leading film creates the stronger single-release benchmark. Overall, the head-to-head score leans leans toward Eddie Murphy, but the strongest context comes from the categories where the gap is clearest.

CAREER RANKING HISTORY

Eddie Murphy Gene Hackman

Eddie Murphy

38 theatrical releases • $3.8 Billion Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2016 Mr. Church $685,780
2012 A Thousand Words $18.5 Million
2011 Tower Heist $78.0 Million
2010 Shrek Forever After $238.7 Million
2009 Imagine That $16.1 Million

Gene Hackman

68 theatrical releases • $2.2 Billion Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2004 Welcome to Mooseport $14.5 Million
2003 Runaway Jury $49.4 Million
2001 Behind Enemy Lines $58.9 Million
2001 The Royal Tenenbaums $52.4 Million
2001 Heist $23.5 Million