Who were the Top Movie Stars of the 1980s statistically? This page will attempt to answer that question. Our main source of information was our Ultimate Movie Ranking (UMR) pages that covered movie stars that made movies in the 1980s. So far we have box office grosses on 4,678 movies made between 1980 and 1989. Granted this is far from all the movies made during that time frame….but it does cover most of the major movie releases in that decade.
We have included four lists of information. List one looks at the Top 15 stars by adjusted domestic box office. List two looks at the Top 15 stars by highest average rating per movie according to critics and audiences. List three looks at the Top 15 Stars by highest average UMR score per movie. List four shows our entire table of all the stars we looked at while complying these lists.
How good are you? Ten of our favorite movie quotes from the 1980s….can you name them all? (1) “As you wish”. (2) “I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go!” (3) “Are you telling me that you built a time machine… out of a DeLorean?” (4) “Welcome to the party, pal!” (5) “Chew, if only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes!” (6) “You can be my wingman any time.” (7) “I’ll be back.” (8) “If you build it, he will come.” (9) “I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen.” (10) “You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
Top 15 Adjusted Domestic Box Office Leaders 1980 – 1989
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- Harrison Ford $3,973,300,000
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- Dan Aykroyd $2,802,800,000
- James Earl Jones $2,506,600,000
- Carrie Fisher $2,436,400,000
- Billy Dee Williams $2,375,500,000
- Eddie Murphy $2,268,700,000
- Bill Murray $2,152,200,000
- Sylvester Stallone $2,048,400,000
- Judge Reinhold $2,036,400,000
- Christopher Lloyd $1,939,400,000
- Alec Guinness $1,884,100,000
- Tom Cruise $1,878,800,000
- Rick Moranis $1,840,600,000
- John Candy $1,837,800,000
- Mark Hamill $1,820,500,000
- Jack Nicholson $1,659,300,000
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Top 15 Average Critic/Audience Rating Leaders 1980 – 1989 (minimum 9 movies)
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- Jack Nicholson 77.2 % critic and audience voting
- Robert DeNiro 75.5 % critic and audience voting
- William Hurt 75.0 % critic and audience voting
- Tom Berenger 72.60 % critic and audience voting
- John Cusack 71.0 % critic and audience voting
- Steve Martin 70.6 % critic and audience voting
- Harrison Ford 83.6 % critic and audience voting
- Matthew Broderick 70.5 % critic and audience voting
- Christopher Lloyd 70.4 % critic and audience voting
- Nicolas Cage 70.2 % critic and audience voting
- Glenn Close 70.0 % critic and audience voting
- James Woods 70.0 % critic and audience voting
- Bill Murray 69.9 % critic and audience voting
- Kathleen Turner 69.0 % critic and audience voting
- Sigourney Weaver 68.9 % critic and audience voting
Top 15 Average UMR Score (combo of box office, reviews & awards) Per Movie 1980-1989
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- Harrison Ford
- Bill Murray
- Eddie Murphy
- Michael Douglas
- Sigourney Weaver
- William Hurt
- Tom Cruise
- Glenn Close
- Tom Berenger
- Christopher Lloyd
- Kathleen Turner
- Jack Nicholson
- Meryl Streep
- Danny DeVito
- Dan Aykroyd
Top Movie Stars 1980-1989 Main Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort by actor or actress
- Sort by movies made between 1970 and 1979
- Sort by total adjusted domestic box office from 1970 to 1979
- Sort by total adjusted worldwide box office from 1970 to 1979
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each performers’ movies earned
- Sort by average Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| Rank | Thespian | Movies | Adj. Domestic B.O. | Adj. Worldwide B.O. | AVG Review % | Oscar Noms / Wins | AVG UMR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison Ford | 10 | $3,973,300,000 | $6,923,800,000 | 82.3 % | 036 / 11 | 84.96 | |
