Most successful Australian actors ($$$)

Remember a while back when I compiled the most accurate list of Australia’s box office successes ever? I spent days cross-referencing numerous sources and then using currency conversions to ensure that international listings of Swedish Krona, Italian Lira, French Francs, Australian Dollars, UK Pounds, Euros, Deutschmarks etc. were converted into US dollars of the time, to ensure accurate comparison.
You remember that? Of course you fucking don't.
That's why I didn't bother with that this time.

Instead, I have compiled a list of the most commercially successful Australian actors of our era, according to accumulated box office dollars. (Note that dollar amounts do not equate to the quality of an actor, and that generally being part of a successful sequel franchise ensures profits galore to your name.) Several Australian actors have been nominated for Academy Awards, AFIs, BAFTAs and SAGs for films that clocked up comparatively miniscule box office profits that do not show on their box office résumé as such.

My interest in this area stems from Australia’s shittycraphorrible film industry and why all of our talent is lost overseas. It is not in just acting that our talent pool is sucked up for foreign investment, either...
 

- An Australian editor has won the Academy Award for the past two years in a row.
- Australian animators have won 4 times out of 4 for shorts and feature length animations.
- Australian costume designers have won 6 times out of 7 nominations.
- Australian documentary makers, and scientific & technical engineers, have both won twice out of 2 nominations in their categories.
- Australian cinematographers have won 6 times out of 11 nominations.

It is not as if our production industry is technically weak, either. Animal Logic has provided animation for The Matrix, 300, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring; and Fox Studios was involved in the production of the last two Star Wars films (apologies), The Matrix, Mission: Impossible II, Superman Returns and two Wolverine films. However, as my previous Facebook list of Australian cinema successes demonstrated, even critically acclaimed Australian cinema makes absolute chicken feed at the box office in comparison to even the lamest of Hollywood offerings. As in, hundredths of earnings. Thousandths. Our population is 7% that of the US, surely our box office should measure up accordingly to their cinematic earnings, seeing as we are a cinema-going audience and the $Aus has been over the $US for a 2 solid years now.

Do you remember a little film called Saw? After two years of failing to get their script picked up in Australia, the writers took it to LA, where it got produced on a budget of $1.2 million, eventually grossing $103 million and spawning a series worth over $825 million at the box office.
Well done, Australian cinema industry. Well. Done.

Or Mao’s Last Dancer, the most critically acclaimed Australian film of 2009 and our #11 HIGHEST GROSSING AUSTRALIAN FILM OF ALL TIME... it clocked up $22 million at the box office. The budget, however, was $25 million. ONE OF OUR GREATEST BOX OFFICE SUCCESSES IS A FLOP THAT LOST $3 MILLION.

Another Australian film, Mary & Max, was the 2009 feature debut from 2003 Academy Award short animation winner Adam Elliott. It featured voices from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries and Molly Meldrum. It won three international animation festivals in Canada, France and the Asia Pacific.
- Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%.
- Shortlisted for an Academy Award.

- Box office takings? $1.4 million.
- Budget? Over $8 million.
OUR OSCAR WINNING ANIMATOR LOST $7 MILLION ON HIS DEBUT FEATURE FILM EVEN THOUGH IT WAS INTERNATIONALLY WELL-RECEIVED. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, AUSTRALIA. WHAT. THE FUCK. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GEMS.

It is just depressing to see our best films, ones that clock up Oscar nominations and numerous international festival wins against a competitive cinema market, chugging up barely any financial success when the same old churned-out eye-fodder crapola racks up hundreds of millions of dollars year after year. Observe below:
 

AUSTRALIA’S FINEST:

 

The Piano (1993)
Academy Awards - 3 wins / 8 nominations
AFI Awards – 11 wins / 13 nominations
BAFTAs – 4 wins / 10 nominations
Box office: $40 million

Shine (1996)

Academy Awards - 1 win / 7 nominations
AFI Awards – 9 wins / 12 nominations
BAFTAs – 4 wins, 9 nominations
Box office: $36 million

Animal Kingdom (2011)

Academy Awards - 0 wins / 1 nomination
AFI Awards – 10 wins / 19 nominations
Box office: $6 million

[vs]

HOLLYWOOD’S LAMEST:

Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakuel (2009)
Box office: $443 million

 

The Hangover Part II (2011)
Box office: $581 million

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I (2011)

Box office: $705 million

Alrighty, enough with the context-establishing. You get that Australians ship over to Hollywood for even the most schlocky of acting roles purely because it pays way way way way way more than the most quality artistic pieces of our own native land. With Rise of The Guardians, Wolf Creek 2, The Great Gatsby, Mad Max 4 and a few other titles due out over the next few months starring Australian names, there are bound to be a few more additions to this list soon.

