Ranking the Movie Stars Who Actually Matter

Please list up to five actors or actresses that would make you most interested in seeing a new movie in a theater in the future. Not Who do you like?, or even Whose movies do you want to see? It was specifically tailored to gauge which stars mattered in theaters—who puts U.S.A. butts in U.S.A. seats—which, of course, is a much different query

National Research Group’s latest study on the actors who put butts into theater seats reveals a number of unsurprising truths: ’90s stars still reign, women are underrepresented (except Zendaya and Margot)

Yes, Tom Cruise, who was No. 1 in that first February 2023 survey, has been dethroned by 70-year-old Denzel Washington, who was likely helped by his appearance in Gladiator II in late 2024. (Denzel was No. 5 in that first report and No. 2 last August.)

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