I dunno, I'm almost wondering if I'd classify Jackson as nearly a co-star in The Avengers, rather than a bit part. He was definitely a selling point of that movie, to a greater degree than his cameo in IM1 and his extended cameo in IM2.

Bruce Willis

Look Who's Talking - $12.1M (1989) [I think this counts, Willis' role was a selling point]
Die Hard 2 - $21.7M (1990)
Death Becomes Her - $12.1M (1993)
Striking Distance - $8.7M (1993)
Pulp Fiction - $9.3M (1994)
12 Monkeys - $13.8M (1995) [this number is for the wide opening a week later, in Jan. '96]
Beavis and Butt-head Do America - $20.1M (1996) [Voice, may not count?]
The Fifth Element - $17.0M (1997)
The Jackal - $15.2M (1997)
Armageddon - $36.1M (1998)
The Sixth Sense - $26.7M (1999)
The Whole Nine Yards - $13.7M (2000)
Ocean's 12 - $39.2M (2004) [Cameo]
Sin City - $29.1M (2005)
The Expendables - $34.8M (2010)
The Expendables 2 - $29.0M (2012)
A Good Day to Die Hard - $24.8M (2013)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation - $40.5M (2013)

Total: 18 from 1989-2013 (17 if you don't count Ocean's 12, 16 if you don't count Beavis and Butt-Head, 15 if you don't count Look Who's Talking)

Highest - G.I. Joe: Retaliation - $40.5M
Top 3 Adjusted - Armageddon (61.9), The Sixth Sense (42.3), Die Hard 2 (41.4)

He directed, wrote, produced, choreographed and starred in the film. It's his film more than Look Who's Talking, The Expendables, The Expendables 2, Ocean's Twelve and G.I. Joe: Retaliation are Bruce Willis films.

Stallone did not star in Staying Alive, they bump into each other on the street and Stallone turns around. It's separated like Gibson's was for directing.

And don't knock Willis in Look Who's talking. He was pivotal to that film's success

Title of the thread is: Actors with the most number 1 openings

Stallone is an actor. Staying Alive got to #1. End of.

I'm glad we agree. He's an actor. As a director he has 5 #1 hits.

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
Silkwood (1983)
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
The River Wild (1994)
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Meryl Streep Total: 6 from 1977 to 2012
Highest opening: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events- 30.06 million
Top 3 openings Adjusted: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - 38.97 million, Death Becomes Her - 23.49m, The River Wild - $19.67m

Despite her illustrious career this is the list that Meryl often doesn't do great.

Sad to remember that an all-time classic like Chicken Run didn't open at number one (not even close).

There's nothing to agree besides the fact that you made a stupid thread with a vague title.

Morgan Freeman:

Lean On Me - 5M (1989)
Driving Miss Daisy - 5.7M (1989) (in its wide expansion)
Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves - 25.6M (1991)
Unforgiven - 15M (1992)
Outbreak - 13.4M (1995)
Seven - 13.9M (1995)
Kiss The Girls - 13.2M (1997)
Deep Impact - 41.2M (1998)
The Sum Of All Fears - 31.2M (2002)
Bruce Almighty - 68M (2003)
Batman Begins - 48.7M (2005)
Evan Almighty - 31.2M (2007)
The Bucket List - 19.4M (2008) (In its wide expansion)
Wanted - 50.9M (2008)
The Dark Knight - 158.4M (2008)
The Dark Knight rises - 160.9M (2012)
Oblivion 37M (2013)

Total: 17 from 1989-2013 (15 if you don’t count expansions)

Highest - The Dark Knight rises - 160.9M
Top 3 Adjusted - The Dark Knight (177.6), The Dark Knight rises (166.5), Bruce Almighty (90.7)

What about Frank Welker?

About 5 if you only count leading roles.

Matt Damon:

Saving Private Ryan: 30 million (July 1998)
Rounders: 8 million (September 1998)
Ocean's Eleven: 38 million (December 2001)
The Bourne Supremacy: 52 million (July 2004)
Ocean's Twelve: 39 million (December 2004)
The Departed: 26 million (October 2006)
Ocean's Thirteen: 36 million (June 2007)
The Bourne Ultimatum: 69 million (August 2007)
Contagion: 22 million (September 2011)
Elysium: 29 million (August 2013)

10 since 1998.

The Brothers Grimm was number one on its opening day, but fell below The 40-Year-Old Virgin on Saturday and Sunday and opened at number two.

The Bourne Identity never hit number one, not even on a single day. It was trumped at the time by the immortal classic Scooby-Doo.

If we're talking about Damon's #1 drawing power, you could probably go ahead and add The Bourne Legacy to that list too.

I thought Richard Gere might have more, but:

American Gigolo: 3 million (February 1980)
Pretty Woman: 11 million (March 1990)
Primal Fear: 9 million (April 1996)
The Jackal: 15 million (November 1997)
Runaway Bride: 35 million (July 1999)

5 since 1980.

An Officer and a Gentleman reached number one in its sixth frame, then hit number one again in its eleventh frame. It spent 21 weekends in the top ten overall.

The Jackal...Gere's best movie opening at #1. Awesome film.

Her biggest openings adjusted would be Mama Mia and Devil Wears Prada, despite both opening at #2.