So, here we have in order of accumulated box office success (omitting films that earned <$100 million)
 

AUSTRALIA'S MOST PROFITABLE ACTORS

AT THE BOX OFFICE:

 

HUGO WEAVING
Born: Nigeria (1960)

Acting school: NIDA

AFI Awards - 4 wins / 8 nominations
SAG Awards – 1 win / 3 nominations

#1. Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011) - $1.123 billion
#2. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) - $1.120 billion
#3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) - $1.017 billion
#4. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - $926 million
#5. The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) - $872 million
#6. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009) – $836 million
#7. The Matrix Reloaded (2003) - $742 million
#8. Transformers (2007) - $710 million
#9. The Matrix (1999) - $464 million
#10. The Matrix Revolution (2003) - $427 million
#11. Happy Feet (2006) - $384 million
#12. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - $369 million
#13. Babe (1995) - $254 million
#14. Happy Feet Two (2011) - $150 million
#15. The Wolfman (2010) - $140 million
#16. V For Vendetta (2006) - $133 million
#17. Cloud Atlas (2012) $130 million

Top films: $9.8 billion

 

GEOFFREY RUSH
Born: Australia (1951)
Acting school: QTC, L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq
Academy Awards – 1 win / 4 nominations
AFI Awards - 2 wins / 6 nominations
BAFTAs -  3 wins / 5 nominations
SAG Awards – 4 wins / 8 nominations

#1. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) - $1.066 billion

#2. Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) – $1.043 billion
#3. Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) - $963 million
#4. Finding Nemo (2003) - $868 million
#5. Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) - $654 million
#6. The King’s Speech (2010) - $414 million
#7. Shakespeare In Love (1998) - $298 million
#8. Green Lantern (2011) - $220 million
#9. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) - $140 million
#10. Munich (2005) - $130 million
#11. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) - $120 million
Top films: $5.9 billion
 

CATE BLANCHETT
Born: Australia (1969)

Acting school: NIDA
Academy Awards – 1 wins / 5 nominations
AFI Awards - 0 wins / 1 nomination
BAFTAs -  2 wins / 5 nominations
SAG Awards – 2 wins / 9 nominations

#1. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) - $1.120 billion

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
#2. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - $926 million
#3. The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) - $872 million
#4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) - $786 million
#5. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008) - $334 million
#6. Robin Hood (2010) - $322 million
#7. The Aviator (2004) - $214 million
#8. Babel (2006) - $135 million
#9. The Talented Mr Ripley - $129 million
Top films: $4.8 billion
 

HUGH JACKMAN

Born: Australia (1968)

Acting school: WAAPA

AFI Awards - 0 wins / 2 nominations

#1. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) $459 million
#2. Les Misérables (2012) $438 million

#3. X-Men 2: X-Men United (2003) $408 million
#4. Happy Feet (2006) - $384 million
#5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) - $373 million
#6. X-Men: First Class (2011) - $354 million
#7. The Wolverine (2013) - $307 million
#8. Rise Of The Guardians (2012) - $304 million
#9. Van Helsing (2004) - $300 million
#10. X-Men (2000) - $296 million
#11. Real Steel (2011) – $295 million
#12. Australia (2008) - $211 million
#13. Flushed Away (2006) - $178 million
#14. Swordfish (2001) - $147 million
#15. The Prestige (2006) - $110 million
Top films: $4.6 billion



MEL GIBSON
Born: USA (1956)
Acting school: NIDA
Academy Awards – 2 wins / 2 nominations
AFI Awards - 3 win / 4 nominations
BAFTAs -  0 wins / 2 nominations

