A-list
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The A-list is a term that alludes to major movie stars, and/or the most bankable in the Hollywood movie industry.
The A-list is part of a larger guide called The Hot List that has become an industry-standard guide in Hollywood. James Ulmer has also developed a Hot List of directors. [1]
Contents |
[edit] Ulmer Scale
The list was created by veteran entertainment journalist James Ulmer, who developed a 100-point method to quantify a star's value to a film production, in terms of getting a movie financed and the cameras rolling. The Ulmer Scale also takes into account an actor's history (box office successes vs. failures), versatility, professional demeanor, and ability and willingness to travel and promote movies.
The Top 10 list as of 2009 (in order of 'bankable' value)[2] :
- Will Smith
- Johnny Depp
- Brad Pitt
- Tom Hanks
- George Clooney
- Will Ferrell
- Reese Witherspoon
- Nicolas Cage
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Russell Crowe
Past incarnations of the list included:
- Angelina Jolie
- Bruce Willis
- Halle Berry
- Harrison Ford
- Keanu Reeves[3]
- Jim Carrey
- John Travolta
- Jude Law
- Julia Roberts
- Mel Gibson
- Nicole Kidman
- Renée Zellweger
- Robert Downey Jr
- Robin Williams
- Tom Cruise[4]
[edit] Popular usage
In popular usage outside the movie industry, an "A-list celebrity" simply refers to any person with an admired or desirable social status.[5] In recent times, the term has given rise to any person, regardless of profession, in the limelight, even socialites with popular press coverage have been termed as an "A-List" celebrities. Similarly, less popular persons and current teen idols are referred to as "B-list." [6] The lowest ranking on the Ulmer Scale is a "C-list." An article on Entertainment Weekly describes a C-list celebrity as "that guy (or sometimes that girl), the easy-to-remember but hard-to-name character actor."[7]
Though the term "D-list" does not exist on the Ulmer Scale, it is often used to describe persons whose celebrity is so obscure that they are generally only known for appearances as so-called celebrities on game shows and reality television. Kathy Griffin, a comedian who became widely known for her frequent appearances on such programs, uses the term in a tongue-in-cheek manner for her TV series Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "About The Ulmer Scale". http://ulmerscale.com/AboutUS.htm.
- ^ http://www.ulmerscale.com/Mainarticle.html retrieved 6-12-2009
- ^ http://www.ulmerscale.com/Mainarticle.html retrieved 6-12-2009
- ^ http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/2006-04/10/content_564548.htm retrieved 6-17-2009
- ^ American Heritage Dictionary
- ^ Encarta, Webster's New Millennium Dictionary
- ^ Podolsky, Erin (10 November 2000). "C-list celebrities -- Three sites with information on "that one guy" you see in movies from time to time". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,278510,00.html. Retrieved on 14 April 2009.
