A new entry into the pantheon of Hollywood actors who’ve been richly rewarded for their talents is Tom Hanks, who’s currently starring in the movie “Bridge of Spies”. He’s appeared in some 300 movies, with his first role coming in the TV movie “The Bonfire of the Vanities” in 1984. He’s appeared in more than 20 of the top 100 grossing movies of all time, including “Toy Story 2” (second only to “Star Wars”, which has appeared in more than 30 movies) and “The Polar Express” (which has appeared in more than 20 movies).
To many movie fans, a real movie buff is a person who can tell you the names of all the actors in a movie, which roles they played in a movie, and the number of movies they’ve been in. We obviously couldn’t fit all of these actors into our blog post. So, we’ll focus on the top 20 actors who have been in the most movies, and tell you where to get more information on any of these actors if you’re interested.
When you look at the top 20 actors in history, you’d expect to see the biggest names. But these are not necessarily the actors who’ve starred in the most films. Sometimes, it’s the smaller names that end up starring in the most films. For example, the “Top 20 (and counting) Hollywood Actors Who’ve Been In The Most Movies” list shows the number of movies the actor starred in, not their number of films. To get the true number of films each actor appeared in, you need to add the total number of movies each actor starred in, not the total number (credits) they’ve starred in.
The film business in Hollywood started in 1908. Since then, a slew of directors, actors, and actresses have walked Hollywood’s red carpet, bringing us films, musicals, and television shows.
Is it the prospect of fame and riches that motivates an actor to participate in a film? Or is it the love and enthusiasm for the art? Some performers feature in dozens of films, while others appear in just a handful. We’ll concentrate on the former as we narrow down 20 of Hollywood’s most prolific performers based on the number of films they’ve been in.
1. Eric Roberts has 455 films to his credit.
If you are unfamiliar with his name, you may recognize him as Julia Roberts’ brother and Emma Roberts’ father.
Roberts, who was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, started his career on Broadway, where he received the Theatre World Award for his performance in Burn This. In 1976, he got his big break when he was cast in the soap opera Another World. He went on to star in films including King of the Gypsies (1978), Raggedy Man (1981), and Runaway Train (1985). (1985).
Roberts is a well-known actor who has been nominated for a number of accolades during his career. He’s been nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and many film festivals.
Blockbusters like DOA: Dead or Alive (2006), The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012), and The Expendables are among Robert’s popular cinema credits (2010). He is a well-known actor with over 638 acting credits on IMDB.
2. John Carradine has appeared in 227 films.
John Carradine (born Peter Richmond Carradine) was an American actor from the town of Poughkeepsie in the state of New York. His father was a journalist, and his mother was a surgeon, and he was born into a wealthy, well-connected family. He studied sculpting and art at the Graphics Art Institute in Philadelphia, and he is a talented artist.
Under the name John Peter Richmond, Carradine made his acting debut in Tol’able David (1930). In 1935, he acquired and held the stage name “John Carradine.” He developed and thrived in Hollywood, appearing in films such as Johnny Guitar (1954), The Ten Commandments (1956), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1956).
Until his death in 1988, at the age of 82, he continued to act in films after films. Buried Alive (1990) and Jack-O (1991) were two of his posthumously released films (1995).
Danny Glover has appeared in 219 films.
Danny Glover is a social activist, actor, and producer from San Francisco, California. He has played a variety of roles, but is most remembered for his part in the action film Lethal Weapon (1987) and its sequels.
In Fugard’s Master Harold…and the Boys (1982), he made his Broadway debut, which earned him national acclaim. Soon after, he was cast in his first major part in Robert Benton’s Best Picture Places in the Heart (1984). Glover and Mel Gibson co-starred in the original Lethal Weapon picture in 1987, which spawned three highly successful sequels in 1989, 1992, and 1993. (1998).
In addition to performing, he has worked as an executive producer or director on films such as To Sleep With Anger (1990) and Just a Dream (1993). (2002). Glover is a philanthropist and community activist who works on topics such as economic justice and healthcare outside of performing.
4. Danny Trejo has appeared in 215 films.
Danny Trejo, a Hollywood film star who was born in Los Angeles, has had an unusual career path. Trejo was engaged in narcotics and criminal activities during the time, and spent the 1960s and 1970s in and out of jail.
