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The UK’s Most Popular Actor

by Victoria Collins
7 min read

Acting talent isn’t something we’re short of in the UK, but it tends to be the film folks from London who harbour the most attention. 

This study digs deeper into British (...and Northern Irish) soil to see which actors have had the most stand-out success and delves into their background to see if this has had any influence on their status. 

To see which British TV or film actor has had the most success, the digital PR team at Evoluted has analysed a seed list of the UK’s most famous actors to unveil where they grew up and uncovered the star’s net worth and fame standing.

The study also showcases which area of the UK has birthed the most successful actors and what factors each of the actors has in common.

Top 75 Data Reveals Most Popular Actor From Each County

Starting alphabetically from the coasts of Aberdeen to the Welsh borders of Wrexham, the top 75 data reveals which actor from (nearly) every county in the UK has achieved the highest net worth and ultimately the most success, surpassing the fellow acting folk from their county. 

Lights, camera, action - now it’s time to see who’s really the most successful actor from your neck of the woods. 

Actor - UK Fame Score Town/Area County Net Worth
Rose Leslie N/A Aberdeen Aberdeen 3.2m
Liam Neeson 95 Ballymena Antrim 118.7m
Colin Morgan N/A Armagh Armagh 3.2m
Julie Graham N/A Irvine Ayrshire 1.2m
Ben Whishaw 57 Clifton Bedfordshire 1.6m
Kate Winslet 95 Reading Berkshire 53.6m
Ruth Jones 67 Bridgend Bridgend 4.9m
James Corden 80 Hazlemere Buckinghamshire 57.7m
Simon McBurney N/A Cambridge Cambridgeshire 4.1m
Tom Ellis N/A Cardiff Cardiff 4.8m
Iwan Rheon N/A Carmarthen Carmarthenshire 3.2m
Tom Cullen N/A Aberystwyth Ceredigion 4.1m
Daniel Craig 96 Chester Cheshire 131.9m
Thandiwe Newton 56 Penzance Cornwall 11.5m
Rowan Atkinson 96 Consett County Durham 123.3m
Sean Gilder N/A Brampton Cumbria 1.6m
Shefali Chowdhury N/A Denbigh Denbighshire 824k
Jason Statham 80 Shirebrook Derbyshire 74m
Roma Downey N/A Derry Derry 81.8m
Miranda Hart 92 Torquay Devon 2.9m
Christian Bale 87 Bournemouth Dorset 98.9m
Ashley Jensen N/A Annan Dumfries and Galloway 2.4m
Brian Cox 69 Dundee Dundee 12.3m
Iain Glen N/A Edinburgh Edinburgh 2.4m
Rupert Grint 84 Harlow Essex 41.2m
Adrian Dunbar 40 Enniskillen Fermanagh 2.5m
Dougray Scott N/A Glenrothes Fife 4.1m
Jonathan Pryce 70 Carmel Flintshire 4.2m
Anthony Hopkins 94 Port Talbot Glamorgan 131.9m
James McAvoy 80 Glasgow Glasgow 16.4m
Simon Pegg 85 Brockworth Gloucestershire 20.6m
Steve Coogan 87 Middleton Greater Manchester 20.6m
Elizabeth Hurley 86 Basingstoke Hampshire 41.2m
Frank Oz N/A Hereford Herefordshire 65.9m
Elaine Paige 76 Barnet Hertfordshire 32.9m
Karen Gillan 56 Inverness Inverness-shire 3.2m
Dawn French 94 Holyhead Isle of Anglesey 8.2m
Jeremy Irons 77 Cowes Isle of Wight 20m
Orlando Bloom 86 Canterbury Kent 32.9m
Ian McKellen 90 Burnley Lancashire 49.4m
Richard Armitage 50 Huncote Leicestershire 10.7m
Jennifer Saunders 88 Sleaford Lincolnshire 16.4m
Kate Beckinsale 88 Chiswick London 20.6m
Sacha Baron Cohen 86 Hammersmith London 131m
Kim Cattrall 76 Liverpool Merseyside 32.9m
Kevin McKidd N/A Elgin Moray 11.5m
Michael Sheen 87 Newport Newport 13.1m
Olivia Colman 82 Norwich Norfolk 4.5m
Judi Dench 92 York North Yorkshire 37.1m
Matt Smith 79 Northamptom Northamptomshire 7.4m
Denise Welch 84 Tynemouth Northumberland 1.6m
William Roache 82 Nottingham Nottinghamshire 4.1m
Emma Watson 96 Oxford Oxfordshire 70m
Rhys Ifans N/A Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire 10.2m
Ewan McGregor 89 Perth Perth and Kinross 20m
Gerard Butler 80 Paisley Renfrewshire 65.9m
Paul Whitehouse N/A Stanleytown Rhondda Cynon Taff 4.1m
Moira Quirk N/A Rutland Rutland 1.1m
Jason Watkins N/A Albrighton Shropshire 4.1m
John Cleese 89 Weston-super-Mare Somerset 16.4m
Sean Bean 88 Sheffield South Yorkshire 16.4m
Neil Morrissey 82 Stafford Staffordshire 4.7m
Ralph Fiennes 76 Ipswich Suffolk 41.2m
Julie Andrews 92 Walton-on-Thames Surrey 24.7m
Catherine Zeta-Jones 93 Swansea Swansea 123.7m
Robson Green 87 Dudley Tyne and Wear 3.6m
Sam Neill 63 Omagh Tyrone 14.7m
Clive Owen 65 Coventry Warwickshire 24.7m
David Tennant 94 Bathgate West Lothian 7.4m
Julie Walters 91 Birmingham West Midlands 1.4m
Gwendoline Christie N/A Worthing West Sussex 3.2m
Patrick Stewart 86 Mirfield West Yorkshire 61.8m
Christopher Biggins 79 Salisbury Wiltshire 1.1m
Charles Dance 79 Redditch Worcestershire 8.2m
Adrian Holmes N/A Wrexham Wrexham 3.2m