I keep thinking back to Scott Mendelson's assertions that ranking is meaningless. Sandra Bullock's #2 and #3 unadjusted openings (#2 and #4 adjusted openings) were both films which opened at #2.

Bill Murray-

Where the Buffalo Roam- 1.75 million (80)
Tootsie- 5.5 million (82)
Ghostbusters- 13.6 million (84)
Scrooged- 13 million (88)
Ghosbusters II- 29.5 million (89)
What About Bob- 9.2 million (91)
Groundhog Day- 12.5 million (92)
Space Jam- 27.5 million (96)
Charlie's Angels- 40 million (00)
Zombieland- 24.7 million 09)

Bill Murray Total: 10 from 1980 to 2009, 9 without Space Jam
Highest opening: Charlie's Angels- 40 million
Top 3 openings Adjusted: Charlie's Angels (60) Ghostbusters II (59.8) Space Jam (50)
Note: Kept Zombieland because he honestly was the best part of the whole film

Robin Williams:

Good Morning Vietnam- 11.8 million (87)
The Fisher King- 7.1 million (91)
Hook- 13.5 million (91)
Mrs. Doubtfire- 20.5 million (93)
Jumanji- 11.1 million (95)
The Birdcage- 18.3 million (96)
Jack- 11.2 million (96)
Flubber- 26.7 million (97)
Patch Adams- 25.3 million (98)
Robots- 36 million (05)
RV- 16.4 million (06)
Happy Feet- 41.5 million (06)
Night at the Museum- 30.4 million (06)
Night at the Museum 2- 54.2 million (09)
Lee Daniels The Butler- 24.6 million (13)

Total: 15 from 1987 to 2013,13 without the NATM movies
Highest opening: Night at the Museum 2- 54.2 million
Top 3 openings Adjusted: NATM2 (58.5) Flubber (46.9) Patch Adams- 45.3)

True, but in the trades the rankings mean quite a bit. If you have multiple number 1 hits, it usually means higher pay days for you.

Brad Pitt:

Interview With The Vampire - 36.4M (1994)
Legends Of The Fall - 14M (1994) (in its wide expansion)
Seven - 13.9 (1995)
12 Monkeys - 13.8 (1995) (in its wide expansion)
Sleepers - 12.3 (1996)
Fight Club - 11M (1999)
The Mexican - 20.1M (2001)
Ocean’s 11 - 38.1 (2001)
Troy - 46.9 (2004)
Ocean’s 12 - 39.2 (2004)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith - 50.3 (2005)
Ocean’s 13 - 36.1 (2007)
Burn After Reading - 19.1M (2008)
Inglourious Basterds - 38.1M (2009)
Megamind - 46M (2010) (voice)


Total: 15 (13 if you don’t count expansions, 12 if you also don’t count animated)

Highest - Mr. & Mrs. Smith - 50.3M (From the films that finished number 1, WWZ which opened in second is the actual highest with 66.4M).
Top 3 Adjusted - Interview With The Vampire (70.1), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (63.2), Troy (60.8) (WWZ would have been number 2).

Kurt Russell:

Backdraft- 12.7 (91)
Stargate- 16.7 (94)
Breakdown- 12.3 (97)
Vanilla Sky- 25 million (01)

Total: 4 from 1991 to 2001.
Highest opening: Vanilla Sky- 25 million
Top 3 openings Adjusted: Vanilla Sky (35.6) Stargate (32) Miracle (25)

Note: A little disappointing, I figured Russell would have had more. He has about 17 solid hits from the years, but a lot of #2 openings.

Adam Sandler:

Billy Madison- 6.6 million (95)
Bulletproof- 6 million (96)
The Waterboy- 39.4 million (98)
Big Daddy- 41.5 million (99)
Mr. Deeds- 37.1 million (02)
Anger Management- 42.2 million (03)
50 First Dates- 39.9 million (04)
Click- 40 million (06)
I now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry- 34 million (07)
Funny People- 22.7 million (09)
Just Go With It- 30.1 million (11)
Hotel Transylvania- 42.5 million (12)


Total: 12 from 1995 to 2012.
Highest opening: The Longest Yard- 47.6 million
Top 3 openings Adjusted: The Waterboy (67.7) Big Daddy (65.8) The Longest Yard (59.8)

Note: A lot of high #2 openings as well. Happy Gilmore, Grownups 1&2, Longest Yard, Wedding Singer, J&J, Zohan, Bedtime Stories, etc.

Denzel Washington:

The Pelican Brief- 16.9 million (93)
Philadelphia- 13.8 million (93)
Crimson Tide- 18.6 million (95)
He Got Game- 7.6 million (98)
The Bone Collector- 16.7 million (99)
Remember the Titans- 20.9 million (00)
Training Day- 22.5 million (01)
John Q- 20.3 million (02)
Man on Fire- 22.7 million (04)
Inside Man- 28.9 million (06)
American Gangster- 43.6 million (07)
2 Guns- 27 million (13)

Total: 12 from 1993 to 2013.
Highest opening: American Gangster- 43.6
Top 3 openings Adjusted: American Gangster (51) Safe House (41) Inside man (35.6)

Note. 2 Guns is his first #1 opening after four straight number 2 openings

I did Denzel on page one, you damned fool!