In solitary prison, where he finished a 12-step recovery program and was released in 1972, his life took a turn for the better. In 1984, he was discovered by director Andrei Konchalovsky, who cast him as a boxer in the film Runaway Train, with Eric Roberts (1985). Trejo would go on to perform lesser parts in the future, most of which were typecast as jail inmates or gang members.
His performance in Spy Kids (2001) gained him international acclaim, and he was cast as the lead in the film Machete. Trejo, who is now 77 years old, has featured in a number of major motion pictures, including Con Air (1997), XXX (2002), and Death Race 2. (2010).
5. Christopher Lee has appeared in 211 films.
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini is an English actor best remembered for his roles as Count Dracula, Saruman, and Count Dooku in Hammer Horror films (Star Wars). Prior to pursing an acting career, Lee served in the Royal Air Force, rising to the rank of flying lieutenant during WWII.
Lee had a difficult start to his profession, as he was often turned down owing to his intimidating size and height. His performance as the eponymous character in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) attracted industry notice, and he went on to star in additional Hammer Horror films.
Lee would go on to appear in a number of films, including The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Face of Fu Manchu (1965), The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), and the James Bond picture The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
Lee lived until he was 93 years old, when he died in June 2015. In 2018, his last posthumous performance in The Time War was released.
6. Richard Riehle has a total of 209 films to his credit.
Richard Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1948, and began his acting career as an extra in the John Wayne picture Rooster Cogburn at the Meadow Brooke Theatre (1975).
Since then, he’s been a sought-after commodity for casting directors looking for a heavy-set, mustachioed guy for their film or television productions. Riehle is one of those actors that you immediately recognize in a film, even if he just has a little part. Over the years, he has been in a number of films and television shows.
He may be seen in films such as The West Wing (2001), The Young and the Restless (2007), and Psych (2009), among others, sporting his trademark short mustache. He’s also recognized for his roles in TV shows including Star Trek: The Next Generation (1992), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1998), and Boston Legal (1999). (2005).
7. Jackie Chan has a total of 190 films to his credit.
Jackie Chan (born Chan Kong-sang) is a Hong Kong-born Chinese stuntman, actor, and director known for his dangerous acrobatic feats and engaging physical comedy in Asian and American films.
Chan featured in small parts in two Bruce Lee films in the 1970s: Fist of Fury (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1976). (1973). Chan made his debut in American cinema in the 1990s, with the release of his smash Rumble in the Bronx (1995). Chan went on to appear in American action films including Rush Hour (1998), The Tuxedo (2002), and Karate Kid (2003). (2010).
Chan doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Chan, who is still working in the film business as a producer, director, and stunt coordinator, has established himself as one of the industry’s most adored performers and has gone a long way from his modest beginnings.
8. Mickey Rooney has appeared in 190 films.
Mickey Rooney is an actor and musical performer from the United States. A famous adolescent actor remembered for his part in the Andy Hardy film series, A Family Affair, was born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, USA (1937).
Babes in Arms (1939), Strike Up the Band (1940), and Babes on Broadway (1941) are among his musical achievements. He was already a well-known actor by the late 1930s, and from 1938 through 1943, he was one of the top 10 box-office stars. In 1939, he received a junior Academy Award for his services to the cinema business.
Rooney was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in The Black Stallion (1979). In 1983, he was also given an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement. He has roles in films such as Night at the Museum (2006) and The Muppets (2007). (2011). Rooney died in April of 2014.
9. Samuel L Jackson has appeared in 174 films.
Samuel Leroy Jackson, a Washington native, was an early cinema buff. Jackson frequented the neighborhood theater, where he was exposed to the delicate issues surrounding Black representation on television. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in the 1970s, which encouraged him to pursue acting.
Jackson received several accolades in 1991 for his role as a heroin addict in the film Jungle Fever (1991). Jackson was struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction at the time. In 1994, he landed his breakthrough role in Pulp Fiction, working with Quentin Tarantino (1994). The film became a cult classic, and Jackson was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.
Jackson maintained his reputation as a prolific actor by appearing in many blockbusters and franchises, including Jurassic Park, the Star Wars trilogy, and various Marvel films.
