The following information is provided by Graphiq and PrettyFamous.
By Ben Taylor
If you want to know about Hollywood peaks, just ask . After annihilating terrorists as Officer John McClane in 鈥�,鈥� Willis exploded into outer space with Michael Bay鈥檚 1998 smash hit, 鈥�.鈥�
A year later, he became a therapist, pivoting to a softer, more nuanced role in M. Night Shyamalan鈥檚 鈥�.鈥� Not only could Willis light up a room of goons 鈥� he could captivate the world from the side of a hospital bed. No matter what the subject, Willis had become a box office guarantee.
Or had he?
Since 1999, Willis has hit a box office slump. Here and there, his films have crossed the $100 million mark, but largely on the strength of reboots and get-the-band-back-together gimmicks (see 鈥淟ive Free or Die Hard鈥� and 鈥淭he Expendables鈥�). His biggest box office success since Haley Joel Osment ? 鈥淥ver the Hedge,鈥� a 2006 DreamWorks animation feature, where Willis did voice work for RJ the Raccoon.
Bruce Willis isn鈥檛 alone. , a celebrity and entertainment data site that鈥檚 part of the network, set out to find the actors with the biggest career declines, using box office proceeds as a measurement聽for success.
Ranking Hollywood鈥檚 biggest decliners is tricky. Some actors fade gradually. Others fall fast, then recover. Still others decline in a roller coaster of alternating hits and flops.
In the end, the PrettyFamous team used the following factors to rank Hollywood鈥檚 biggest falls from box office grace. Most of the data comes from , with some supplementary numbers from (all figures are domestic and adjusted for inflation):
- Only actors whose movies have grossed a combined $2 billion were considered
- The actor had to have at least 10 film credits both before and after the “peak” film (the actor’s most lucrative movie)
- The actor鈥檚 post-peak movies had to average less than half the box office gross of all the pre-peak movies
- No post-peak film could exceed $200 million or 75 percent of the peak film鈥檚 gross
The resulting decliners enjoyed frequent box office success, followed by frequent box office disappointment. The final list is ranked by the difference between average box office proceeds for all films before and after the actor’s peak.
The 10 Biggest Decliners
- Ving Rhames
- Robert De Niro
- Dennis Quaid
- Keanu Reeves
- Matthew Broderick
- Bruce Willis
- Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Bill Pullman
- Sigourney Weaver
- David Thewlis
Note that the list is based on the money, not the individual performances. The methodology doesn鈥檛 factor in critic reviews or awards, and there鈥檚 no adjustment for the prominence of each actor鈥檚 specific role. Additionally, comprehensive box office data is limited or incomplete for some movies, particularly those made before 1985. Our coverage is close to comprehensive after that year, but we excluded actors who peaked before then, due to a lack of reliable data.
Still, there鈥檚 enough data here to suggest the 10 stars on the list have passed their primes. What happened?
The Textbook Cases
Bill Pullman: recent movies make $60 million less than earlier movies
Cuba Gooding Jr.: recent movies make $54 million less than earlier movies
Dennis Quaid: recent movies make $15 million less than earlier movies
Bill Pullman made a name for himself playing the boyfriends and husbands of female stars, from Earl Mott (“Ruthless People鈥�) to Bob Hinson (鈥淎 League of Their Own鈥�) to Walter (鈥淪leepless in Seattle鈥�). His patience paid off with 鈥淚ndependence Day,鈥� where he won his biggest role yet in President Thomas J. Whitmore 鈥� second only to Will Smith on the movie poster. The film made almost $500 million domestically.
But that would just about do it for Pullman, whose films would surpass the $50 million mark only two more times throughout the rest of his career. 滨迟鈥檚 possible that Pullman simply cares less about box office glory than the average actor, content to in his spare time. For a man who gravitates towards smaller, supporting roles, it鈥檚 oddly fitting that he had an uncharacteristic high point playing the highest office in America.
Gooding鈥檚 decline 鈥� both in the box office and among critics 鈥� well in the . With 鈥淎 Few Good Men,鈥� 鈥淛erry Maguire,鈥� 鈥淎s Good As It Gets,鈥� and most lucratively, 鈥淧earl Harbor,鈥� Gooding looked poised to become the next Tom Hanks or Will Smith.
