6 2
Age 87

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 77

#41

Current Rank

#84

#3

Peak Rank

#5

43

Years Ranked

47

6

Years in Top 10

9

28.2

Average Rank

40.8

42

Theatrical Releases

37

Beauty and the Beast $504.0 Million

Biggest Hit

The Help $169.7 Million

$3.9 Billion

Career Domestic
Box Office

$786.5 Million

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. Commercial scale is another meaningful divider, with the career domestic box office measure giving Ian McKellen the larger theatrical footprint.

The category score gives Ian McKellen the broader edge, though the result remains a comparison of career outcomes rather than personal popularity. The comparison therefore points leans toward Ian McKellen, with the most meaningful separation coming from the highlighted career measures.

CAREER RANKING HISTORY

Ian McKellen Sissy Spacek

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

Sissy Spacek

37 theatrical releases • $786.5 Million Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
2025 Die My Love $5.5 Million
2018 The Old Man & the Gun $11.3 Million
2012 Deadfall $66,351
2011 The Help $169.7 Million
2010 Get Low $9.2 Million