The aughts gave us quite a few classics. From smaller movies likeChildren of MenandMementoand Oscar darlings likeNo Country for Old MenandThe Departedto mega-franchises likeHarry Potter,The Lord of the Rings, andPirates of the Caribbean, it was a decade with cinematic variety. And, naturally, some stars in the industry were at least somewhat responsible for many of those movies' success. What follows are the highest-grossing stars (domestically) from the year 2000 to the year 2009.
Note thatuncredited performances countedtowards performers' total adjusted domestic gross. This means that even Samuel L. Jackson’s cameo inIron Manallowed that MCU opener to count towards his total. That said, it needed to be an uncreditedperformance. The actor needs to speak a line. In other words,Minority Reportdidn’t count for Cameron Diaz, even if she is technically in it for a second (as a bus passenger).
10Matt Damon
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.669 Billion
Whetherhe’s playing the title characteror part of an ensemble,Matt Damonhas been a reliable presence in Hollywood for a while now. It wasn’t even just the 2000s where Damon proved to be a draw, though he did get off to a rough start with 2000’sTitan A.E.And, for that matter,The Legend of Bagger VanceandAll the Pretty Horsesweren’t big moneymakers, either.
Mostly Thanks to Bourne and Ocean’s
But in 2001 he was part ofOcean’s Elevenwhich was, of course, substantial. The early aughts also had Damon begin to lead his first franchise withThe Bourne Identity, and that unexpectedly lucrative IP only got more profitable with its first two sequels. Toss in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winningThe Departedand some mid-budget and mid-profit smaller movies and it was an all around solid decade for Damon.
9Cameron Diaz
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.84 Billion
Cameron Diaz’s last movie wasAnnieback in 2014, but her fans shouldn’t fret because she’ll soon come out of retirement forthe suitably-namedBack in Action. The ’90s made her a household name withThe Mask,My Best Friend’s Wedding, andThere’s Something About Mary, but her most profitable decade was the aughts. She got off to a great start in 2000 withCharlie’s Angels, thenShrekin 2001.
Voicing Princess Fiona Proved to Be a Reliable Gig
2001 also gave her the lucrative cerebral dramaVanilla Sky, 2002 put her in Scorsese’sGangs of New York, and 2003 saw her return as Natalie Cook in the critically-panned but still profitableCharlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. But, really, the big moneymaking role was Princess Fiona. 2004’sShrek 2was gargantuan, to the point it was difficult to buy tickets for several weeks. And, whileShrek the Thirdwasn’t quite its pop-cultural juggernaut equal, it did well for itself.
8Johnny Depp
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.867 Billion
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the 2000s proved to beJohnny Depp’s peak in terms of star power and financial viability. Of course, most of this comes down to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow inPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. But, which of his non-Sparrow roles were profitable?
Captain Jack Sparrow Money
2000’sChocolatwas a big moneymaker, and the only one prior to his nabbing the iconic Disney role. In between the first and secondPiratesthere wasFinding Neverland,Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, andCorpse Bride. And, as for what came afterAt World’s End,Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetdid fairly well as didPublic Enemies.
7Emma Watson
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.874 Billion
If you’re expecting Daniel Radcliffe, he’s not here. ButEmma Watsonis, because her voice role in 2008’sThe Tale of Despereauxgave her the edge over Radcliffe,who stuck with Harry Potteroutside a brief role in 2001’sThe Tailor of Panama, which didn’t make much of a dent at the box office. And, yet, the fact that Watson is here shows just how much of a financial juggernaut the Potter saga was in the aughts, which is when every installment besides the two-partDeathly Hallowsconclusion hit theaters.
The Wizarding World Was a Profitable One
Did Harry Potter’s financial viability peak with the first installment,Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Sure, but a $318.9 million domestic tally in 2001 is absolutely massive. Even the franchise’s lowest-grossing installment (beforeFantastic Beasts, of course),Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, scored just over $250 million domestically, and while that’s a drop, it’s still nearly twice as much as the film’s $130 million budget.
6Eddie Murphy
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $2.924 Billion
Easily one of the ’80s biggest stars,Eddie Murphynonetheless had a tough time drawing viewers in the ’90s. But the aughts brought on a new phase of his career: kids movies. And a lucrative phase it was.
Shrek & Dolittle Money
As mentioned in the Diaz entry,Shrekproved to be a huge moneymaker three times in one decade. But there was alsoDr. Dolittle 2,Daddy Day Care,The Haunted Mansion, and the lower-grossingMeet DaveandImagine That. Then there wasNorbit, which was profitable in spite of its quality, and his serious work inDreamgirls, but there were also a few flops, most notablyThe Adventure of Pluto Nash.