| Dan Aykroyd | 17 | $2,802,800,000 | $3,747,400,000 | 60.2 % | 014 / 05 | 65.92 | |
| James Earl Jones | 14 | $2,506,600,000 | $4,347,200,000 | 64.9 % | 013 / 02 | 61.25 | |
| Carrie Fisher | 14 | $2,436,400,000 | $3,813,200,000 | 67.9 % | 015 / 05 | 62.62 | |
| Billy Dee Williams | 7 | $2,375,500,000 | $4,091,100,000 | 73.8 % | 008 / 03 | 67.41 | |
| Eddie Murphy | 9 | $2,268,700,000 | $3,437,900,000 | 59.2 % | 006 / 00 | 74.11 | |
| Bill Murray | 9 | $2,152,200,000 | $2,652,900,000 | 71.5 % | 015 / 01 | 75.76 | |
| Sylvester Stallone | 13 | $2,048,400,000 | $4,449,600,000 | 48.8 % | 002 / 00 | 60.54 | |
| Judge Reinhold | 13 | $2,036,400,000 | $2,598,500,000 | 65.1 % | 002 / 00 | 63.63 | |
| Christopher Lloyd | 19 | $1,939,400,000 | $3,279,800,000 | 65.5 % | 012 / 04 | 59.83 | |
| Alec Guinness | 7 | $1,884,100,000 | $3,232,200,000 | 74.7 % | 021 / 04 | 67.02 | |
| Tom Cruise | 12 | $1,878,800,000 | $3,132,500,000 | 60.9 % | 026 / 08 | 69.62 | |
| Rick Moranis | 12 | $1,840,600,000 | $2,280,700,000 | 66.0 % | 006 / 00 | 65.78 | |
| John Candy | 20 | $1,837,800,000 | $1,837,800,000 | 62.3 % | 003 / 00 | 62.42 | |
| Mark Hamill | 6 | $1,820,500,000 | $3,168,600,000 | 74.3 % | 007 / 02 | 65.05 | |
| Jack Nicholson | 11 | $1,659,300,000 | $2,064,300,000 | 77.3 % | 043 / 10 | 78.43 | |
| Danny DeVito | 13 | $1,642,200,000 | $2,204,200,000 | 65.0 % | 013 / 05 | 68.10 | |
| Chevy Chase | 16 | $1,581,900,000 | $1,581,900,000 | 56.8 % | 000 / 00 | 62.08 | |
| Richard Pryor | 15 | $1,561,000,000 | $1,788,700,000 | 55.7 % | 001 / 00 | 61.07 | |
| Sigourney Weaver | 10 | $1,535,200,000 | $2,082,600,000 | 70.5 % | 021 / 04 | 68.71 | |
| Drew Barrymore | 7 | $1,517,700,000 | $2,626,400,000 | 64.3 % | 011 / 04 | 60.01 | |
| Burt Reynolds | 20 | $1,432,300,000 | $1,432,300,000 | 44.5 % | 003 / 00 | 51.27 | |
| Harold Ramis | 7 | $1,401,000,000 | $1,780,900,000 | 62.3 % | 002 / 00 | 67.04 | |
| Steve Guttenberg | 16 | $1,388,800,000 | $1,412,400,000 | 52.8 % | 002 / 02 | 56.26 | |
| Kathleen Turner | 13 | $1,330,300,000 | $2,044,500,000 | 70.9 % | 022 / 05 | 68.08 | |
| Clint Eastwood | 12 | $1,286,500,000 | $1,286,500,000 | 58.6 % | 002 / 01 | 63.45 | |
| Michael J. Fox | 9 | $1,276,300,000 | $2,203,700,000 | 64.7 % | 005 / 01 | 64.22 | |
| Michael Douglas | 9 | $1,270,700,000 | $2,183,700,000 | 66.6 % | 013 / 01 | 72.28 | |
| Tom Hanks | 13 | $1,235,400,000 | $1,410,100,000 | 57.4 % | 003 / 00 | 61.43 | |
| Leonard Nimoy | 6 | $1,234,700,000 | $1,418,100,000 | 66.7 % | 004 / 00 | 75.83 | |
| Michael Keaton | 10 | $1,219,700,000 | $1,611,100,000 | 60.8 % | 002 / 02 | 61.47 | |
| Debra Winger | 9 | $1,144,400,000 | $1,144,400,000 | 68.5 % | 017 / 07 | 68.23 | |
| Danny Glover | 9 | $1,114,400,000 | $1,550,800,000 | 76.9 % | 030 / 04 | 72.88 | |
| Sean Connery | 12 | $1,105,200,000 | $2,331,300,000 | 63.2 % | 008 / 02 | 60.72 | |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | 10 | $1,089,800,000 | $1,855,300,000 | 59.3 % | 001 / 00 | 63.93 | |
| Forest Whitaker | 10 | $1,082,400,000 | $1,082,400,000 | 73.6 % | 014 / 06 | 68.16 | |
| Kim Basinger | 11 | $1,081,500,000 | $1,810,800,000 | 58.0 % | 005 / 01 | 56.64 | |
| Glenn Close | 11 | $1,072,000,000 | $1,453,000,000 | 71.0 % | 026 / 03 | 69.64 | |
| Jane Fonda | 6 | $1,061,300,000 | $1,061,300,000 | 61.1 % | 015 / 03 | 68.28 | |
| Bill Paxton | 14 | $1,042,000,000 | $1,207,900,000 | 65.3 % | 007 / 02 | 58.77 | |
| John Lithgow | 15 | $1,023,200,000 | $1,060,800,000 | 64.1 % | 021 / 06 | 60.47 | |
| Geena Davis | 7 | $1,010,200,000 | $1,204,500,000 | 74.1 % | 016 / 04 | 72.19 | |
| Gene Hackman | 19 | $1,005,100,000 | $1,463,900,000 | 64.9 % | 022 / 04 | 58.03 | |
| Charlie Sheen | 12 | $999,100,000 | $999,100,000 | 65.3 % | 009 / 05 | 62.17 | |
| Wilford Brimley | 17 | $994,800,000 | $1,042,600,000 | 63.4 % | 017 / 04 | 59.44 | |
