Top 10 Multi-Franchise Movie Actors

This lady may be young, but she’s got acting experience already that others can only dream of. Though she’s spent her fair share of time performing in indie fare, her first flutter with mainstream film came in “X-Men: First Class” – and as the mutant Mystique she could shape-shift and sell-out cinemas. But she’s probably most well known for playing Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games” franchise. She volunteered as tribute, she’s the girl on fire, she’s the highest grossing heroine of all time – she’s a superstar!

Ironically, this guy found international fame after starring as “The Man with No Name”… And as Sergio Leone’s antihero, he propelled the Western genre into a new generation. Not content with just one iconic franchise, Eastwood went on to star as another character that helped set the standard of machismo during the ‘70s and ‘80s: Dirty Harry. This hardline cop had us all quaking in our boots – we’re ‘lucky’ to have witnessed him, not that we’d admit it…

At the turn of the millennium, this husky hard-man really turned it up! His role as “The Transporter” confirmed him as the modern day action-man that Guy Ritchie’s “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch” promised he’d be. More than just a gun-toting gangster, Statham can play mysterious, and he can do funny! “Crank” is comedy with anger issues, and Chev Chelios is Statham’s stand-up act. His selection as part of “The Expendables” and his status as both “Fast and Furious” are just further confirmation that this guy’s the business!

As both Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Charles Xavier, Patrick Stewart demands attention – and deservedly gets it. Maybe the roles were made for him, but more likely he made the roles. The look and the voice are instantly recognizable. This Shakespearean stage actor plays the worldly wise man well because he is a wise man. The “X-Men” and “Star Trek” franchises owe a great deal of their success to this acting genius.

Though he did have a couple of Oscar nods under his belt, Robert Downey Jr. blossomed relatively late as a big-time actor; and in a few short years he’s seen a franchise frenzy! Originally playing Marvel’s “Iron Man” in 2008, his rock ‘n’ roll style was fresh, and often funny. By 2013 and the release of the third film, “Iron Man” was a worldwide super-hit, and Downey Jr. was in the acting elite. Equally innovative as Sherlock Holmes, for this man, the future’s mysterious, metallic, and very bright!

A franchise actor, and one with undeniable range, Hugo Weaving has landed some big parts in some huge movies! As Agent Smith he bullet-bends his way through “The Matrix,” as the voice of Noah he’s an elder penguin statesman in “Happy Feet” and as the voice of Megatron, he flexes metal muscle over the “Transformers.” Seemingly unsatisfied with life on regular Earth, Weaving, as Lord Elrond, also has the throne of Rivendell. The alien castings are clearly appropriate though, as his performances are out of this world!

There’re few actors with a back-catalogue as rich as Sir Christopher Lee’s. Perhaps best known to modern audiences as the malevolent Saruman in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, he also starred as “Star Wars” villain, Count Dooku. Frightful characters are definitely his forte, and they don’t come more devilish than Dracula; Lee’s tenure as the coffined Count at “Hammer Films” lasted an incredible 15 terrifying years. In real life he’s not at all scary, but we’ve rarely seen him play the good guy – how does he do it??

He’s played one of the most heroic franchise characters of recent times, he’s played one of the most demonic franchise characters of recent times – and he’s flitted between the two with apparent ease! As Magneto he’s the mutant with a chip on his shoulder, and as Gandalf he’s the wizard with a glint in his eye. The Tolkienian role was also offered to Sean Connery – but as good as Connery is, the grey hat and pipe could only ever be McKellen’s!

Maybe one day Stallone will do a franchise of chick-flicks – but not today! He’s as prolific with action movies as he is with on-screen kills! In “Rocky,” he’s the Italian Stallion who has us all running up the nearest flight of stairs. As John Rambo, he inspires grown men to run around in forests with paintball guns, passing it off as a “team-building exercise.” As Barney Ross, he proved he’s still got it, and that he’s anything but “expendable” – and we still love him!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Gary Oldman
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Vin Diesel
- Mel Gibson
- Mike Myers

This legendary actor has given us two of the most unforgettable characters in modern cinema. Han Solo is just about the coolest guy in all of space, and Indy is the crusader we all want to be! Ford somehow also had time to portray Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in style! In the past his characters have been labeled as “accidental heroes” – but there’s nothing random about Harrison Ford as a man: he’s acting royalty, a versatile actor and a franchise King!

Do you agree with our list? Which household name have we forgotten? For more multi-talented top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.