The Planet's Most Famous Film Actors

If every living individual on the planet were to tell you all the actors they know - from film, what name would be mentioned most frequently?

In an attempt to find the answer, I've conducted research involving thousands of people from all over the world. The response has formed a list based on a multitude of different cultures and their perspectives.

Note that only very recent actors were considered during the research. That leaves out the likes of - Charlie Chaplin, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. The following were the results:

Male

1. Leonardo DiCaprio
2. Tom Hanks
3. Tom Cruise
4. Brad Pitt
5. Johnny Depp

Female

1. Meryl Streep
2. Angelina Jolie
3. Emma Watson
4. Julia Roberts
5. Nicole Kidman

While it is hard to argue with your results, I think that Harrison Ford would deserve a place on your male list. As to your female list, it is perfect.

I'd have put Sigourney Weaver and Cate Blanchett in place of Emma Watson and Angelina Jolie tbh.


The male list is pretty spot on though, but if it's going on pure worldwide fame, I'd have Tom Cruise at #1.

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Leo deserves to be #1 even if only to partially counteract the excessive trolling he has gotten on here. If it was my list I'd also have him at numbers #2-4 as well just for the heck of it, and I'm not even much of a fan of his

Pretty spot on. Though Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Clint Eastwood, George Clooney can't be far off the male list. Same with Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone on the female side.

Jack Nicholson?

You really think Nicholson is on par with DiCaprio, Cruise, Pitt? Maybe on this forum, but with people in general, I don't think he's got half the fame of the ones mentioned.


As others have stated already, it's difficult to argue with any of this. I would be interesting in seeing a similar list with black actors.

Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep I suspect would be uncontested. However, I doubt they'll be remembered long after they're dead.

For black actors I would say:
1. Denzel Washington
2. Samuel L. Jackson
3. Morgan Freeman
4. Will Smith
5. Lawrence Fishbourne
6. Forest Whitaker

I have no idea what black actresses people would name.

Edit: Halle Berry

I also suspect some Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian actors would be up there despite not being as popular in the West. Perhaps Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li.

If I had asked people from the US only, he would have likely cracked the top five. There were clear tendencies that he doesn't have anywhere near that same US-stature in the rest of the world.

Sigourney who? No, jokes, but she's pretty far off the big ones. A very familiar name with sci-fi enthusiasts in particular, but not quite that extreme level of ubiquity. As for Blanchett, the impression is that she's more comparable to the likes of Cameron Diaz, Charlize Theron and Julianne Moore. Very well-known, but not as widespread as the ones in the top five.

Tom Cruise actually had the most #1's in total, so that's an interesting little comment. DiCaprio and Hanks were consistently higher ranked though.

All good shouts, but with knowledge of repeating myself: Not as omnipresent as the top fives.

High up there, but better compared with Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe and the like.

Not sure how Emma Watson got in there.

As for black actors, I happen to have completed that one as well:

1. Will Smith
2. Morgan Freeman
3. Samuel Jackson
4. Denzel Washington
5. Forest Whitaker

I would think it has to do with a certain series named Harry Potter.

Just a thought- has anyone considered actors in the films that have had the biggest box office success? I was curious about that and found this list: https://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/


If you follow the theory that the most famous actors worldwide would be those in the most successful movies worldwide, then you have to consider the following:

Harrison Ford (in the original Star Wars, the newer Star Wars sequels and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, all on that list, and the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones films of course)
Chris Pratt (in the new Jurassic Park movies, the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies and Avengers: Infinity War)
Dwayne Johnson (in two Fast & Furious movies on the list and the new Jumanji film, also on the list, in additon to many other action movies not on the list)
Johnny Depp (for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and Alice and Wonderland on the list)
Jennifer Lawrence (with two Hunger Games films and X-Men: Days of Future Past on the list)

Daniel Craig (two James Bond movies are on the list but surely he's well known for his other ones)


One question is whether to consider the casts of the three Avengers movies, which are on the list. You could argue it's an ensemble, but Robert Downey Jr., Liam Hemsworth and Chris Evans each have a film on the list featuring their respective characters (though Civil War is really an Avengers film).
I know their characters are more famous then they are but that doesn't mean they aren't famous for playing them. I mean, I knew Christopher Reeve played Superman and the cast of Star Wars after the first one was released.

Another question is whether anyone in the casts for the Hobbit and Harry Potter films, several of which are on the list, should be considered famous.

By the way, I think the list supports Leonardo DiCaprio's inclusion with Titanic (at no. 2) and Inception. I think Tom Cruise should be included because of the success of the Mission: Impossible films (though there's just one on the list) and others.

Idk how you compiled the list but it's really spotted on imo, worldwide, especially for the male.
For black actor i always thing its an obvious between freeman and will smith with l jackson and denzel come later.

idk how meryl was really up there, never realized she hit global outreach something like that. Emma watson is millennial darling(well obviously because of harpot franchise) so it wont be so surprising.

Yeah. After reading the title Leanardo's name just popped into my mind


I think De Niro is the equivalent for older generation people




When it comes to actresses I always think of Angelina, Sandra and Julia Roberts as the most famous

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"Beliefs don't change facts. Facts, if you're rational, should change your beliefs" Ricky Gervais

Actors:
1. Robert DeNiro
2. Samuel L. Jackson
3. Denzel Washington
4. Richard Armitage
5. Edward Norton

Actresses:
1. Lucy Liu
2. Glenn Close
3. Uma Thurman
4. Cansu Dere
5. Michelle Phiffer
6. Jodie Foster
7. Julia Roberts
8. Daryl Hannah
9. Angelina Jolie
10. Olivia Wilde

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"When fortune smiles on something as violent and ugly as revenge, it seems proof like no other, that not only does God exist, you're doing His will." ~ The Bride