| Steve Martin | 12 | $985,800,000 | $1,046,000,000 | 72.2 % | 007 / 00 | 66.36 | |
| William Shatner | 7 | $974,600,000 | $1,158,000,000 | 63.6 % | 004 / 00 | 68.48 | |
| Dustin Hoffman | 4 | $973,800,000 | $1,498,000,000 | 66.5 % | 018 / 05 | 77.19 | |
| Tom Berenger | 10 | $971,400,000 | $1,180,300,000 | 73.1 % | 019 / 06 | 69.31 | |
| Robin Williams | 9 | $951,100,000 | $1,308,000,000 | 64.6 % | 011 / 01 | 66.11 | |
| Dolly Parton | 4 | $947,900,000 | $975,800,000 | 55.4 % | 003 / 00 | 70.60 | |
| John Gielgud | 17 | $928,600,000 | $1,161,000,000 | 64.5 % | 031 / 14 | 58.92 | |
| Richard Crenna | 9 | $915,700,000 | $1,842,200,000 | 56.5 % | 001 / 00 | 59.02 | |
| Sally Field | 9 | $910,600,000 | $938,500,000 | 59.5 % | 013 / 02 | 66.23 | |
| Elisabeth Shue | 6 | $904,500,000 | $1,601,100,000 | 57.4 % | 002 / 00 | 65.16 | |
| Meg Ryan | 9 | $896,200,000 | $1,330,900,000 | 55.8 % | 006 / 02 | 57.66 | |
| Mel Gibson | 11 | $887,500,000 | $1,343,900,000 | 70.2 % | 008 / 02 | 63.32 | |
| Brian Dennehy | 16 | $870,900,000 | $1,136,200,000 | 67.0 % | 005 / 02 | 59.75 | |
| Daryl Hannah | 12 | $866,900,000 | $894,800,000 | 67.7 % | 007 / 01 | 62.53 | |
| Don Ameche | 6 | $859,900,000 | $1,239,400,000 | 66.3 % | 006 / 03 | 71.46 | |
| Teri Garr | 14 | $843,900,000 | $964,700,000 | 58.6 % | 012 / 01 | 53.35 | |
| Harry Dean Stanton | 18 | $843,100,000 | $843,100,000 | 65.9 % | 006 / 00 | 56.87 | |
| Dudley Moore | 12 | $843,000,000 | $843,000,000 | 52.8 % | 004 / 02 | 53.85 | |
| Jack Palance | 7 | $834,500,000 | $1,330,500,000 | 59.3 % | 002 / 01 | 56.58 | |
| Robert Redford | 5 | $825,000,000 | $1,284,600,000 | 70.2 % | 022 / 11 | 84.25 | |
| Ralph Macchio | 8 | $821,500,000 | $821,500,000 | 56.1 % | 002 / 00 | 59.72 | |
| Michelle Pfeiffer | 14 | $818,200,000 | $961,400,000 | 65.5 % | 013 / 03 | 60.24 | |
| John Travolta | 7 | $814,900,000 | $1,356,200,000 | 47.3 % | 000 / 00 | 57.26 | |
| Bette Midler | 8 | $809,600,000 | $809,600,000 | 64.3 % | 001 / 00 | 65.36 | |
| Kurt Russell | 13 | $797,700,000 | $1,093,600,000 | 66.6 % | 007 / 00 | 60.58 | |
| Richard Dreyfuss | 11 | $793,900,000 | $863,400,000 | 65.3 % | 003 / 00 | 62.03 | |
| Jessica Tandy | 10 | $793,600,000 | $982,100,000 | 64.0 % | 016 / 06 | 63.64 | |
| Dianne Wiest | 13 | $790,700,000 | $850,900,000 | 69.9 % | 014 / 03 | 62.72 | |
| Terence Stamp | 8 | $790,500,000 | $1,216,400,000 | 63.9 % | 001 / 01 | 61.26 | |
| Goldie Hawn | 7 | $764,300,000 | $764,300,000 | 58.4 % | 005 / 00 | 63.38 | |
| Christopher Reeve | 10 | $760,600,000 | $1,366,800,000 | 56.5 % | 003 / 00 | 55.6 | |
| Roger Moore | 8 | $758,700,000 | $1,826,900,000 | 52.3 % | 001 / 00 | 57.85 | |
| Jessica Lange | 9 | $757,000,000 | $877,800,000 | 69.2 % | 018 / 01 | 63.45 | |
| Jamie Lee Curtis | 14 | $747,200,000 | $747,200,000 | 58.9 % | 004 / 01 | 55.48 | |
| Matthew Broderick | 11 | $740,000,000 | $758,900,000 | 71.1 % | 007 / 03 | 62.82 | |
| Michael Caine | 21 | $739,700,000 | $814,100,000 | 59.0 % | 011 / 03 | 53.63 | |
| Louis Gossett Jr. | 9 | $729,600,000 | $729,600,000 | 52.7 % | 006 / 02 | 54.40 | |
| William Hurt | 10 | $726,700,000 | $764,200,000 | 74.5 % | 025 / 03 | 69.99 | |
| Kevin Bacon | 13 | $721,300,000 | $721,300,000 | 61.4 % | 005 / 00 | 57.19 | |
| Samuel L. Jackson | 6 | $715,600,000 | $1,213,900,000 | 72.8 % | 012 / 00 | 71.61 | |
| Morgan Freeman | 12 | $713,100,000 | $803,100,000 | 65.6 % | 016 / 07 | 61.44 | |
| Max Von Sydow | 12 | $713,000,000 | $1,106,300,000 | 68.6 % | 010 / 04 | 62.29 | |
| Margot Kidder | 10 | $708,500,000 | $1,314,700,000 | 54.6 % | 000 / 00 | 54.41 | |
| Kelly McGillis | 7 | $707,700,000 | $1,142,400,000 | 69.0 % | 015 / 04 | 64.41 | |
| Michael Biehn | 7 | $702,400,000 | $892,500,000 | 72.7 % | 011 / 03 | 65.87 | |
| Meryl Streep | 11 | $702,000,000 | $1,161,600,000 | 67.7 % | 029 / 08 | 66.56 | |
| Paul Newman | 9 | $701,400,000 | $701,400,000 | 67.0 % | 014 / 01 | 65.74 | |
| Richard Gere | 9 | $690,000,000 | $690,000,000 | 59.0 % | 008 / 02 | 56.32 | |
