2 6
Age 63

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 87

#89

Current Rank

#41

#1

Peak Rank

#3

41

Years Ranked

43

7

Years in Top 10

6

40.1

Average Rank

28.2

26

Theatrical Releases

42

Twister $241.7 Million

Biggest Hit

Beauty and the Beast $504.0 Million

$1.1 Billion

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.

By the 2026 season, the comparison is less about a single breakout moment and more about the shape of each actor's accumulated Hollywood results. The category score gives Ian McKellen the broader edge, though the result remains a comparison of career outcomes rather than personal popularity.

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

Helen Hunt Ian McKellen

FILMOGRAPHY COMPARISON

Helen Hunt

26 theatrical releases • $1.1 Billion Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2021 How It Ends $16,104
2018 The Miracle Season $10.2 Million
2014 Decoding Annie Parker $48,390
2012 The Sessions $6.0 Million
2011 Soul Surfer $43.9 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