Susan Sarandon has 168 films under her belt.
Susan Sarandon is a well-known actress from the United States. Sarandon, a native of New York City, made her film debut in Joe (1970) and went on to star in the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
For her performances in Atlantic City (1980), Thelma & Louise (1991), Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), and The Client (1993), she earned Academy Award nods (1994). Her performance in the dark thriller Dead Man Walking earned her her first Academy Award nomination (1995).
In the late 2000s, her work would continue to amaze audiences as she starred in a number of films and television shows. She was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance in the television series Feud in 2017. (2017).
Donald Sutherland has a total of 156 films to his credit.
Sutherland, Donald McNichol, is a well-known Canadian actor. In addition, he is the father of actor Kiefer Sutherland. Sutherland earned dual degrees in engineering and theatre from the University of Toronto in 1958, against his parents’ urging that he pursue the former.
Sutherland’s early appearances in films and television programs included minor parts in Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965), The Saint (1966), and Court Martial (1967). (1965). His major break came in the shape of The Dirty Dozen (1967), an action-war picture that was an immediate hit. He also appeared in M*A*S*H (1970), a famous military comedy that would be the pinnacle of his career.
Sutherland would appear in blockbuster films such as Space Cowboys (2000), The Italian Job (2003), and the Hunger Games series in the new century (2013-2015).
12. Anthony Quinn has appeared in 152 films.
Anthony Quinn (born Anthony Ruldolph Oaxaca Quinn) was a Mexican American actor who won an Academy Award for his performances in Viva Zapata! (1952) and Lust for Life (1954). (1956). His family ultimately moved in Los Angeles, California, after he was born in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Quinn was originally a student of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who urged him to pursue a career in acting. Following that, he made his cinematic debut in Parole! (1936). This led to a slew of small film parts, most of which he played as a villain with a diverse ethnic background.
He won the Academy Award for Actor in a Supporting Role for his roles in Viva Zapata! and Lust for Life in the 1950s and 1960s. He also appeared in La Strada (1956), which received the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Lawrence of Arabia (1961) and The Guns of Navarone (1961) are two of his most well-known films (1962). Quinn died in June of 2001.
Michael Caine has appeared in 147 films.
Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite) is a British actor who has played a variety of major and supporting roles. Caine was a member of the British Army in his early years, and upon his return to England, he worked as an assistant stage manager and took the name “Caine.”
Caine struggled financially as a result of his modest film appearances and television cameos. In 1960, he got his big break when he met director John Mcgrath, who would later become a buddy. Caine was cast in the popular television drama The Compartment (1961) as a consequence of their relationship, as well as many other television roles.
Caine went on to appear in a number more films. For his supporting performances in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and The Cider House Rules (1999), he received his first and second Academy Awards.
In 2000, Caine was knighted as Sir Maurice Micklewhite CBE for his contributions to film. He’d go on to appear in films like Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), the Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012), and Interstellar, among others (2014).
14. James Hong has a total of 133 films to his credit.
James Hong is an actor from Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. He studied and worked as an engineer before pursuing a career in acting.
When Hong was invited to Groucho Marx’s radio and television game show You Bet Your Life, he became well-known in the business. He established a reputation for himself as an impressionist there, doing spot-on impersonations of celebrities.
His career has covered hundreds of films, TV programs, and even video games, making him a versatile performer. He’s also known for his work as a voice actor in films including Mulan (1998), Kung Fu Panda (2008), and Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest (2015).
Hong is a supporter of Asian actors outside of performing. He is still working in the business and wants to produce and direct his own films.
Ray Milland has appeared in 132 films.
In the Welsh town of Neath, Glamorgan, Alfred Reginald Jones was born. He began his career as Spike Milland in British cinema before changing his name to Raymond Milland. MGM signed Milland and he moved to Hollywood to further his career. However, he was given very little to work with, and when his contract ended, he returned to England.
After joining Paramount in 1934, he made his breakthrough. In romantic comedies such as Burns and Allen’s Many Happy Returns (1934), The Gilded Lily (1935), and the sentimental drama Alias Mary Dow, he worked as an apprentice (1935). He’d graduated and landed a leading part as a wounded British hunter in The Jungle Princess (1936).