| Willem Dafoe | 9 | $679,600,000 | $888,500,000 | 76.5 % | 025 / 07 | 67.60 | |
| Dennis Quaid | 16 | $670,300,000 | $670,300,000 | 59.2 % | 009 / 05 | 54.72 | |
| Nick Nolte | 12 | $669,800,000 | $669,800,000 | 65.6 % | 000 / 00 | 58.51 | |
| Tim Robbins | 10 | $667,300,000 | $1,155,200,000 | 60.4 % | 005 / 01 | 55.13 | |
| John Turturro | 12 | $667,100,000 | $689,500,000 | 72.8 % | 021 / 06 | 62.61 | |
| Paul Hogan | 2 | $663,400,000 | $1,040,100,000 | 58.8 % | 001 / 00 | 77.70 | |
| Ted Danson | 8 | $662,700,000 | $675,100,000 | 64.5 % | 001 / 00 | 58.49 | |
| Shirley MacLaine | 6 | $661,300,000 | $689,200,000 | 62.9 % | 012 / 05 | 66.04 | |
| Ally Sheedy | 10 | $659,300,000 | $673,800,000 | 65.7 % | 001 / 00 | 58.54 | |
| John Heard | 13 | $650,900,000 | $732,300,000 | 68.7 % | 006 / 02 | 59.08 | |
| Val Kilmer | 5 | $650,400,000 | $1,085,100,000 | 64.9 % | 006 / 01 | 63.93 | |
| John Goodman | 15 | $649,400,000 | $853,700,000 | 61.1 % | 001 / 00 | 54.75 | |
| John Houseman | 9 | $649,200,000 | $649,200,000 | 61.8 % | 001 / 00 | 59.77 | |
| Danny Aiello | 16 | $647,000,000 | $772,000,000 | 66.5 % | 012 / 03 | 56.91 | |
| Burgess Meredith | 9 | $643,100,000 | $1,092,400,000 | 52.7 % | 002 / 00 | 51.91 | |
| Laurence Fishburne | 12 | $641,700,000 | $764,900,000 | 62.4 % | 013 / 00 | 56.70 | |
| Dean Stockwell | 14 | $639,000,000 | $979,900,000 | 65.0 % | 008 / 00 | 55.89 | |
| Jeff Bridges | 15 | $637,800,000 | $637,800,000 | 63.7 % | 010 / 00 | 56.85 | |
| Giancarlo Esposito | 7 | $633,300,000 | $655,700,000 | 65.9 % | 005 / 00 | 64.04 | |
| Tom Selleck | 7 | $631,600,000 | $631,600,000 | 57.8 % | 000 / 00 | 57.63 | |
| Emilio Estevez | 10 | $620,100,000 | $634,600,000 | 64.4 % | 000 / 00 | 58.81 | |
| Bruce Willis | 5 | $615,400,000 | $1,168,500,000 | 61.4 % | 005 / 00 | 65.05 | |
| Cher | 6 | $609,700,000 | $609,700,000 | 75.8 % | 014 / 04 | 75.53 | |
| Kevin Costner | 9 | $607,500,000 | $909,600,000 | 73.3 % | 010 / 01 | 58.75 | |
| Robert DeNiro | 12 | $588,700,000 | $963,100,000 | 77.6 % | 021 / 04 | 65.82 | |
| Chuck Norris | 13 | $583,600,000 | $583,600,000 | 53.2 % | 000 / 00 | 51.78 | |
| Gene Wilder | 6 | $583,400,000 | $583,400,000 | 56.2 % | 001 / 01 | 57.20 | |
| Ralph Bellamy | 5 | $581,600,000 | $937,500,000 | 64.8 % | 003 / 00 | 63.57 | |
| Albert Brooks | 6 | $574,400,000 | $649,500,000 | 69.5 % | 010 / 00 | 66.51 | |
| Patrick Swayze | 10 | $573,000,000 | $922,500,000 | 55.0 % | 000 / 00 | 54.58 | |
| Sondra Locke | 4 | $565,600,000 | $565,600,000 | 54.1 % | 000 / 00 | 64.15 | |
| Shelley Duvall | 4 | $560,900,000 | $596,600,000 | 77.0 % | 000 / 00 | 77.17 | |
| Jeff Daniels | 10 | $558,000,000 | $558,000,000 | 70.2 % | 022 / 05 | 59.94 | |
| Billy Crystal | 6 | $535,300,000 | $535,300,000 | 76.5 % | 003 / 00 | 68.57 | |
| Anthony Michael Hall | 7 | $534,800,000 | $549,300,000 | 67.2 % | 000 / 00 | 61.57 | |
| John Mahoney | 10 | $534,200,000 | $534,200,000 | 71.9 % | 006 / 03 | 61.93 | |
| John Cleese | 9 | $526,100,000 | $526,100,000 | 71.2 % | 006 / 01 | 61.60 | |
| Joe Pesci | 8 | $524,100,000 | $731,400,000 | 71.1 % | 009 / 02 | 61.26 | |
| Scatman Crothers | 7 | $521,700,000 | $559,300,000 | 63.6 % | 001 / 00 | 59.88 | |
| Ian Holm | 10 | $520,900,000 | $520,900,000 | 80.0 % | 015 / 05 | 65.03 | |
| Lloyd Bridges | 7 | $517,000,000 | $517,000,000 | 65.5 % | 003 / 00 | 57.56 | |
| Kevin Kline | 8 | $515,000,000 | $561,600,000 | 71.0 % | 016 / 02 | 64.66 | |
| Sterling Hayden | 3 | $508,100,000 | $508,100,000 | 52.2 % | 001 / 00 | 55.60 | |
| Paul Winfield | 9 | $501,800,000 | $666,400,000 | 64.8 % | 000 / 00 | 57.15 | |
| Robert Downey Jr. | 10 | $495,800,000 | $495,800,000 | 56.4 % | 001 / 00 | 53.58 | |
| Daniel Stern | 13 | $493,500,000 | $493,500,000 | 65.9 % | 009 / 04 | 57.10 | |
| Martin Sheen | 15 | $493,400,000 | $725,800,000 | 57.1 % | 012 / 09 | 52.04 | |
| Nicolas Cage | 10 | $493,000,000 | $507,800,000 | 70.4 % | 011 / 03 | 61.25 | |