The Man with the Golden Wallet: Daniel Craig tops the list of 20 most successful UK actors 

Having seen the length and breadth of British & Northern Irish talent, now it’s time to reveal who’s in the top 20 of the UK’s most successful actors, many of which have become household names. 

As both actors hold an eye-watering net worth of £131.9 million, Cheshire-born Daniel Craig and film-screen Welsh legend, Anthony Hopkins, born in the county of Glamorgan, top the list as the most successful actors in the UK. However, with a slightly higher YouGov fame score of 96, Craig tops the list overall.

He and Hopkins are closely followed by London-born character impersonator and producer Sasha Baron Cohen.  Hopkins isn’t the only standout success from Wales, however, as Oscar-winner and Hollywood starlet Catherine Zeta-Jones tops the list as the most successful actress in the UK. 

Actor - UK Fame Score Town/Area County Net Worth
1 Daniel Craig 96 Chester Cheshire 131.9m
2 Anthony Hopkins 94 Port Talbot Glamorgan 131.9m
3 Sacha Baron Cohen 86 Hammersmith London 131m
4 Hugh Grant 94 Hammersmith London 123.7m
5 Catherine Zeta-Jones 93 Swansea Swansea 123.7m
6 Rowan Atkinson 96 Consett County Durham 123.3m
7 Liam Neeson 95 Ballymena Antrim 118.7m
8 Christian Bale 87 Bournemouth Dorset 98.9m
9 Daniel Radcliffe 98 Hammersmith London 90.7m
10 Helen Mirren 91 Hammersmith London 82.4m
11 Robert Pattinson 79 Barnes London 82.4m
12 Jason Statham 80 Shirebrook Derbyshire 74m
13 Emma Watson 96 Oxford Oxfordshire 70m
14 Keira Knightley 94 Richmond London 65.9m
15 Emily Blunt 88 Wandsworth London 65.9m
16 Gerard Butler 80 Paisley Renfrewshire 65.9m
17 Jude Law 89 Lewisham London 61.8m
18 Patrick Stewart 86 Mirfield West Yorkshire 61.8m
19 James Corden 80 Hazlemere Buckinghamshire 57.7m
20 Kate Winslet 95 Reading Berkshire 53.6m

Lack of diversity? What the most successful actors have in common

It’s no secret that there is a lack of diversity in the entertainment industry. And while the UK's most successful actors are undeniably talented, there is a clear whitewash across the board as well as a privilege and gender gap within this group.

Of the most successful actors in the UK:

Although in recent years there has been a greater push to address a lack of diversity in the entertainment industry, there are still many inclusion issues that remain ongoing. 

Historically, the film industry has been dominated by men, both in front of and behind the camera. Key decision-making roles like producers, directors and casting executives have been given to men from an advantaged background, which has ultimately led to a lack of diversity in the types of perspectives and stories told. This is highlighted by the data which showed men made up 70% of the top 20 most successful actors in the UK and 2 out of the top 50 most successful actors were non-white, with Jewish actor Sacha Baron Cohen coming in third and London-born black actor Idris Elba coming in 36th of the top 100 list. 