For the highly acclaimed picture The Lost Weekend, he won an Academy Award (1945). In films like The Big Clock (1948), Something to Live For (1952), and Dial M for Murder (1954), he had some success (1954). For the following 20 years, he remained at Paramount Pictures, where he directed films and television shows while playing small parts.
James Earl Jones has a total of 106 films to his credit.
James Earl Jones is an American actor most recognized for his rich, resonant voice. He was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi. When he was younger, he had a crippling stammer that he was able to overcome with the assistance of his English instructor.
While studying medicine at the University of Michigan, Jones was attracted to acting, and his performance in the American premiere of Jean Genet’s absurdist play The Blacks (1959) garnered him the notice he needed to launch his film career.
Jones’ performance as Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope was a huge success, and he quickly repeated his role in the sequels. He also had a role in the Disney animated picture The Lion King as a voice actor (1994).
In the film The Great White Hope, he was nominated for an Academy Award (1969). He went on to appear in films including The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), and Clear and Present Danger (1993). (1994).
17. Robert Duvall has appeared in 106 films.
Robert Seldon Duvall was an actor known for his ability to embody any role, particularly ordinary working people, by bringing them to life. He was born in San Diego, California, United States. Duvall studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City in 1955.
Duvall’s first big role was as the mentally challenged Boo Radley in Horton Foote’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Duvall began his career in New York theater productions, winning an Obie Award for his performance in a Broadway version of Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” in 1965.
Despite the fact that he has featured in many films. His performance as Tom Hagen in The Godfather (1972) was his greatest break in the film business, cementing his position as one of Hollywood’s most famous characters.
Eli Wallach has a total of 100 films to his credit.
Eli Wallach was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish-immigrant Jewish parents. He received his training from actor Sanford Meisner of the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio. And he’s worked with some of the greatest stars in Hollywood, including Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood, and Al Pacino.
He made his film debut in Tennessee Williams’ Baby Doll (1956), and has since appeared in a number of other films, including Don Siegel’s The Lineup (1958), John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven (1960), and Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966).
Despite appearing in a number of highly praised films, Wallach has yet to win an Academy Award. He was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in November 2010 for his services to film.
Anthony Hopkins has appeared in 99 films.
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins is a British actor who has been on stage and in films. Richard Burton, a fellow Welsh actor, encouraged the Welsh actor from Margam, Port Talbot, Wales to pursue acting. In 1957, Hopkins graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Laurence Olivier was stricken with appendicitis while performing in a play called Dance of Death. Hopkins then took the stage and began to make a splash with his performance. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his performance as Lionheart in the film The Lion in Winter (1968).
He would go on to appear in a number of successful films, including The White Bus (1967) and The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1968). (1976). However, his depiction as Hanibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor, was his big break.
Bette Davis has a total of 99 films to her credit.
Bette Davis (born Ruth Elizabeth Davis) was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on April 5, 1908. She was dubbed “The First Lady of the American Screen” because she was a free woman in a male-dominated profession. She has established a new benchmark for women on the big screen with her flexibility in filling most positions.
After graduating from Cushing Academy, Davis enrolled in John Murray Anderson’s Dramatic School. Davis made her Broadway debut in the Broken Dishes, which led to a Universal Pictures film deal. After appearing in The Man Who Played God, she went on to Warner Brothers in 1932. (1932).
Davis has a reputation for being difficult to deal with. Her persistence and dedication to performing earned her her first Academy Award for Best Actress in the film Dangerous (1935), which was followed by Jezebel (1936). (1938). In October of 1989, she died.
There’s a lot of actors who have made a large number of appearances in the Hollywood system—sometimes for bigger than life roles, and other times as minor and unnoticeable characters. So, we thought we’d highlight the actors who have made the most appearances in the past. The list includes some well-known names, such as Will Smith and Ben Affleck , as well as some lesser-known faces (some of whom may be hard to spot until you look closely at their credits).. Read more about what actor has been in the most movies 2024 and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who holds the record for the most movies made as an actor in Hollywood?
Harrison Ford has a total of 8 movies under his belt.
Who is the actor that has been in the most movies?
That is a tough question. I am not sure who has been in the most movies, but I know that Leonardo DiCaprio has been in the most movies.