Then the flops began. First, there was 鈥淪now Dogs.鈥� Then 鈥淩adio.鈥� Then 鈥淒addy Day Camp.鈥� Some did okay in the box office. All were . Gooding was nominated four times for 鈥淲orst Actor鈥� by the infamous . Unable to break out of his spiral, Gooding settled for a dozen from 2008 through 2013.
The box office success of 鈥淪now Dogs鈥� ($107 million in 2016 dollars) might have paradoxically hurt Gooding鈥檚 career, potentially branding him as a goofy B-movie performer, rather than a serious leading man.
The silver lining? Gooding has made a small resurgence over the last three years. He can proudly add 鈥淟ee Daniels鈥� The Butler鈥� and 鈥淪elma鈥� to his r茅sum茅, while his recent TV series, 鈥淭he People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,鈥� has gotten rave reviews.
America鈥檚 favorite film father (see 鈥淔requency,鈥� 鈥淭he Parent Trap,鈥� 鈥淭he Day After Tomorrow鈥�), Dennis Quaid saw his box office stock rise steadily from 1987 through 2004. After a series of modest hits throughout the 鈥�90s, Quaid kickstarted his career prime with 鈥淭he Parent Trap,鈥� playing the well-intentioned dad who just happens to fall in love with the wrong woman.
He quickly became quarterback Jack 鈥楥ap鈥� Rooney in the classic football movie, 鈥淎ny Given Sunday鈥� (1999), then tacked on a supporting role in the 2000 hit, 鈥淭raffic.鈥� By the time he was cast as Jake Gyllenhaal鈥檚 co-star in the controversial 鈥淒ay After Tomorrow,鈥� Quaid was as bankable as a cashier鈥檚 check.
So what happened? Quaid likely wasn鈥檛 super hero or action film material (with the possible exception of 鈥淕.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra”). He kept up the dad shtick (2004鈥檚 鈥淚n Good Company鈥�) and doubled down on the romantic comedy (2012鈥檚 鈥淲hat to Expect When You鈥檙e Expecting鈥� and 鈥淧laying for Keeps鈥�), but none of these roles would capture the world鈥檚 attention like Lindsay Lohan鈥檚 befuddled father or America鈥檚 favorite veteran quarterback.
The Blockbuster Series Stars
David Thewlis: recent movies make $74 million less than earlier movies
Keanu Reeves: recent movies make $23 million less than earlier movies
Ving Rhames: recent movies make $9.4 million less than earlier movies
David Thewlis is a special case. As Remus Lupin (the quirky professor and part-time werewolf from the Harry Potter series), Thewlis enjoyed consistent box office success from 2004 to 2011. Since then, he鈥檚 starred in a string of lower-profile roles 鈥� from an impatient landlord (鈥淲ar Horse鈥�) to a cheerful mentor (鈥溾��).
The box office tends to favor some film genres more than others, such as action and fantasy. As older stars gravitate from dynamite to dialogue, from dragons to discourse, they tend to see a drop in box office proceeds, through no fault of their own.
For Thewlis 鈥� like many of his Potter co-stars 鈥� you鈥檇 be better off calling his box office decline a return to reality rather than a fall from grace.
滨迟鈥檚 that Keanu Reeves is a bad actor, but give the man credit for 鈥淭he Matrix鈥� (1999), where the actor鈥檚 subdued, near-expressionless dialogue perfectly matched the role.
Reeves peaked with the Wachowski siblings鈥� 鈥淭he Matrix: Reloaded鈥� (2003), right around the time the viewing public started to have second thoughts about the Wachowskis鈥� creative genius. By the time 鈥淭he Matrix: Revolutions鈥� (2003) notched a , both the series and Reeves were clearly past their primes.
Without his Matrix success, perhaps Reeves would have landed more supporting roles in hit films (see his slacker boyfriend portrayal in the 1989 classic, 鈥淧arenthood鈥�). Instead, Reeves had established himself as a leading man, and his hodgepodge of starring roles have only gotten worse 鈥� box office-wise, at least 鈥� since the turn of the millennium.
Sub out 鈥淗arry Potter鈥� or 鈥淭he Matrix鈥� for 鈥淢ission: Impossible,鈥� and you can say much of the same for Ving Rhames, who played computer hacker Luther Stickell in all five Mission: Impossible films (his role was uncredited in 鈥淕host Protocol鈥�). Of his 10 films to surpass $100 million, half come from the Tom Cruise action series.
