HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON
#23
#1
#3
#1
26
12
5
6
36.3
19.5
28
27
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $377.0 Million
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $377.0 Million
$2.1 Billion
Box Office
$1.6 Billion
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CAREER RANKING HISTORY
FILMOGRAPHY COMPARISON
Ian McKellen
29 theatrical releases • $2.2 Billion Domestic
| Year | Movie | Domestic Box Office Domestic BO |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Golden Compass | $70.1 Million |
| 2007 | Stardust | $38.6 Million |
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand | $234.4 Million |
| 2006 | The Da Vinci Code | $217.5 Million |
| 2006 | Flushed Away | $64.7 Million |
Cate Blanchett
30 theatrical releases • $2.0 Billion Domestic
| Year | Movie | Domestic Box Office Domestic BO |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Ponyo | $15.1 Million |
| 2008 | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | $127.5 Million |
| 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | $317.1 Million |
| 2007 | I'm Not There | $4.0 Million |
| 2007 | Hot Fuzz | $23.6 Million |
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 2009 season, the comparison is less about a single breakout moment and more about the shape of each actor's accumulated Hollywood results. Selected-year rank is the clearest ranking-side separator, with Cate Blanchett holding the stronger position in this snapshot.
Commercial scale is another meaningful divider, with the career domestic box office measure giving Ian McKellen the larger theatrical footprint. The comparison therefore points leans toward Cate Blanchett, with the most meaningful separation coming from the highlighted career measures.