#1. Signs (2002) - $408 million

#2. What Women Want (2000) - $374 million
#3. Pocahontas (1995) - $346 million
#4. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) - $322 million
#5. Ransom (1996) - $309 million
#6. Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) - $285 million
#7. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) - $228 million
#8. Chicken Run (2000) - $224 million
#9. The Patriot (2000) - $215 million
#10. Braveheart (1995) - $210 million
#11. Maverick (1994) - $183 million
#12. Payback (1999) - $162 million
#13. Bird On A Wire (1990) - $139 million
#14. Conspiracy Theory (1997) - $137 million
#15. Forever Young (1992) - $128 million
#16. Lethal Weapon (1987) - $120 million
#17. We Were Soldiers (2002) - $115 million
Top films: $3.9 billion

SAM WORTHINGTON

Born: England (1976)

Acting school: NIDA

AFI Awards - 2 wins / 3 nominations

#1. Avatar (2009) $2.782 billion

#2. Clash Of The Titans (2010) $493 million
#3. Terminator Salvation (2009) $371 million
#4. Wrath Of The Titans (2012) $301 million
Top films: $3.9 billion




DAVID WENHAM
Born: Australia (1965)
Acting school: Nepean Drama School
AFI Awards - 3 wins / 9 nominations
SAG Awards – 1 wins / 2 nominations

#1. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) - $1.120 billion

#2. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - $926 million
#3. 300 (2007) - $456 million
#4. Van Helsing (2004) - $300 million
#5. Public Enemies (2009) - $214 million
#6. Australia (2008) - $211 million
#7. Moulin Rouge! (2001) $179 million
#8. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) - $140 million
Top films: $3.5 billion

NICOLE KIDMAN

Born: USA (1967)
Acting school: ATYP
Academy Awards – 1 wins / 3 nominations
AFI Awards - 1 win / 4 nominations
BAFTAs -  1 win / 3 nominations
SAG Awards – 0 wins / 4 nominations

#1. Happy Feet (2006) - $384 million

#2. The Golden Compass (2007) - $372 million
#3. Batman Forever (1995) - $337 million
#4. Just Go With It (2011) - $215 million
#5. Australia (2008) - $211 million
#6. The Others (2001) - $210 million
#7. Moulin Rouge! (2001) $179 million
#8. Cold Mountain (2003) - $173 million
#9. The Interpreter (2005) - $163 million
#10. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) - $162 million
#11. Days Of Thunder (1990) - $158 million
#12. Far And Away (1992) - $138 million
#13. Bewitched (2005) - $131 million
#14. The Peacemaker (1997) $110 million
#15. The Hours (2002) - $109 million
#16. The Stepford Wives (2004) - $102 million
Top films: $3.2 billion

CHRIS HEMSWORTH

Born: Australia (1983)
Acting school: -
BAFTAs -  0 wins / 1 nominations

#1. The Avengers (2012) - $1.481 billion
Star Trek: Into Darkness - $452 million

#2. Thor (2011) - $449 million
#3. Snow White and the Huntsman - $397 million
#4. Star Trek (2009) $386 million
Top films: $3.2 billion

 

 

 

MIRANDA OTTO

Born: Australia (1967)
Acting school: NIDA
AFI Awards – 0 wins / 5 nominations
SAG Awards – 1 win / 2 nominations

#1. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) - $1.120 billion
#2. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - $926 million
#3. War Of The Worlds (2005) - $592 million
#4. What Lies Beneath (2000) - $291 million
Top films: $3.0 billion

RUSSELL CROWE

Born: New Zealand (1964)
Acting school: -
Academy Awards – 1 wins / 3 nominations
AFI Awards - 5 wins / 8 nominations
BAFTAs -  1 win / 3 nominations
SAG Awards – 1 win / 9 nominations

#1. Man of Steel (2013) $648 million
#2. Gladiator (2000) - $458 million
#3. Les Misérables (2012) $438 million

#4. Robin Hood (2010) - $322 million
#5. A Beautiful Mind (2001) - $314 million
#6. American Gangster (2007) - $266 million
#7. Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003) - $150 million
#8. L.A. Confidential (1997) - $126 million
#9. Body Of Lies (2008) - $115 million
#10. Cinderella Man (2005) - $109 million
Top films: $2.9 billion