| Andrew McCarthy | 9 | $492,500,000 | $492,500,000 | 57.6 % | 001 / 00 | 55.60 | |
| Jeff Goldblum | 11 | $484,500,000 | $534,100,000 | 66.7 % | 014 / 05 | 58.27 | |
| Timothy Hutton | 11 | $483,400,000 | $483,400,000 | 63.2 % | 006 / 04 | 57.92 | |
| Rodney Dangerfield | 3 | $475,900,000 | $475,900,000 | 68.4 % | 000 / 00 | 75.74 | |
| Sissy Spacek | 10 | $475,000,000 | $475,000,000 | 67.2 % | 018 / 03 | 61.70 | |
| Rob Lowe | 10 | $472,500,000 | $472,500,000 | 54.6 % | 000 / 00 | 52.91 | |
| Sean Penn | 12 | $471,200,000 | $471,200,000 | 65.2 % | 000 / 00 | 55.77 | |
| Carol Burnett | 5 | $468,300,000 | $468,300,000 | 56.8 % | 002 / 00 | 58.43 | |
| Jack Warden | 11 | $467,600,000 | $467,600,000 | 58.8 % | 006 / 00 | 54.12 | |
| Liza Minnelli | 5 | $462,900,000 | $462,900,000 | 57.7 % | 004 / 02 | 56.83 | |
| Sidney Poitier | 5 | $461,200,000 | $461,200,000 | 59.1 % | 000 / 00 | 56.92 | |
| Jason Robards | 12 | $451,500,000 | $511,700,000 | 62.5 % | 005 / 02 | 54.75 | |
| Al Pacino | 5 | $451,400,000 | $571,400,000 | 62.7 % | 000 / 00 | 62.66 | |
| Liam Neeson | 14 | $443,900,000 | $443,900,000 | 60.5 % | 008 / 01 | 54.03 | |
| Matt Dillon | 14 | $439,500,000 | $439,500,000 | 64.6 % | 000 / 00 | 54.45 | |
| Ed Harris | 12 | $436,600,000 | $518,200,000 | 72.3 % | 021 / 07 | 60.29 | |
| Sam Shepard | 9 | $435,800,000 | $463,700,000 | 69.9 % | 017 / 04 | 62.21 | |
| Christopher Plummer | 11 | $435,300,000 | $456,900,000 | 56.5 % | 001 / 00 | 52.54 | |
| Helen Mirren | 10 | $433,600,000 | $433,600,000 | 65.5 % | 008 / 01 | 57.79 | |
| Rip Torn | 17 | $431,500,000 | $431,500,000 | 51.2 % | 004 / 00 | 49.42 | |
| Kelly Preston | 13 | $429,300,000 | $661,300,000 | 51.5 % | 000 / 00 | 49.49 | |
| Molly Ringwald | 8 | $429,000,000 | $443,500,000 | 64.3 % | 000 / 00 | 56.98 | |
| Richard Benjamin | 10 | $428,900,000 | $471,900,000 | 49.9 % | 000 / 00 | 50.27 | |
| Warren Oates | 4 | $427,900,000 | $427,900,000 | 71.0 % | 001 / 00 | 66.82 | |
| Alec Baldwin | 7 | $427,200,000 | $537,900,000 | 67.5 % | 008 / 02 | 61.39 | |
| Michael J. Pollard | 8 | $425,800,000 | $554,300,000 | 57.9 % | 004 / 02 | 55.55 | |
| Mary Steenburgen | 11 | $425,400,000 | $485,600,000 | 68.2 % | 018 / 02 | 58.96 | |
| Glenn Ford | 2 | $424,400,000 | $850,300,000 | 71.6 % | 000 / 00 | 70.30 | |
| Demi Moore | 9 | $421,800,000 | $421,800,000 | 48.9 % | 000 / 00 | 50.57 | |
| George Segal | 4 | $419,600,000 | $779,600,000 | 49.1 % | 000 / 00 | 54.41 | |
| Christopher Walken | 13 | $416,400,000 | $697,300,000 | 63.3 % | 005 / 01 | 54.56 | |
| Keanu Reeves | 6 | $414,900,000 | $475,100,000 | 72.9 % | 009 / 03 | 64.51 | |
| Susan Sarandon | 11 | $412,800,000 | $412,800,000 | 64.5 % | 009 / 00 | 56.14 | |
| Johnny Depp | 3 | $410,300,000 | $410,300,000 | 75.6 % | 008 / 04 | 71.95 | |
| Donald Sutherland | 15 | $403,500,000 | $403,500,000 | 54.5 % | 007 / 04 | 49.96 | |
| Scott Glenn | 13 | $402,500,000 | $402,500,000 | 62.0 % | 014 / 05 | 54.64 | |
| John Cusack | 11 | $402,500,000 | $402,500,000 | 72.6 % | 002 / 00 | 59.07 | |
| Albert Finney | 8 | $401,300,000 | $401,300,000 | 62.3 % | 009 / 00 | 57.41 | |
| Whoopi Goldberg | 8 | $394,500,000 | $517,700,000 | 57.8 % | 011 / 00 | 53.88 | |
| Tommy Lee Jones | 8 | $381,600,000 | $381,600,000 | 61.3 % | 007 / 01 | 55.50 | |
| Bill Pullman | 5 | $380,800,000 | $380,800,000 | 70.3 % | 004 / 01 | 65.43 | |
| Celeste Holm | 1 | $379,300,000 | $379,300,000 | 66.0 % | 000 / 00 | 82.00 | |
| Katharine Hepburn | 2 | $375,800,000 | $375,800,000 | 60.5 % | 010 / 03 | 73.45 | |
| Michael Palin | 6 | $375,300,000 | $375,300,000 | 81.6 % | 005 / 01 | 66.51 | |
| Ray Walston | 13 | $374,500,000 | $410,200,000 | 56.7 % | 000 / 00 | 49.56 | |
| Mia Farrow | 12 | $369,600,000 | $402,500,000 | 74.0 % | 017 / 03 | 60.21 | |
| Henry Fonda | 1 | $369,600,000 | $369,600,000 | 79.5 % | 010 / 03 | 107.7 | |
| Dennis Hopper | 19 | $367,300,000 | $367,300,000 | 62.5 % | 003 / 00 | 51.31 | |
