film / tv / substack / social media / lists / web / celeb / pajiba love / misc / about / cbr
film / tv / substack / web / celeb

tumblr_luhgj3erl81qzk3pho1_500.png

The 15 Most Prolific Film Actors of the Last 5 Years

By Dustin Rowles | Lists | February 11, 2013 |

By Dustin Rowles | Lists | February 11, 2013 |


I computed this list nearly five years ago now, and with a new five years behind us (and ahead of us, as I’m also counting films set to be released in 2013), I thought it’d be worthwhile to again see the most prolific actors in Hollywood. The make-up of the list has changed considerably over the last five years, but the number one spot is still held by the same man, and like the last time, it’s not even close.

Why is this seriously random list worthwhile? Well, it’s serious and random, so it doesn’t really need to be, but, it is worth knowing not just who the most in-demand lead actors are, but those character actors who are most frequently used. This list excludes all television series appearances (otherwise, it might look slightly different and would most certainly include Stephen Root), but it includes movie voice work, narrative shorts, and cameos. It is exceptional, however, that several of these people are on the list despite regular television series, which are not counted.

There aren’t a lot of lead actors on the list (except for those that double as both lead and character actors), but just missing the list were the likes of Liam Neeson, Michael Shannon, Robert DeNiro, Bradley Cooper, and Channing Tatum, Anton Yelchin, who were all on the very edge of breaking into the list. If she’d been around a year or two earlier, Jessica Chastain also would’ve made the list.

Ultimately, however, these are the actors and actresses with the most film appearance from 2009-2013, so if you’re wondering why you seem to see all of these faces over and over again, this should explain it. What’s also remarkable, and the reason why they’re probably cast as much as they are, is that despite being as prolific as they are, besides number three down there, I am not in the least sick of any of them. They’re all welcome to populate my multiplex as often as they’d like.


15. Paul Rudd

tumblr_m3f4gk5kox1qa3rc4o1_500.jpg

14. Bryan Cranston

tumblr_lwaw5wVb5z1qh91cmo1_500.jpg

13. Adam Scott

tumblr_lqki4gSXxd1qbhap8.jpg

12. Carla Gugino

tumblr_m8cs0k6uIr1qe7lrfo1_500.jpg

11. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

tumblr_m3gt0efPzR1qev9wm.gif

10. Kristen Wiig

tumblr_mcznj215ZY1qzi80do1_500.jpg

9. Sam Jackson

samuel_l_jackson-django_unchained-6.jpg

8. Paul Giamatti

paul-giamatti-cinderella-man--large-msg-114117326312-2.jpg

7. JK Simmons

tumblr_lvj4gdqUHN1qb22s7o1_500.gif

6. Susan Sarandon

tumblr_lz73tu7xE31qieje9o1_500.jpg

5. Justin Long

tumblr_m06ae2GSJR1qezuy5o1_500.jpg

4. James Franco

jamesicon.jpg

3. Melissa Leo

tumblr_lhfvayV9x11qfy8apo1_500.jpg

2. Vinnie Jones

tumblr_luh153VVpi1r4wb7mo1_500.jpg

1. Danny Trejo

hey-girl-danny-trejo3-thumb-550x495-40382.jpg

Dustin Rowles is still bummed his Danny Trejo “Hey Girl” Meme never took off.