 
GUY PEARCE
Born: England (1967)
Acting school: -
AFI Awards - 0 wins / 4 nominations
SAG Awards – 1 wins / 3 nominations

#1. Iron Man 3 (2013) - $1.212 billion
#2. The King’s Speech (2010) - $414 million
#3. Prometheus (2012) - $404 million

#4. Bedtime Stories (2008) - $213 million
#5. L.A. Confidential (1997) - $126 million
#6. The Time Machine (2002) - $124 million
Top films: $2.5 billion

 ERIC BANA

Born: Australia (1968)
Acting school: -
AFI Awards - 3 wins / 6 nominations

#1. Finding Nemo (2003) - $868 million

#2. Troy (2004) - $497 million
#3. Star Trek (2009) $386 million
#4. Hulk (2003) - $245 million
#5. Black Hawk Down (2001) - $173 million
#6. Munich (2005) - $130 million
#7. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009) - $101 million
Top films: $2.4 billion

JOEL EDGERTON

Born: Australia (1974)
Acting school: Nepean Drama School
AFI Awards - 1 win / 3 nominations
SAG Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination

#1. Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) - $849 million

#2. Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) - $649 million
#3. The Great Gatsby (2013) - $331 million
#4. King Arthur (2004) - $204 million
#5. Zero Dark Thirty (2012) - $109 million
Top films: $2.1 billion

 

ROSE BYRNE

Born: Australia (1979)
Acting school: ATYP
AFI Awards - 1 win / 3 nominations
SAG Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination

#1. Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) - $649 million

#2. Troy (2004) - $497 million
#3. X-Men: First Class (2011) - $254 million
#4. Bridesmaids (2011) - $288 million
#5. Knowing (2009) - $184 million
#6. Insidious (2011) - $100 million
Top films: $2.0 billion

ISLA FISHER
Born: Oman (1983)
Acting school: L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq

#1. The Great Gatsby (2013) - $331 million

#2. Horton Hears A Who! (2008) - $297 million

#3. Wedding Crashers (2005) - $285 million
#4. Scooby Doo (2002) - $276 million
#5. Now You See Me (2013) $256 million
#6. Rango (2011) - $245 million
#7. Confessions Of A Shopaholic (2009) - $108 million
Top films: $1.8 billion

 

SAM NEILL

Born: North Ireland (1947)

Acting school: -

AFI Awards - 1 win / 6 nominations

#1. Jurassic Park (1993) - $915 million

#2. Jurassic Park III (2001) - $369 million
#3. The Hunt For Red October (1990) - $201 million
#4. The Horse Whisperer (1998) - $186 million
#5. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) - $140 million
Top films: $1.8 billion

 

HEATH LEDGER
Born: Australia (1979)

Acting school: -
Academy Awards – 1 wins / 2 nominations
AFI Awards - 2 wins / 6 nominations
BAFTAs -  1 wins / 2 nominations
SAG Awards – 1 wins / 2 nominations

#1. The Dark Knight (2008) - $1.003 billion

#2. The Patriot (2000) - $215 million
#3. Brokeback Mountain (2005) - $178 million
#4. A Knight’s Tale (2001) - $117 million
#5. The Brothers Grimm (2005) - $105 million
Top films: $1.6 billion

XAVIER SAMUEL

Born: Australia
Acting school: Flinders University Drama Centre

#1. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part II (2012) - $830 million
#2. Twilight: Eclipse (2010) - $698 million

Top films: $1.5 billion





GEMMA WARD
Born: Australia (1987)
Acting school: -

#1. Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) – $1.043 billion
#2. The Great Gatsby (2013) - $331 million

Top films: $1.3 billion

REBEL WILSON

Born: Australia (1983)
Acting school: -

#1. Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) - $801 million

#2. Bridesmaids (2011) - $288 million
#3. Pitch Perfect (2012) - $113 million
Top films: $1.2 billion

LIAM HEMSWORTH
Born: Australia (1990)
Acting school: -

#1. The Hunger Games (2012) - $684 million

#2. The Expendables 2 (2012) $300 million
#3. Knowing (2009) - $184 million
Top films: $1.2 billion



