If you were reading my blog this summer, you may know that I have an unwarranted obsession with movie box office results.

Beyond the weekly tallies, I also enjoy the crazier stats, like "What actor has made the most at the box-office having never worn blue jeans in a movie?" (Up until recently, I believe it was Orlando Bloom.)

So it was I found myself tonight thinking about which actor (that's a gender neutral term now, by the way) made the most in 2005. Since I didn't see such a list online, I quickly made my own list using IMDb and Box Office Mojo. I will make the caveat that this is based on educated guesses and I could easily have missed someone.

Here it is... Ghent's Top Actors at the Box Office 2005:

1. Christopher Lee ($640 million) (Sith, Charlie & Chocolate, Corpse Bride)
2. Ewan McGregor ($563 million) (Sith, The Island, Robots, Valient)
3. Morgan Freeman ($541M) (War of the Worlds, March of Penguins, Batman Begins, Unleashed)
4. Samuel L. Jackson ($481M) (Sith, Coach Carter, XXX 2, The Man)
5. Vince Vaughn ($452M) (Wedding Crashers, Mr. Mrs. Smith, Be Cool, Thumbsucker)
6. Gary Oldman ($451M) (Batman Begins, Harry Potter)
7. Frank Oz ($408M) (Sith, Zathura)
8. [ Everyone in Sith ] ($380M)
9. Chris Rock ($351M) (Madagascar, Longest Yard)
10. Kerry Washington ($341M) (Mr. Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four)
11. Liam Neeson** ($330M) (Batman, Kingdom of Heaven, Narnia)
12. Will Ferrell ($327M) (Wedding Crashers, Kicking & Screaming, Bewitched, Melinda & Melinda)
13. Dakota Fanning ($317M) (War of the Worlds, Hide and Seek, Dreamer)
14. Helena Bonham Carter ($315M) (Corpse Bride, Charlie, Wallace and Grommit)
15. Alan Rickman ($297M) (Harry Potter, Hitchhiker's Guide)
16. Warwick Davis ($297M) (Harry Potter, Hitchhiker's Guide)
17. Michael Caine ($267M) (Batman, Bewitched, Weatherman)
18. Tim Robbins ($262M) (War of the Worlds, Zathura)
19. Johnny Depp ($259M) (Corpse Bride, Charlie)
20. Deep Roy ($259M) (Corpse Bride, Charlie)

And some observations...

- 3 of the top 4 were in Star Wars - Ewan, Christopher Lee, Sam Jackson)
- 3 have been in Star Wars films in previous years: Liam Neeson, Warwick Davis, Deep Roy (see this blog entry)
- note that Pablo Hidalgo is included in #8, making him a bigger draw than Johnny Depp
- Liam Neeson's total is still going because of Narnia... I'd guess he moves up to #8 by year end.
- If Liam Neeson had done his rumored voice cameo in Sith, he'd have been first by a mile with $710 and climbing
- Alan Rickman and Warwick Davis are tied since they were in the same two movies. In "Hitchhiker's Guide", they actually played the same character... Marvin the Paranoid Android

If I've missed anyone, made any errors or if you have other observations... let me know.

{EDIT #1 -- Added Will Ferrell.)