![\"97th](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/de25beb0df0314086d3c8121b220f9235d-zoe-saldana.rsquare.w400.jpg\")
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Apparently going blue can lead to a lot of green. Zoe Salda\u00f1a announced<\/a> Tuesday night that she is now the highest-grossing film actor of all time. Salda\u00f1a most recently starred in James Cameron\u2019s Avatar: Fire and Ash, the latest in the franchise, which grossed $1.23 billion at the worldwide box office and tipped the actress into the top spot, per the New York Post<\/a>. \u201cI just want to express my sincerest gratitude for the extraordinary journey,\u201d the 47-year-old said in an Instagram video. \u201cAn achievement made possible entirely, entirely by the incredible franchises and the collaborators that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo every director who placed their trust in me, thank you,\u201d she added, naming Star Trek director J.J. Abrams, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo, and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd most importantly, thank you James Cameron for believing in 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,\u201d she went on. \u201cYour faith, your guidance, and your vision, they shape not only these films but me as an artist.\u201d<\/p>\n With four major franchises to her name, and two more Avatar projects to come in 2029 and 2031, we can likely expect Salda\u00f1a to remain at the top of the box office for at least a few more years. She unseats previous record holder Scarlett Johansson, who snagged the top spot with the help of 2025\u2019s Jurassic World Rebirth, which grossed more than $800 million. Prior to Johansson, the record was held by Marvel regulars Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Downey Jr.<\/p>\n \u201cNone of this exists without you showing up time and time again with open hearts and enthusiasm,\u201d Salda\u00f1a said to her fans. \u201cThis accomplishment belongs to all of us and I\u2019m deeply grateful and profoundly humbled. And may the next record breaker be another woman.\u201d<\/p>\n Stay in touch.<\/p>\n Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily<\/p>\n Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/p>\n