  

TONI COLLETTE
Born: Australia (1972)
Acting school: ATYP, NIDA
Academy Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination
AFI Awards - 6 wins / 10 nominations
BAFTAs -  0 wins / 2 nominations
SAG Awards – 1 wins / 3 nominations

#1. The Sixth Sense (1999) - $673 million

#2. About A Boy (2002) - $131 million
#3. The Hours (2002) - $109 million
#4. Shaft (2000) - $107 million
#5. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - $101 million
Top films: $1.1 billion

ISABEL LUCAS

Born: Australia (1985)
Acting school: Victorian College of Arts

#1. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009) – $836 million
#2. Immortals (2011) - $227 million

Top films: $1.1 billion

 

 

 

 

NOAH TAYLOR

Born: England (1969)
Acting school: -
AFI Awards - 1 win / 4 nominations
SAG Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination

#1. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005) - $475 million

#2. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) - $275 million
#3. Vanilla Sky (2001) - $203 million
#4. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life - $157 million
Top films: $1.1 billion

 

MIA WASIKOWSKA
Born: Australia (1989)
Acting school: -
AFI Awards - 1 win / 4 nominations
SAG Awards - 0 wins / 1 nomination

#1. Alice In Wonderland (2010) - $1.024 billion

Top films: $1.0 billion

 

NAOMI WATTS

Born: England (1968)
Acting school: -
Academy Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination
AFI Awards - 1 win / 4 nominations
BAFTAs -  0 wins / 1 nomination
SAG Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination

#1. King Kong (2005) - $551 million

#2. The Ring (2002) - $249 million
#3. The Ring Two (2205) $161 million
Top films: $1.0 billion

 

BEN MENDELSOHN

Born: Australia (1969)
Acting school: -
AFI Awards - 2 wins / 8 nominations

#1. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) $904 million

Top films: $0.9 billion

 

BARRY HUMPHRIES

Born: Australia (1934)
Acting school: -

#1. Finding Nemo (2003) - $868 million
Top films: $0.9 billion

MAGDA SZUBANSKI
Born: England (1956)
Acting school: -

#1. Happy Feet (2006) - $384 million

#2. Babe (1995) - $254 million
#3. Happy Feet Two (2011) - $150 million
Top films: $0.8 billion

 

KEISHA CASTLE-HUGHES

Born: Australia (1990)
Acting school: -
Academy Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination
SAG Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination

#1. Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) - $849 million

Top films: $0.8 billion

RADHA MITCHELL

Born: Australia (1973)
Acting school: -
AFI Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination
SAG Awards – 0 wins / 1 nomination

#1. Olympus Has Fallen (2013) $161 million
#2. Man On Fire (2005) $130 million

#3. Surrogates (2009) $122 million
#4. Finding Neverland  (2004) $117 million
#5. Silent Hill (2006) $100 million
#6. Phone Booth (2003) $100 million
Top films: $0.7 billion

TERESA PALMER

Born: Australia (1986)
Acting school: -
AFI Awards - 0 wins / 1 nomination

#1. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010) - $215 million

#2. Bedtime Stories (2008) - $213 million
#3. I Am Number Four (2011) - $145 million
#4. Warm Bodies (2013) - $117 million
Top films: $0.7 billion

ABBIE CORNISH

Born: Australia (1982)
Acting school: -
AFI Awards - 1 win / 5 nominations

#1. Limitless (2011) $162 million

#2. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) - $140 million
Top films: $0.3 billion

 

EMILY BROWNING
Born: Australia (1988)
Acting school: -

#1. Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2004) - $209 million

#2. Sucker Punch (2011) $100 million
Top films: $0.3 billion

 

RHYS WAKEFIELD
Born: Australia (1989)
Acting school: McDonald College of Performing Arts

#1. Sanctum (2011) - $109 million

Top films: $0.1 billion

 

(Apologies to Judy Davis, Jacki Weaver, Barry Otto, Rachel Griffiths, Portia De Rossi and a score of other Australian actors who chug along locally earning sweet-shit-all for their cinematic performances, or whose successes are more in television than the silver screen.
Also note that many actors listed have some stellar performances in films that earned <$100 million.)