Are These Your Favorite Stars?
 |
Paul @ Gone Hollywood | Wednesday, November 12, 2008 |
Parade magazine have come up with a list of 10 actors, who they believe are America’s Favorite Stars, the list features the usual people you would expect:
#1 Will Smith
Will Smith seems to glide from success to success without much effort. He’s a big presence. When he walks into a room, you know he’s there. In addition to hits like Ali, Men in Black, and Hancock, he cares about family and affecting the future.
Committed to the charity Malaria No More, he has traveled to Africa with his family to witness the devastation the disease can cause. “I think a large part of why I’ve been successful is that I have, essentially, a white-collar career with a blue-collar mentality,” he says. “I can never really relax. I’m always waiting to see what’s next. It’s always, ‘OK, something different is gonna happen here.’”
Next month he stars in the drama Seven Pounds. “I believe that the guy who works the hardest generally wins,” Will says. “ Nelson Mandela once told me that when he was in prison, he was able to watch one American film every six months. He said our films are about hope and what the world should be. He told me to keep doing exactly what I’m doing, because there’s a struggle somewhere that I’m helping. I got really inspired by that.”
#2 Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks is so likable, we’d follow him to the moon. In fact, we already did in Apollo 13. Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, Saving Private Ryan, and Big are other Hanks movies you watch over and over on DVD. “To me, this isn’t work—to go off and pretend to be somebody else,” he says.
“I couldn’t believe when they paid me $285 a week to act, much less the raises I’ve received since. I shouldn’t be called the nicest guy in Hollywood. I should be called the luckiest guy, because I still can’t believe it.”
#3 Reese Witherspoon
Some people bully their way to success. Reese Witherspoon rose to the top with “please” and “thank you,” the hint of a Southern drawl, and a winning smile. Legally Blonde put her on the map; Walk the Line won her an Oscar.
Now she’s a mom of two and a successful producer. “I try to be that person who can look in the mirror and be OK with myself,” she says. “I feel a certain responsibility to represent women who pay the bills, take care of the children, and try to have a fulfilling life themselves. I constantly feel like I’m striving to do better.”
#4 George Clooney
Clooney can kid about himself better than anybody. He’ll joke about turning Dr. Ross on ER into everybody’s fantasy guy. He’ll joke about wearing the Batsuit. But he does take some things very seriously. He’s passionately committed to bringing attention to the tragedy in Darfur. He’s determined to make worthy films like Good Night, and Good Luck and Syriana, as well as blockbusters.
Says Clooney: “My father has always inspired me. He said, ‘Don’t wake up at 65 and think about what you should have done.’ The great lesson is that you get a sort of credit card for being famous, and I’ve thought a lot about spending it in the right instances, for people and causes I can help.”
#5 Meryl Streep
She has an uncanny ability to transform herself into every character she plays, from a tragic heroine in Sophie’s Choice to the silly star of Mamma Mia! And she always seems to be enjoying herself—and embracing life. “Anybody who picks acting as a profession is bathed in insecurity,” she says.
“Even when you’re young, you think you’re not beautiful enough or you’ll never work again or ‘ I don’t know what I’m doing.’ I’ve had those feelings. People gave me a lot of confidence early on and encouragement to keep going. Each project I take is different—it intrigues me or makes me angry or tickles me in a new way.”
#6 Brad Pitt
Brad’s striking looks and love life make headlines, but he’s also a good guy, more down-to-earth than seems possible. He picks challenging movie roles like Babel or Fight Club. Next: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
“You need a game plan,” he says. “You either succeed because people want you to or you stay around because you make them let you. I try to stay dedicated to my work. If I were to dwell on any of the fame and celebrity stuff, I’d make decisions for the wrong reasons. I look at my kids and realize that they will inherit this world. So, if you’re going to throw your weight around, use it to make the world a little bit better.”
#7 Julia Roberts
The star of Pretty Woman has a megawatt smile that still works its charm. Onscreen, she can be one of the guys (see her with Clooney and Pitt in the Ocean’s movies) or a sassy fighter (Erin Brockovich). Offscreen, she’s a mom who took time off to raise her babies.
“Mustering up enough self-esteem to say, ‘I want to be an actor,’ was a big turning point,” she says. “I also said, ‘I can’t wait to be a mom.’ No five-year plan for me—I’m on the five-minute plan. I enjoy my life. You can’t be joyfully participating in the day if you’re thinking too much down the road.”
#8 Johnny Depp
What a grand joke that Johnny Depp—the handsome rebel of Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd—is now known for his riotous, rum-soaked (and moneymaking) Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.
The dad of two says: “My kids opened my eyes. I feel as though some great fog was lifted. Now I do what I want, without compromise, and try to maintain dignity and integrity. People like to think I’m a brooding, angry, rebellious guy. I’m not any of that. I’m not trying to be anything other than what I am.”
#9 Jennifer Aniston
Aniston has a way with a comic line that makes America want to hug her, take care of her—and look just like her. We’ll always think of her as Rachel, the favorite pal on Friends. Jennifer often is called today’s Mary Tyler Moore, because she shares the same endearing style.
“I was always the class clown with a lot of ideas,” she says. “I didn’t map out my life, and I still don’t. Can’t you tell? I consider myself a spiritual person. I sometimes feel like I am guided. I trust in life, I really do. I get asked all the time, ‘What’s next?’ and the fun is that I’m wondering too!”
#10 Patrick Dempsey
In addition to playing Dr. McDreamy on the TV hit Grey’s Anatomy, Dempsey is the romantic hero in movies like Enchanted and Made of Honor.
“I’ve just about achieved some perspective on everything that’s happened,” he says. “I’ve worked hard to get to this point, so I don’t worry that ‘I don’t deserve this.’ I’m grateful for every opportunity. I just want to do it right.”
Agree or disagree?
