HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON
#5
#1
#3
#1
22
12
2
3
40.8
36.1
22
21
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $377.0 Million
Chicago $170.7 Million
$1.5 Billion
Box Office
$995.0 Million
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CAREER RANKING HISTORY
FILMOGRAPHY COMPARISON
Ian McKellen
23 theatrical releases • $1.5 Billion Domestic
| Year | Movie | Domestic Box Office Domestic BO |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Emile | $5,799 |
| 2005 | Asylum | $375,403 |
| 2003 | X2: X-Men United | $214.9 Million |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | $377.0 Million |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | $339.8 Million |
Renee Zellweger
24 theatrical releases • $1.0 Billion Domestic
| Year | Movie | Domestic Box Office Domestic BO |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Cinderella Man | $61.6 Million |
| 2004 | Shark Tale | $160.9 Million |
| 2004 | Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason | $40.2 Million |
| 2003 | Down With Love | $20.3 Million |
| 2003 | Cold Mountain | $95.6 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 2005 season, the comparison is less about a single breakout moment and more about the shape of each actor's accumulated Hollywood results. The biggest-hit category sharpens the box office contrast, especially because Ian McKellen's leading film creates the stronger single-release benchmark.
Commercial scale is another meaningful divider, with the career domestic box office measure giving Ian McKellen the larger theatrical footprint. Taken together, the comparison suggests stays evenly split while still showing distinct strengths on each side.