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5Cate Blanchett
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $3.015 Billion
One of the most versatile performers of her generation or any other,Cate Blanchettis arguably more well-known for her work in smaller films than blockbusters. And, yet, her prolific work throughout the aughts gave her the top spot when it comes to stars of theLord of the Ringstrilogy, save for one. So, what were her big roles outside of playing Galadriel?
Not OnlyBecause of LOTR
Stuff likeThe Gift,The Shipping News, andThe Missingattracted macro-scale attention, but not much. However, 2004’sThe Aviatorwas big, 2006’sBabelnetted a tidy profit, andThe Curious Case of Benjamin Buttondid well for itself even with a pretty hefty price tag. But it wasIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skullthat was the icing on the profitable cake.
4Owen Wilson
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $3.346 Billion
One might expect Ben Stiller to be on this list, and in a way he is. But the majority of his biggest movies also featuredOwen Wilson. AndWilson branched out on his ownquite a bit throughout the aughts, hence him having the edge. As for the Stiller movies, there wasMeet the Parentswith $166.2 million,Zoolander,The Royal Tenenbaums,Starsky & Hutch(2004) at a middling $88.2 million,Meet the Fockerswith a gargantuan $279.3 million, as well as the successful one-two punch ofNight at the MuseumandNight at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
“Wow” Is One Word for It
Then there were the Stiller-free comedies, of which there were a few successes:Shanghai Noon,Shanghai Knights,Wedding Crasherswith a massive $209.3 million, andYou, Me and Dupree. That said, some didn’t soar, likeI Spy,The Big Bouncewith a paltry $6.5 million,Around the World in 80 Days(2004), andDrillbit Taylor. There were also other Wes Anderson movies to go alongsideTenenbaums, includingThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,The Darjeeling Limited, andFantastic Mr. Fox. Oh, and a forgotten war movie inBehind Enemy Lines, a Pixar smash inCars, and a holiday hit inMarley & Me.
3Morgan Freeman
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $3.387 Billion
There’s really only one other performer on this list who works as often asMorgan Freeman, one of Hollywood’s most beloved presences. The 2000s were no different, showing an acting range as wide as the films' financial returns. So, what were the big ones?
Almost Always a Box Office Draw
The early aughts hadAlong Came a Spider,The Sum of All Fears,Million Dolalr Baby, and, in a case of perfect casting, playing God inBruce Almighty. 2005 was especially massive with the triple threat ofMarch of the Penguins,War of the Worlds, andBatman Begins. Speaking ofBatman Begins, Freeman’s biggest moneymaker of the decade wasThe Dark Knight, but he also starred inWantedthat very same year.
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2Orlando Bloom
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $3.99 Billion
Orlando Bloomisn’t just on this list, he’s nearly at the top of it. And the reason for that comes down to two IPs:The Lord of the RingsandPirates of the Caribbean. Suffice it to say, Bloom got off to a great start in 2001via playing LegolasinThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’s $313.4 million, but there was alsoBlack Hawk Down’s $108.6 million to consider.
An Aughts Favorite for a Period Piece
Things continued going that well throughout the early aughts.The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers(2002) scored $339.8 million,Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl(2003) netted $305.4 million, andThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King(2003) scored a franchise high of $377 million.
ThePiratesfranchise also skyrocketed withDead Man’s Chestbefore ending (comparatively) soft withAt World’s End. And, outside those two franchises, there was the hit swords-and-sandals movieTroy, as well as a few movies that failed to truly take off, e.g. fellow swords-and-sandals movieKingdom of Heaven.
1Samuel L. Jackson
Total Adjusted Domestic Gross: $4.093 Billion
You don’t star in as many movies asSamuel L. Jacksonandnotget an entry on this list. Jackson appeared in nearly 40 movies throughout the aughts, so it’s not entirely surprising all their grosses combined netter him the number one spot. So, what were the big moneymakers?
So Many Movies
2000’sShaftandUnbreakabledid well, though 2001’sThe Caveman’s ValentineandFormula 51flopped hard. 2002’sStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clonesand 2005’sStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithdidn’t do as well as 1999’sThe Phantom Menace, but they were still huge. Then there wasxXx,S.W.A.T.,The Incredibles, and his cameo inIron Man. Jackson was and remains a hard worker.
