An Actor Who Has Been Dead For Almost 40 Years Is American Males' Favorite Movie Star
Tom Hanks is America’s Favorite Movie Star, Followed by Johnny Depp and Denzel Washington
John Wayne and Harrison Ford close out the top five
New York, N.Y. — His roles over the years have taken him into the past and the future, out into space and even into a child’s toy chest, and this year Tom Hanks – currently in theaters as attorney James B. Donovan in Bridge of Spies – returns to the role of America’s Favorite Movie Star. This is Hanks’ fifth time at the top of the list (with previous wins recorded in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2013) and represents a four-spot jump from the No. 5 spot last year.
Johnny Depp, most recently onscreen in an acclaimed portrayal of mobster Whitey Bulger in Black Mass , is in the No. 2 spot this year (up from No. 4 a year ago).
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,252 U.S. adults surveyed online between December 9 and 14, 2015.
Fast (moving) Five
The next two performers on the list have both fallen two spots since last year. First, Denzel Washington – who topped the list last year but didn’t appear in any major releases in 2015 – falls to the No. 3 position. Meanwhile, the late John Wayne, who hasn’t appeared in a major release in… well, quite a bit longer, nonetheless remains a mainstay on the list; at No. 4 this year (down from No. 2), the Duke is the only person who has never dropped off of the top 10 in over two decades.
Closing out the top half of the list – and soaring from No. 9 last year to No. 5 this year – is Han Solo himself, Harrison Ford.
Repeat performances
Both the top and bottom halves of this year’s top 10 are composed of familiar faces who have spent time on this list before.
- Sandra Bullock, who voiced a criminal mastermind in Minions and played a political consultant in Our Brand is Crisis , is at No. 6 this year (after taking a break from the list last year).
- Jennifer Lawrence hit the holiday season box office with the one-two punch of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and Joy , and with a repeat in the No. 7 spot she has plenty to be joyful about indeed.
- Despite neither starring in nor directing any films in 2015, Clint Eastwood – America’s favorite movie star as recently as 2009 – is in the No. 6 position this year, up two spots.
- Two occasional costars are tied in the No. 9 spot this year:
- Brad Pitt, currently in theaters in The Big Short (he held the No. 3 spot last year), and
- Julia Roberts, most recently seen in Secret in Their Eyes , who returns to the top 10 after a 1-year hiatus.
The Perfect Score
Many of these top-10 performers are garnering other strong scores as well. Perfect scores for endorsement potential, in fact. According to Nielsen Talent Analytics data, many of these stars show perfect N-Scores of 100 out of 100 among many, if not all, Americans:
- Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and Sandra Bullock each show perfect N-Scores among all U.S. adults (aged 18+).
- Harrison Ford and Julia Roberts each earn this distinction among those aged 35 and up.
- Johnny Depp achieves the same among Millennials (aged 18-34).
- Jennifer Lawrence, on the other hand, “scores” among Gen Z (those aged 13-17).
The Lady Vanishes
With Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts returning to the top 10 list this year, we thus bit a tearful adieu – at least temporarily – to two of last year’s top 10. Meryl Streep drops off the list after a No.7 showing last year, while Angelina Jolie drops off after holding the No. 10 spot last year.
Top. Men.
A great many factors seem to impact Americans’ favorite movie star selection:
- John Wayne is again the top pick among men, while women turn to Johnny Depp.
- Millennials also name Depp as their top pick, while Gen Xers call out Harrison Ford, Baby Boomers point to Tom Hanks and John Wayne rides away with the top spot among Matures.
- Looking at Americans by region: Harrison Ford takes the East, Johnny Depp rules the South, Denzel Washington commands the Midwest and Tom Hanks on top in the West.
- Urbanites look to Washington and Suburbanites cite Hanks as their top pick, while Depp takes the top spot among Rural Americans.
- The Duke, John Wayne, is again Republicans’ top pick, while Democrats again lean toward Washington. Independents – drawn perhaps by the roguish streak epitomized by his two most iconic roles – choose Harrison Ford.
http://www.theharrispoll.com/health-and-life/Tom-Hanks-Favorite-Movie-Star.html
Tags
Who is online
455 visitors
Base: All adults
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Tom Hanks
2
2
7
5
=6
4
3
1
5
1
Johnny Depp
=7
3
8
2
1
1
=4
6
4
2
Denzel Washington
1
1
1
3
2
=2
1
2
1
3
John Wayne
3
6
=3
7
3
5
6
7
2
4
Harrison Ford
10
*
5
*
4
8
8
*
9
5
Sandra Bullock
*
9
*
4
10
7
*
5
*
6
Jennifer Lawrence
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
3
=7
7
Clint Eastwood
1
*
2
1
9
=2
2
8
6
8
Brad Pitt
*
*
*
*
*
*
=4
=9
3
=9
Julia Roberts
=5
4
6
10
=6
*
*
4
*
=9
*Not in top 10.
I have always been a John Wayne fan, even though he was a conservative and often simplistic in politics. His on screen character was brave ,honest , and fair, always, and intentionally so, and that is what audiences react to.
The fact that Wayne is more popular today than many current actors, and has been since his death, clearly shows that he is the most popular movie star of all time.
Some great (and favourite) actors from Classical Movie days have been long forgotten, such as Paul Muni, Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, etc. I guess "Out of sight, out of mind" although that does not apply to John Wayne.
I'm a Clint fan, so I would have put him somewhere higher, also like Harrison Ford... along with Christopher Walken, Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. I feel cheated.
And for all time actor... Gregory Peck. Who made up this list?
It's a Harris poll Perrie. The results in the chart are America's favorite actors in 2015. Walken, Hoffman , Pacino and DeNiro didn't make the top 10.
John Wayne was number 4 overall for 2015 and number one among men. Johnny Depp was number one among women.
I am wondering how it was presented. The AFI has a totally different list. And while I like Johnny Depp, I he wouldn't even enter my mind as one of our greatest.
I forgot to put Gregory Peck on my abovenoted list of classic great actors - thanks for reminding me, Perrie. I always knew you liked him.
Lately, I've been buying the magazine Closer, which I think is pronounced as closer, (near by), as opposed to the TV show The Closer, (like you closed the deal)... At any rate, my husband asked me why I wanted it, and I said it is a magazine about old dead movie stars and it has puzzles and interesting, short articles in it...
This week's main feature was an interview with Shirley Temple's best friend, who has to be in her 90s, but I enjoyed it, and it is something good to read, mindless, in a way, but none of the print is too small, etc. Sure better than a lot of the stuff I've been reading in doctor's offices lately.
Harper's Bazaar is one of the magazines I read, and I think it should be renamed Harper's Bizarre, from all the weird fashions. I mean, REALLY, who would wear this stuff?
Anyway, John Wayne has been #1 for a long time, (40 years or more), and I can see why so many people like him... I like Johnny Depp, a lot, and he is from my home town, and I knew his uncle, who co-owned Johnson, Depp, and Quisenberry, a large engineering firm in town... Right now, one of my favorite actors is Tom Selleck, even though he messed up and stole water. Harrison Ford is also one of my favorites, among living actors. Dead actors, I have to include Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and other greats...
Reading this Closer magazine sort of blurs the lines between then and now... They featured a recent interview from Audrey Hepburn's children, which was interesting, and they had a big spread on Grace Kelly, and there may be nothing new about either of them, but I still enjoy reading about them. Oh well...
Right now, one of my favorite actors is Tom Selleck,
I watched Quigley Down Under the other day. Enjoyable western set in Australia. The recently departed Alan Rickman was the villain.