| Diane Keaton | 9 | $365,500,000 | $365,500,000 | 66.7 % | 017 / 03 | 59.54 | |
| Kevin Spacey | 5 | $362,300,000 | $461,500,000 | 64.6 % | 007 / 01 | 62.54 | |
| Carl Reiner | 6 | $358,000,000 | $358,000,000 | 60.0 % | 000 / 00 | 58.33 | |
| Jane Alexander | 7 | $354,200,000 | $354,200,000 | 61.8 % | 007 / 03 | 58.33 | |
| Mickey Rourke | 15 | $350,600,000 | $350,600,000 | 65.5 % | 002 / 00 | 54.25 | |
| Andy Garcia | 7 | $349,500,000 | $807,800,000 | 62.1 % | 007 / 01 | 55.74 | |
| Peter Boyle | 13 | $345,500,000 | $345,500,000 | 53.1 % | 001 / 00 | 49.51 | |
| Ruth Gordon | 7 | $345,000,000 | $345,000,000 | 49.8 % | 000 / 00 | 49.88 | |
| Eileen Brennan | 8 | $342,500,000 | $342,500,000 | 55.6 % | 003 / 00 | 50.79 | |
| Candice Bergen | 4 | $342,300,000 | $574,700,000 | 63.0 % | 016 / 08 | 66.19 | |
| Jackie Chan | 19 | $341,200,000 | $1,239,400,000 | 61.2 % | 000 / 00 | 51.87 | |
| Kristy McNichol | 10 | $340,200,000 | $340,200,000 | 58.2 % | 003 / 00 | 52.20 | |
| John Malkovich | 9 | $331,100,000 | $433,600,000 | 70.5 % | 027 / 08 | 61.05 | |
| Ethel Merman | 1 | $327,200,000 | $327,200,000 | 83.5 % | 000 / 00 | 90.20 | |
| Woody Allen | 9 | $315,400,000 | $315,400,000 | 79.9 % | 016 / 03 | 64.50 | |
| Ralph Richardson | 4 | $313,100,000 | $313,100,000 | 74.0 % | 003 / 00 | 65.73 | |
| Robert Duvall | 8 | $312,900,000 | $312,900,000 | 63.6 % | 009 / 02 | 57.32 | |
| Dean Martin | 2 | $312,600,000 | $312,600,000 | 36.8 % | 000 / 00 | 58.20 | |
| George Kennedy | 11 | $307,900,000 | $307,900,000 | 51.7 % | 000 / 00 | 48.96 | |
| Daniel Day-Lewis | 9 | $303,300,000 | $535,700,000 | 76.6 % | 027 / 13 | 63.42 | |
| Sharon Stone | 10 | $299,800,000 | $299,800,000 | 48.6 % | 000 / 00 | 48.10 | |
| Judd Nelson | 8 | $297,000,000 | $311,500,000 | 63.6 % | 000 / 00 | 53.91 | |
| Ethan Hawke | 3 | $296,000,000 | $629,600,000 | 71.9 % | 005 / 01 | 69.00 | |
| Sarah Jessica Parker | 5 | $295,800,000 | $295,800,000 | 57.6 % | 002 / 00 | 56.25 | |
| Holly Hunter | 7 | $295,700,000 | $417,500,000 | 66.9 % | 008 / 00 | 58.35 | |
| Peter O'Toole | 8 | $291,500,000 | $324,400,000 | 59.5 % | 012 / 09 | 56.96 | |
| Anne Bancroft | 9 | $289,500,000 | $289,500,000 | 69.5 % | 012 / 00 | 58.52 | |
| John Hurt | 15 | $289,300,000 | $289,300,000 | 63.0 % | 009 / 00 | 52.77 | |
| Burt Lancaster | 9 | $288,200,000 | $334,000,000 | 66.9 % | 008 / 00 | 57.01 | |
| Norman Lloyd | 2 | $286,600,000 | $607,800,000 | 75.8 % | 004 / 01 | 74.41 | |
| Sam Elliott | 5 | $285,900,000 | $285,900,000 | 60.1 % | 001 / 01 | 57.51 | |
| Laurence Olivier | 6 | $282,600,000 | $282,600,000 | 50.8 % | 000 / 00 | 50.40 | |
| Roy Scheider | 8 | $280,200,000 | $280,200,000 | 57.6 % | 006 / 00 | 52.44 | |
| Trevor Howard | 12 | $278,200,000 | $510,600,000 | 61.2 % | 011 / 08 | 53.44 | |
| Andie MacDowell | 3 | $278,100,000 | $278,100,000 | 69.0 % | 004 / 00 | 65.96 | |
| Raul Julia | 9 | $275,400,000 | $418,600,000 | 65.1 % | 007 / 01 | 55.89 | |
| Anjelica Huston | 12 | $274,300,000 | $274,300,000 | 69.5 % | 017 / 01 | 56.97 | |
| Brian Keith | 6 | $268,200,000 | $268,200,000 | 56.4 % | 000 / 00 | 52.98 | |
| Sylvia Miles | 7 | $266,700,000 | $266,700,000 | 61.4 % | 001 / 01 | 54.32 | |
| Charles Bronson | 12 | $262,300,000 | $262,300,000 | 42.7 % | 000 / 00 | 43.76 | |
| Gary Busey | 10 | $262,100,000 | $390,300,000 | 61.2 % | 001 / 00 | 52.45 | |
| Alan Alda | 4 | $259,200,000 | $259,200,000 | 66.2 % | 003 / 00 | 61.40 | |
| Joaquin Phoenix | 3 | $258,500,000 | $318,700,000 | 69.2 % | 002 / 00 | 62.33 | |
| Laura Dern | 8 | $254,800,000 | $254,800,000 | 67.5 % | 002 / 01 | 56.06 | |
| Vincent D'Onofrio | 5 | $254,100,000 | $254,100,000 | 68.4 % | 001 / 00 | 59.08 | |
| Barbra Streisand | 3 | $249,300,000 | $249,300,000 | 54.2 % | 005 / 01 | 60.42 | |
| Walter Matthau | 9 | $247,400,000 | $247,400,000 | 54.0 % | 001 / 00 | 50.14 | |
| Dyan Cannon | 5 | $247,400,000 | $247,400,000 | 50.4 % | 000 / 00 | 51.59 | |
| James Mason | 5 | $246,900,000 | $246,900,000 | 64.8 % | 005 / 00 | 59.34 | |
