- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: At the peak of their popularity which actor would you say was the biggest box office draw?
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:21 am to FlyingTigerBo
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:21 am to FlyingTigerBo
I'm guessing Hanks is No. 1, but Leo has got to be right there too.
1
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:24 am to real turf fan
quote:
Hanks
i dont think Tom Hanks was ever as big of a box office draw based on name alone on the same scale as Cruise or Smith (or probably even Pitt). Tom Hanks has been a consistently good actor his entire career, but a significant part of his draw was the fact that he has consistently appeared in really good movies. my opinion, anyways.
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:25 am to meeple
quote:
Cruise by far.
Followed by Smith, but on a shorter term.
This.
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:26 am to FlyingTigerBo
I don’t see how anyone can not answer Tom Cruise
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:28 am to idlewatcher
quote:
Hanks is a wild card to me. His movies have done very well of course but not Cruise level good.
I would actually say his absolute peak may have been the highest of everyone on the list, but maybe over a shorter period of time. A league of their own, Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Forest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail were all from 92-98. He won 2 best actor Academy Awards in back to back years
I would put that 7 year period ahead of anyone else on the list with a mix of great popcorn flicks as well as critical acclaim films.
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:29 am to FlyingTigerBo
Tom Cruise should be number 1 but Harrison Ford is a name that was top 10 for a long time also.
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:33 am to jchamil
quote:
I don’t see how anyone can not answer Tom Cruise
Just depends on how long is a "peak". If you have Cruise having a 40 year peak then yes, but if you say a peak can only be 5-8 years, there is an argument I would say
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:34 am to Buckeye06
quote:
I would actually say his absolute peak may have been the highest of everyone on the list, but maybe over a shorter period of time. A league of their own, Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Forest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail were all from 92-98. He won 2 best actor Academy Awards in back to back years
we're talking box office draw here, not quality of films. it's a little nebulous, but there's a distinction. i dont think those movies were successful because Tom Hanks got butts in seats.
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:42 am to FlyingTigerBo
Tom Cruise...his span of blockbuster hits across multiple decades is unmatched...
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:44 am to FlyingTigerBo
Per capita and equal dollars over time, Charlie Chaplin.
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:56 am to Sam Quint
quote:
we're talking box office draw here, not quality of films. it's a little nebulous, but there's a distinction. i dont think those movies were successful because Tom Hanks got butts in seats.
It's hard because he was the biggest star in each of those movies I would say (except maybe Toy Story where he was only a "voice" actor of one of the 2 biggest roles). But I understand that you are saying people didn't see the movies because of Hanks, which is hard to say yes or no to definitively
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:57 am to thermal9221
Robert Redford
Posted on 8/24/26 at 10:58 am to FlyingTigerBo
Tom Hanks.
And it's not close.
Forrest Gump
Saving Private Ryan
Apollo 13
You've Got Mail
Castaway
The Green Mile
Sleepless in Seattle
Philadelphia
But the sleeper everyone forgets is...
30% of the US population bought a ticket to see Forrest Gump in the movie theater. The best Cruise could do was 20% with the original Top Gun.
And it's not close.
Forrest Gump
Saving Private Ryan
Apollo 13
You've Got Mail
Castaway
The Green Mile
Sleepless in Seattle
Philadelphia
But the sleeper everyone forgets is...
30% of the US population bought a ticket to see Forrest Gump in the movie theater. The best Cruise could do was 20% with the original Top Gun.
This post was edited on 8/24/26 at 11:11 am
Posted on 8/24/26 at 11:01 am to FlyingTigerBo
LSU was losing a game. Cruise showed up and LSU turned it around and won. Im going with Cruise based off the power of Xenu
Posted on 8/24/26 at 11:06 am to Sam Quint
quote:
, but a significant part of his draw was the fact that he has consistently appeared in really good movies. my opinion, anyways.
Tom Brady/Belicheck situation but Tom Hanks carried a movie where he talked to a volleyball for two hours so...
Not sure if people went because of Hanks in the same way as others. I think we trusted Hanks' judgment to be involved in a good movie. If he signed on, we knew it would be good.
This post was edited on 8/24/26 at 11:08 am
Posted on 8/24/26 at 11:10 am to Sam Quint
quote:
i dont think Tom Hanks was ever as big of a box office draw based on name alone on the same scale as Cruise or Smith
No, he was bigger (based on % of population that went to see his movies.)
Did Cruise make more? Yes. But that's mainly due to the inflation of ticket prices during the late 90's - early 2000's.
Posted on 8/24/26 at 11:11 am to FlyingTigerBo
How is Cage not on this list?
Posted on 8/24/26 at 11:13 am to FlyingTigerBo
Although not the safest big box office draw compared to some others on this list
The actual fame around Leo at his peak was unlike anything I have ever seen, That absolute peak was relatively short lived. He saturated every media market there was to saturate, including women's panties
Safer draws were for sure cruise, hanks, and smith for a period of time
The actual fame around Leo at his peak was unlike anything I have ever seen, That absolute peak was relatively short lived. He saturated every media market there was to saturate, including women's panties
Safer draws were for sure cruise, hanks, and smith for a period of time
Posted on 8/24/26 at 11:16 am to FlyingTigerBo
Jim Carey was the first $20 mil actor I believe but since he is not on this list it would either be Will Smith or Tom Cruise (from a box office perspective)
Posted on 8/24/26 at 11:16 am to FlyingTigerBo
Cruise
Denzel
Harrison ford
Will smith
Matt Damon
Denzel
Harrison ford
Will smith
Matt Damon
Page 2 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News