Key Takeaways
- Benny Safdie is currently 2026’s highest-grossing actor, with over $2 billion in global box office driven by supporting turns as Bowser Jr. in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($1.01B) and Agamemnon in The Odyssey ($727.9M).
- His lead on the year’s box office crown is threatened by his Odyssey co-stars Zendaya and Tom Holland, who have tentpoles like The Drama, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Dune: Part Three, and a potential Avengers: Doomsday appearance, with Brand New Day already opening to a record $168 million.
- Safdie is also active behind the camera, directing Lizard Music, a live-action/CGI adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater’s children’s book for Amazon MGM Studios.
Benny Safdie has been named the highest-grossing actor of 2026 so far.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Safdie’s massive total at the box office is due to his roles in two films — Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which has grossed $1,011,157,101 worldwide, and The Odyssey, which has grossed $727.9 million.
Both roles, in which he plays supporting characters — Bowser Jr. in Galaxy, and Agamemnon in Odyssey — push Safdie over the $2 billion mark for the year.
With five months still to go util the end of 2026, he's got some stiff competition coming from his Odyssey co-stars.
Zendaya’s 2026 is defined by The Drama, The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Dune: Part Three. Tom Holland, meanwhile, has Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and a possible Avengers: Doomsday appearance — which will likely be massive.
Considering that Spider-Man: Brand New Day just broke an opening day record at the box office by opening to $168 million, there’s a very real chance that Safdie could be dethroned. Although, his latest movie, The Odyssey, is on track to join Toy Story 5, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Michael as the year's fourth billion-dollar film.
Elsewhere, Safdie is busy on the other side of the camera. He’s currently directing Lizard Music, a live-action/CGI hybrid for Amazon MGM Studios based on Daniel Pinkwater's children's book.