| Oprah Winfrey | 2 | $244,900,000 | $368,100,000 | 77.7 % | 011 / 00 | 75.49 | |
| Maggie Smith | 9 | $243,700,000 | $243,700,000 | 68.6 % | 008 / 03 | 57.12 | |
| Diane Lane | 11 | $243,100,000 | $243,100,000 | 62.4 % | 002 / 00 | 52.00 | |
| George C. Scott | 4 | $242,200,000 | $242,200,000 | 56.2 % | 001 / 00 | 56.53 | |
| Rutger Hauer | 13 | $242,100,000 | $242,100,000 | 64.5 % | 004 / 00 | 52.35 | |
| Royal Dano | 10 | $241,200,000 | $241,200,000 | 57.1 % | 008 / 04 | 52.14 | |
| Peter Fonda | 4 | $240,900,000 | $240,900,000 | 50.6 % | 000 / 00 | 51.89 | |
| Marsha Mason | 3 | $239,400,000 | $239,400,000 | 69.9 % | 004 / 00 | 66.9 | |
| Julia Roberts | 4 | $239,000,000 | $266,900,000 | 55.9 % | 001 / 00 | 55.75 | |
| John Saxon | 6 | $232,600,000 | $232,600,000 | 56.1 % | 000 / 00 | 52.20 | |
| Cloris Leachman | 8 | $232,500,000 | $232,500,000 | 58.7 % | 000 / 00 | 51.66 | |
| Wesley Snipes | 4 | $232,300,000 | $232,300,000 | 53.6 % | 000 / 00 | 53.10 | |
| Genevieve Bujold | 8 | $232,100,000 | $232,100,000 | 66.1 % | 000 / 00 | 54.36 | |
| Winona Ryder | 6 | $231,300,000 | $255,300,000 | 69.3 % | 001 / 01 | 57.96 | |
| Patrick Stewart | 7 | $230,900,000 | $230,900,000 | 62.1 % | 002 / 00 | 54.37 | |
| James Woods | 15 | $230,500,000 | $252,800,000 | 68.3 % | 003 / 00 | 54.95 | |
| Mel Brooks | 3 | $230,300,000 | $230,300,000 | 68.3 % | 001 / 00 | 64.13 | |
| Mary Tyler Moore | 4 | $228,400,000 | $228,400,000 | 66.9 % | 006 / 04 | 64.27 | |
| Jim Broadbent | 7 | $226,600,000 | $259,500,000 | 67.6 % | 002 / 00 | 56.72 | |
| Ben Johnson | 9 | $224,300,000 | $224,300,000 | 57.1 % | 000 / 00 | 49.89 | |
| Jennifer Jason Leigh | 12 | $223,800,000 | $223,800,000 | 58.6 % | 000 / 00 | 50.08 | |
| James Garner | 7 | $223,300,000 | $225,500,000 | 59.7 % | 010 / 01 | 54.88 | |
| Pam Grier | 7 | $222,700,000 | $222,700,000 | 60.6 % | 000 / 00 | 52.63 | |
| Melanie Griffith | 8 | $221,800,000 | $308,600,000 | 65.9 % | 007 / 02 | 56.24 | |
| Jim Carrey | 4 | $220,000,000 | $220,000,000 | 59.6 % | 003 / 00 | 56.52 | |
| Robert Morley | 6 | $219,500,000 | $219,500,000 | 54.7 % | 003 / 00 | 51.74 | |
| Linda Hamilton | 6 | $219,300,000 | $327,800,000 | 65.6 % | 000 / 00 | 54.93 | |
| Louis Jourdan | 3 | $216,700,000 | $562,500,000 | 56.7 % | 000 / 00 | 56.33 | |
| Helen Hunt | 7 | $215,800,000 | $215,800,000 | 59.9 % | 003 / 00 | 52.64 | |
| Kirk Douglas | 6 | $215,100,000 | $215,100,000 | 53.7 % | 000 / 00 | 50.77 | |
| Eric Idle | 5 | $214,600,000 | $214,600,000 | 63.7 % | 004 / 00 | 56.66 | |
| Robert Preston | 4 | $214,100,000 | $214,100,000 | 75.1 % | 007 / 01 | 65.63 | |
| Peter Falk | 8 | $211,700,000 | $211,700,000 | 67.1 % | 003 / 00 | 54.5 | |
| Prince | 2 | $210,200,000 | $210,200,000 | 48.3 % | 000 / 00 | 58.93 | |
| José Ferrer | 5 | $209,500,000 | $209,500,000 | 62.3 % | 002 / 00 | 55.69 | |
| Julie Andrews | 6 | $207,900,000 | $207,900,000 | 64.7 % | 008 / 01 | 57.62 | |
| Judith Anderson | 2 | $207,400,000 | $236,200,000 | 67.3 % | 000 / 00 | 66.31 | |
| Bo Derek | 3 | $203,300,000 | $203,300,000 | 34.2 % | 000 / 00 | 46.64 | |
| Ben Kingsley | 7 | $201,300,000 | $433,700,000 | 70.9 % | 013 / 08 | 60.02 |
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I watched a lot of videos during the 1980s, too many.
In the 20th century the 80s produced fewer genuinely great movies than any other decade. On the other hand this was also the decade with the most guilty pleasure film favorites, IMO. 🙂
Looking at the charts Harrison Ford rules the roost, no argument there. The only other actors I can think of that were hugely popular during the 80s were Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy and Tom Cruise. Schwarzenegger started to overtake Stallone by the late 80s.
I think I see a glitch on the UMR chart Bruce, Henry Fonda is your number one star on there, he did appear in one film during the 80s but that surely wasn’t enough to take him to the top.
