3 3
Age 51

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON

Age 44

#5

Rank

#1

#4

Peak Rank

#1

2

Years Ranked

2

2

Years in Top 10

2

4.5

Average Rank

1.0

24

Theatrical Releases

19

Superman $134.2 Million

Biggest Hit

On Golden Pond $119.3 Million

$696.5 Million

Career Domestic
Box Office

$565.7 Million

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 RANKING HISTORY

Gene Hackman Jane Fonda

Gene Hackman

24 theatrical releases • $696.5 Million Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
1981 Reds $40.4 Million
1981 All Night Long $4.5 Million
1980 Superman II $108.2 Million
1978 Superman $134.2 Million
1977 The Domino Principle $1.8 Million

Jane Fonda

19 theatrical releases • $565.7 Million Domestic

Year Movie Domestic Box Office Domestic BO
1981 Rollover $10.9 Million
1981 On Golden Pond $119.3 Million
1980 Nine to Five $103.3 Million
1979 The Electric Horseman $61.8 Million
1979 The China Syndrome $51.7 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 1981 season, the comparison is less about a single breakout moment and more about the shape of each actor's accumulated Hollywood results. Average Rank adds useful texture here, pointing to Jane Fonda as the steadier high-ranking presence across eligible seasons.

Domestic theatrical output favors Gene Hackman, whose advantage across domestic theatrical releases gives the comparison more long-range context. Based on the available ranking data, the balance stays evenly split without turning the result into a subjective judgment of acting quality.