6 2
Age 87

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 65

#41

Current Rank

#46

#3

Peak Rank

#4

43

Years Ranked

44

6

Years in Top 10

7

28.2

Average Rank

33.9

42

Theatrical Releases

27

Beauty and the Beast $504.0 Million

Biggest Hit

Back to the Future $212.3 Million

$3.9 Billion

Career Domestic
Box Office

$1.7 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.

The 2026 comparison presents Ian McKellen and Michael J. Fox through the ranking data available at that point in time. The category score gives Ian McKellen 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 Ian McKellen's leading film creates the stronger single-release benchmark. Based on the available ranking data, the balance leans toward Ian McKellen without turning the result into a subjective judgment of acting quality.

CAREER RANKING HISTORY

Ian McKellen Michael J. Fox

FILMOGRAPHY COMPARISON

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