But to equate Rhames with Thewlis or Reeves wouldn鈥檛 quite be fair. Rhames鈥� non-Mission: Impossible hits include 鈥淧ulp Fiction鈥� (1994), 鈥淐on Air鈥� (1997) and 鈥淓ntrapment鈥� (1999). And that鈥檚 not to mention key supporting roles in both “Lilo & Stitch” (2002) and 鈥淚 Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry鈥� (2007), each of which earned well over $100 million.
Rhames has been just quiet enough over the last 10 years to earn a spot on this list, but so long as the Mission: Impossible bullet train keeps running along, he鈥檒l have plenty of opportunity for a box office resurgence.
The Late-Career Blockbuster
Sigourney Weaver: recent movies make $73 million less than earlier movies
Were it not for James Cameron鈥檚 鈥淎vatar鈥� 鈥� as of this writing, 鈥� Sigourney Weaver鈥檚 box office history would look much like other top female action stars. Weaver became a bonafide action heroine as the star of the Aliens franchise, then crushed the box office as the leading woman in the Ghostbuster films. Since that time, she鈥檚 had fewer and fewer prominent roles in hit movies, with the exceptions (鈥淭he Village,鈥� 鈥淲ALL-E鈥�) dwarfed by the rule (鈥淭adpole,鈥� 鈥淐edar Rapids,鈥� 鈥淐happie鈥�).
Weaver鈥檚 journey is a for women in Hollywood: more high-profile roles in their 20s and 30s, with fewer opportunities as they get older.
But Weaver鈥檚 portrayal of Dr. Grace Augustine in 鈥淎vatar鈥� marks a dramatic uptick for the Manhattan-born actress. Director James Cameron 鈥� who also directed 鈥淎liens鈥� 鈥� brought back Weaver for his 2009 smash hit, which speaks to the power of ongoing director-actor collaboration. While Weaver hasn鈥檛 struck box office gold since 鈥淎vatar,鈥� she鈥檚 slated to appear in 鈥淎vatar 2鈥� (2018). In other words, Weaver looks poised to exit this list, stage right.
The Aging Veterans
Bruce Willis: recent movies make $46 million less than earlier movies
Robert De Niro: recent movies make $11 million less than earlier movies
Robert De Niro and Bruce Willis remain semi-bankable 鈥� they鈥檙e simply no longer the megastars they once were. For these two, their late-career box office results only look modest in the context of their early box office dominance.
Consider De Niro. From 1986 through 2008, he was averaging nearly two $50 million films per year (adjusted for inflation). Several cracked $150 million. He made 鈥淎nalyze This鈥� his gold standard in 1999, only to top it one year later with 鈥淢eet the Parents.鈥� By 2004, he was as bankable as Leonardo DiCaprio (see 鈥淢eet the Fockers鈥�).
His pace has since slowed to human-like levels, with 鈥淪ilver Linings Playbook鈥� and 鈥淎merican Hustle鈥� his only bonafide, post-Focker hits (and that鈥檚 not to mention the boost each film likely received from co-stars Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper).
Still, there鈥檚 no shame in a veteran superstar teaming up with fresher talent for late-career success. Just ask Peyton Manning.
Ferris Bueller or Voice Actor?
Matthew Broderick: recent movies make $45 million less than earlier movies
While Matthew Broderick鈥檚 first genuine hit was 鈥淲arGames鈥� (1983), he will always be known as Ferris Bueller, the cheeky, rebellious star of 1986鈥檚 鈥淔erris Bueller鈥檚 Day Off.鈥�
By the box office, however, 鈥淏ueller鈥� is only Broderick鈥檚 sixth most lucrative film, falling behind 鈥淕odzilla,鈥� 鈥淚nspector Gadget,鈥� 鈥淲arGames,鈥� 鈥淭ower Heist,鈥� and most notably, 鈥淭he Lion King.鈥�
In fact, 鈥淭he Lion King鈥� might serve as a good lesson for Broderick, whose Adult Simba voice helped earn Disney more than $600 million. Since the turn of the millennium, only five Broderick films have earned more than $45 million 鈥� and three of those five featured only Broderick鈥檚 voice (鈥淕ood Boy!鈥� 鈥淏ee Movie,鈥� 鈥淭he Tale of Despereaux鈥�). Put simply, he鈥檇 be perfect in 鈥�.鈥�
