Actress Zoe Saldana thanks directors, fans for making her highest-grossing actor of all time

The recent blockbuster success of Avatar: Fire And Ash (2025) has given Zoe Saldana a new career milestone as the highest-grossing actor of all time.

The 47-year-old American actress dethroned Scarlett Johansson after the third Avatar film made over US$1.2 billion (S$1.6 billion) at the global box office.

According to American film industry data website The Numbers, Saldana’s films have now made more than US$16.8 billion worldwide. Johansson holds the second spot with US$16.4 billion.

Saldana, who won the best supporting actress Oscar in 2025 for musical crime film Emilia Perez, played Neytiri opposite Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully in all three James Cameron films, including 2009’s Avatar and the 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way Of Water.

She also starred in some of the other highest-grossing films of all time, like her Marvel role as Gamora in the Guardians Of The Galaxy trilogy (2014 to 2023) and the Avengers movies (2012 to present).

She is the first actress to appear in four movies that have generated more than US$2 billion globally: Avatar (US$2.9 billion), 2019’s Avengers: Endgame (US$2.7 billion), Avatar: The Way Of Water (US$2.3 billion) and 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War (US$2 billion).

She also portrayed Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek trilogy (2009 to 2016), which generated more than US$1 billion worldwide.

Saldana took to Instagram on Jan 13 to thank those who helped her achieve this milestone.

“I just want to express my sincerest gratitude for the extraordinary journey that has led me to become the highest-grossing film actor of all time today,” she said. “An achievement made entirely possible by the incredible franchises and the collaborators that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of, to every director who placed their trust in me.”

She gave a shoutout to Star Trek helmer J.J. Abrams, Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo, Guardians film-maker James Gunn and, most importantly, she said, Avatar’s James Cameron, “for believing my potential, for seeing something in me that I have not always seen in myself, and for challenging me to always rise to the occasion”.

She added: “Your faith, your guidance and your vision, they shape not only these films, but me as an artist.”

She also thanked her fans, adding: “None of this exists without you showing up time and time again with open hearts and enthusiasm. This accomplishment belongs to all of us, and I’m deeply grateful and profoundly humbled. And may the next record breaker be another woman.”