3 5
Age 96

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 78

Not Ranked

Current Rank

#41

#4

Peak Rank

#3

35

Years Ranked

47

7

Years in Top 10

6

23.9

Average Rank

26.3

68

Theatrical Releases

64

The Firm $158.3 Million

Biggest Hit

Titanic $600.7 Million

$2.2 Billion

Career Domestic
Box Office

$2.9 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.

The 2026 comparison presents Gene Hackman and Kathy Bates through the ranking data available at that point in time. The biggest-hit category sharpens the box office contrast, especially because Kathy Bates's leading film creates the stronger single-release benchmark.

The category score gives Kathy Bates the broader edge, though the result remains a comparison of career outcomes rather than personal popularity. Taken together, the comparison suggests leans toward Kathy Bates while still showing distinct strengths on each side.

CAREER RANKING HISTORY

Gene Hackman Kathy Bates

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

Kathy Bates

64 theatrical releases • $2.9 Billion Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2024 Summer Camp $2.4 Million
2023 The Miracle Club $2.4 Million
2023 Are You There God? It's Me Margaret. $20.4 Million
2019 Richard Jewell $22.3 Million
2019 The Death & Life of John F. Donovan $152,713