The top 20 data has also revealed a socio-economic shift. Although Northern British-born Daniel Craig tops the list as the most successful actor, the majority of the list was born in the South of Britain. As the south of England, especially, tends to be more affluent than other areas of the country, and so, residents may have easier access to the resources they need to pursue their acting dreams. 

For instance, some of the country's most prestigious drama schools, such as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. These schools have produced many successful actors over the years and are often seen as a gateway to the industry. Likewise, living close to the capital adds to an actor’s advantage as it offers easier access to opportunities for auditions, casting calls, and other industry events.

Unsurprisingly, London has birthed the most stars…

It’s probably of no surprise that the city which has some of the wealthiest residents have afforded the privilege of having some of the most successful actors. 

That being said, actors of all backgrounds and classes have been able to reach the highest levels of stardom. But there’s no denying that being from London has its perks within the acting field. 

Of the 100+ most successful actors in the UK, a whopping 35 were from London. Ranked from the highest to the lowest net worth, Borat star, Sacha Baron Cohen, tops the London list with a net worth of £131 million, while rom-com heartthrob Hugh Grant features in second place of the most successful actors born in London. 

Beating Grant and Cohen in terms of fame score is Harry Potter child star, Daniel Radcliffe, who features in third place.  

At the bottom end of the London list is Shane Richie, who despite his high 91 fame score, features in last place for net worth with £150,000 to his name. 

At the peak of his soap career, Richie was reportedly earning £230,000 a year for his role as Alfie Moon on EastEnders, but in 2022, the actor has said he had been struggling for cash. 

He told The Mirror: “I was going on tour, doing a TV series and panto but it all got cancelled in March. Now I am literally skint!

“You save for a rainy day but you don’t expect the rainy day to last eight months. Thankfully, I’ve been able to borrow money from mates, my family and the bank.”

Hammersmith is the London district with the most acting talent

'It isn't where you came from; it's where you're going that counts' is a phrase that doesn’t necessarily ring true for those born in Hammersmith, as this is the district that birthed the most amount of acting success in the UK. 

The 100+ most successful actors in the UK saw 35 London-born actors and, of those, seven (including the top three richest) were from the Hammersmith district. 

According to IMDB, there are 357 actors whose birthplace matches "Hammersmith, London". The six featured in the main list are not the only household names from Hammersmith though, as we have handpicked the 15 most prominent West London actors below. 

Actor - UK Fame Score Town/Area County Net Worth
1 Sacha Baron Cohen 86 Hammersmith London 131m
2 Hugh Grant 94 Hammersmith London 123.7m
3 Daniel Radcliffe 98 Hammersmith London 90.7m
4 Helen Mirren 91 Hammersmith London 82.4m
5 Tom Hardy 91 Hammersmith London 45.3m
6 Benedict Cumberbatch 93 Hammersmith London 32.9m
7 Alan Rickman 86 Hammersmith London 13.1m
8 Suki Waterhouse 31 Hammersmith London 9.8m
9 Rosamund Pike 57 Hammersmith London 4.9m
10 Alfie Allen N/A Hammersmith London 4.9m
11 Jaime Murray N/A Hammersmith London 4.9m
12 Richard Ayoade 64 Hammersmith London 1.6m
13 Toby Jones N/A Hammersmith London 1.6m
14 Emerald Fennell N/A Hammersmith London 1.2m
15 Leo Woodall N/A Hammersmith London 655k

Are you happy with your county’s most successful actor? Who else is famous from your area? Let us know in the comments below.

Our talented Digital PR team is focused on developing creative, results-driven digital PR campaigns and activity to help you boost your organic rankings and brand awareness. If you think we can help you, get in touch today.

Methodology: 

This analysis was conducted using Wikipedia and IMDB for location purposes, YouGov fame scores were used to determine the most famous actors, while the team combed through the list to find the 100 most successful British actors only. 

Having sourced the list of 100, we researched the counties the actors were from, and we then checked to see how many counties were not displayed in the list. Of the counties remaining, we used IMDB to find the actors who were most popular from their county - if there were two or more with a similar level of success we checked their net worth to see who had the most financial success and they were classed as the most successful for their county. 

Although this list features the majority of the counties across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, there are some missing counties - this is because the top actors from these counties were relatively unknown. 

This research was accurate as of Feb 15th 2023. 

Written by Victoria Collins
Digital PR Specialist