I recognised 9 of the 10 movie quotes from the top of the page, the one I missed is “I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen.”
Vote Up.
Hey Steve.
1. Thanks for checking out my latest decade page.
2. I think the 1980s and 1960s are close in regards to classic movies.
3. Ford was the man in the 1980s….nobody even came close.
4. Murphy, Cruise and Stallone were indeed huge back then….you have to give Cruise credit….he is still going pretty strong.
5. Arnold will have a better 1990s….as will Bruce Willis (I actually know Bruce is 3rd in box office for the 1990s).
6. It is a small glitz…..basically to qualify for the big table an actor had to gross over $200 million…..Fonda did that with his one movie….On Golden Pond….that is why I use the minimum of 9 movies when I list the Top 15.
7. Your missing quote is from Say Anything…..a classic in my mind.
Thanks for the feedback.
Not sure I buy Ramis in the Top 10. Seems you have included his writing and directed movies. Those should not count. Your attached link helped me greatly. Fun page.
Hey Peter….you are 100% correct….I accidentally included Ramis’ non starring roles…..as writing and directing credits helped him do so well…..I will have to fix that…..he is still in the billion dollar club….but not in the Top 10 after I take out those movies.
Note to self….fix Woody Allen too.
I see we’re quickly getting back to the future here! While I’m more of a classic movie buff myself, the 80s is when I really started going out to the cinema and there are so many memories of movies seen in the theaters. Among those that come to mind, Ghandi, Blue Velvet, This Is Spinal Tap, Platoon, Atlantic City, The Big Chill, Broadcast News, The Gods Must Be Crazy, The Wall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Ghostbusters, The Princess Bride, The Killing Fields, The Name of the Rose, Ran, A Fish Called Wanda, Once Upon a Time in America, The Untouchables, Down By Law, and of course all the Star Wars, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Mad Max and Batman movies.
Returning to the stars, it’s clear Harrison Ford is way ahead on all scores in this decade – no contest here. Interesting to note that William Hurt is perhaps the most important 80s star who is lacking a UMR page. A bit like Joseph Cotten on the 40s page (who did end up getting a page), Hurt made some great films in the 80s, but then declined rather rapidly in the next decade. His widely publicized court case didn’t help his career. Still, Hurt continues to be an interesting actor.
Having closely followed all of the decade pages, I believe there is only one star who ended up making the long list in each of the 6 decades covered so far. He only made on film in the 80s but it was a very successful one. Yes, it is Henry Fonda! Not quite a top box office attraction in any decade, but his longevity and many classic films throughout the decades makes him one of the greatest of all times. I also noted 4 other classic stars who managed to make the 80s list (each showing up in 5 decades): Katherine Hepburn, Laurence Olivier, Kirk Douglas and…..Burt Lancaster! Can we declare these 5 the winners of the decade pages? 🙂
Hey Phil.
1. I figured the regular commentors would not be as interested in the more recent decades…..but hey they are entertaining me.
2. Now that is a good list of movies that you associate with the 1980s.
3. Harrison Ford is the hands down winner of the decade….topping all the charts with the exception of Oscar noms and wins….that victory goes to Nicholson in nominations (but Ford is second) …while Daniel Day-Lewis gets the Oscar win victory (with Ford tied for 2nd).
4. I guess I need a William Hurt page. He had an awesome but short run.
5. My weird Hurt memory…after getting three Oscar nominations in a row…he was one of the contenders for a 4th straight nomination….I remember when they called the names on Oscar nomination morning and his name was not called for The Accidental Tourist…I thought….”wow no nomination for him”. Turns out that was the peak of his career. He quickly moved to supporting character actor after that.
6. I had not noticed that Henry Fonda was on all 6 decade pages. Not thinking anybody is going to make it to 7 decades….though maybe Michael Caine can keep making movies until the early 2020s (now seeing 2020 is scary).
7. I have no problem declaring Fonda, Douglas, Olivier, Douglas and Lancaster as the winners.
8. I was hoping Gregory Peck’s 3 1980s movies would get him on the list…but all three were pretty weak at the box office.
Good feedback as usual.
Hi
The 80’s produced some great stars, Eddy Murphy, Tom Cruise. But I must say that I’m surprised that Meryl Streep isn’t higher in the lists. Although she got nominated almost every year in the 80’s, many of the movies were poor box office. Out Of Africa was probably the exception. I think the 80’s is where we saw the emergence of franchise type movies and of course the Brat Pack. Whom many were quite talented.
Hey Chris
1. I have been having fun with these decade lists….seeing the new stars popping up for the first time and seeing some of the old stars not making the list for the first time.
2. Bruce Willis makes his appearance for the first time….which I think Murphy, Cruise and Willis and the Big Three New Stars.
3. As for Streep…..I think you will see Streep moving up the lists as I do the final 3 decade pages. Her 1980s had the critical acclaim….but pretty much weak box office returns. I think her 2000s are her strongest box office decade….at least I think…but time will tel..
4. I few Brat Packers made the list….Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson. I should probably include Rob Lowe too.
Thanks for the feedback.
Loved the 1980s. I graduated from high school in the 1980s. Go Bloodhounds of Fort Madison! So I sent most of teenage years growing up in that decade. Your movie quotes are too easy. I knew 9 right away. Had to think about “Chew, if only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes!” but then I realized this decade belonged to Harrison Ford. Surprises? Dan Aykroyd being 4th in box office. Glad to see Prince make the list. Nice job!
Hey SteinHOF. Bloodhounds….now that is an interesting high school nickname. My favorite movie quotes are all from pretty famous movies. Dan Aykroyd had a stellar decade. His numbers do not include his cameo in Indy Jones and the Temple of Doom. I had to go all the way to the high $190 millions to include Prince and Bo Derek. Prince actually made one Quigley Top Star list…so I felt I needed to include him. Thanks for the feedback.