Hollywood's top Black moneymakers - Illustration

Ebony, June, 2003 by Aldore Collier

HOLLYWOOD stars are rated not by their pretty faces but by their bottom lines--how much money the last movies they starred in grossed. Within the last decade, a number of Black movie stars, most of them male, some of them relatively unknown, have moved into the charmed circle of bankable movie stars by consistently starring in movies that have consistently grossed $50 million or more. This means, in Hollywood's cold-hearted rating system, that their name on a movie marquee virtually guarantees to the bankers that the movie will make money.

The system is not infallible. Hollywood's graveyard is strewn with the celluloid bones of big-name stars and big-budget movies that bombed. But in the long run, Hollywood's real powers, the bankers, say you can bet on the thoroughbreds who usually win, place or show.

Among these stars are eight Black males and two Black females, Halle Berry and Queen Latifah, who have been among Hollywood's top Black moneymakers in the last two years, according to statistics of Variety and other industry sources. Leading the male list in 2002 and 2003 is Will Smith ($217 million), followed by Samuel L. Jackson *, Vin Diesel, the Rock, Wesley Snipes, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Denzel Washington. Eddie Murphy, who has consistently scored high, was in the $75 million bracket, and two newcomers, Orlando Jones ($55 million) and Bow Wow ($51.4 million), moved closer to the golden circle.

Three African-American women, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg and Queen Latifah, are in the golden circle, but only Halle and Latifah scored high in the last money ratings.

WILL SMITH succeeds on dual levels in Hollywood as both a major action and comedy box-office attraction. His Men In Black II was a bonanza, pulling in just under $200 million. Additionally, the movie Ali generated an estimated $17 million and earned him an Academy Award nomination.

HALLE BERRY'S rise to the top has been described as "meteoric." She went from being a barely recognizable junkie in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever to one of the most coveted roles of all time, a Bond girl, in the movie Die Another Day, which pulled in $160 million. Monster's Ball, the film for which she won the Academy Award, earned more than $31 million.

EDDIE MURPHY is the all-time Black box-office champion with movie grosses of more than $1 billion, generated by films that include Trading Places, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Dr. Dolittle and the three Beverly Hills Cop entries.

SAMUEL L. JACKSON is considered Hollywood's everyman, almost effortlessly moving from action to intense drama. Changing Laneswith Ben Affleck earned $67 million and Formula 1 generated $5.2 million. Additionally, his ensemble effort in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is one of the biggest earners of all time with $310 million.

QUEEN LATIFAH, who first gained national attention as a rapper, moved seamlessly into the world of movies and has proved to be a major moneymaker. Her latest films, Chicago (which earned her an Academy Award nomination) and Bringing Down The House, have combined to earn a whopping $256 million.

VIN DIESEL may be a newcomer, but he immediately soared to the top in Fast and the Furious. Any questions about his staying power were answered with his starring role in the movie XXX, which earned a whopping $141 million, and A Man Apart, generated another $15 million in its opening weeks.

DWAYNE (THE ROCK) JOHNSON slammed bodies around the wrestling ring and parlayed the resulting fame into box-office magic. His first role in The Mummy Returns helped him get a starring role in the follow-up The Scorpion King, which pulled in $90 million.

DENZEL WASHINGTON did what many actors wish they could do when he got people around the country talking about the nation's insurance problem in his hit John Q, a movie that pulled in $71 million. His directorial debut in Antwone Fisher was a critical success that so far has earned $15 million.

WESLEY SNIPES' name has become synonymous with intense, high-tech action adventures. Fans who loved him in Blade flocked to see him use his brain as well as feet and fists in Blade II, which earned $81 million.

CUBA GOODING JR. endeared himself to audiences in Boyz N the Hood and his Oscar-winning role in Jerry Maguire. He surprised the oddsmakers with the success of his hit comedy Snow Dogs, which earned $81 million.

BOW WOW made his mark as a crowd-pleasing hip-hop phenom. Then he made the move to the silver screen with Like Mike, and fans seem to think he has a future as an actor because the film earned more than $51 million.

Hollywood's Top Black Moneymakers
(2002-2003)

ACTOR                MOVIE                      GROSS

SAMUEL L. JACKSON    Star Wars                  $310 million *
                     Changing Lanes              $67 million
                     Formula 1                    $5.2 million

QUEEN LATIFAH        Chicago                    $145 million *
                     Bringing Down The House    $111 million

WILL SMITH           Men In Black II            $200 million
                     Ali                         $17 million

HALLE BERRY          Die Another Day            $160 million *
                     Monster's Ball              $31 million

VIN DIESEL           XXX                        $141 million
                     A Man Apart                 $15 million

THE ROCK             The Scorpion King           $90 million

EDDIE MURPHY         Showtime                    $37.9 million
                     I spy                       $33.1 million
                     Pluto Nash                   $4.4 million

DENZEL WASHINGTON    John Q                      $71 million
                     Antwone Fisher              $15 million

WESLEY SNIPES        Blade II                    $81 million

CUBA GOODING JR.     Snow Dogs                   $81 million

ORLANDO JONES        Drumline                    $55 million

BOW WOW              Like Mike                   $51 million

* Best-selling sequels or blockbuster movies with all-star casts are
not directly linked to the magic of the individual star. We have not
listed movies with ensemble casts. Figures are reflected through
April 15.