The Oscars indicate who Hollywood thinks deserves a statue, but if you want to know what insiders really think about stars, start talking money. Forbes did just that, asking industry vets to rank talent based on their ability to make a project pop, from early hype to DVD sales. Here are the top 5.
- Will Smith: His perfect 10 rating comes from a demonstrated ability to draw crowds. His films have made more than $5.2 billion worldwide, and seven of his flicks opened consecutively at No. 1 in the 2000s.
In a four-way tie for second, all with a ranking of 9.89:
- Johnny Depp: The "indie actor as box office star" owes his spot to the savvy decision to play Jack Sparrow in the Pirates movies, without sacrificing his underground cred.
- Leonardo DiCaprio: He's not as busy as the others, but the Titanic star can boost a movie on his name alone.
- Brad Pitt: Relative flops like Troy and Babel reaped great rewards overseas. And then there's that Oscar nod.
- Angelina Jolie: The top-ranked woman on the list can crank out popcorn flicks like Wanted and Oscar-nominated performances like her star turn in Changeling. And who doesn't know her name?
For the full list of 1400 actors' rankings, click the link below.
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