Hollywood's Most Valuable Actors
Feb. 10, 2009, 2:56 PM EST
By John Burman
Forbes staff

Will Smith won't take home anything shiny at this year's Academy Awards, but members of the entertainment industry say he's tops at mining real gold, a more critical skill given the current economy.

Smith ranks first in our inaugural Forbes Star Currency survey, an exclusive look at what the business side of Hollywood really thinks of more than 1,400 working actors when it comes to ensuring the financial success of film projects.


http://movies.msn.com/cel...?GT1=28130
[Edited 2/10/09 14:24pm]

"Top BORING actor in Hollywood"

Thats better.

Top WACK Actor in Hollywood

Man, y'all harsh.

Will Smith is an entertainer, a movie star, and a competent actor. He makes movies a lot of people want to see in the summer. What more can you ask from him? Shouldn't we be celebrating that a actor of color occupies this position?

whats with all the hate, I'm a big Will Smith fan, he's one of a kind, and he has an impressive track record. Pound for Pound, he's one of the most talented people of our generation.

Harlepolis said:

He's a good enough actor, but man he picks some boring, corny roles lately.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Now you know.

Timmy84 said:

Well, what do you expect from 'the Debbie Gibson of Hip-Hop'?

uPtoWnNY said:

Wack rapper, wack actor...

Wow, how would've thunk it? Mr, Smith is on my rather long list of actors for whcih I've never been able to watched any of his movies all the way through. So, don't even bother now..

uPtoWnNY said:

I love Will Smith. I'll support any film he does.

I'm really surprised at all the dislike for Will. I thought people liked him or at least admired his rise to being one of the top actors in Hollywood.

JackieBlue said:

Exactly and he seems to be a really good guy in real life.

TD3 said:

Yeah, none of us in my family who's watched his movies can't look at it all the way. The only ones I've looked at him where he was on fully was "Bad Boys II" and "Enemy of the State", lol.

namepeace said:

That's just great. People always bringing color into everything. People protest against racism and color lines, yet the same people throw it in there to begin with. Why would it matter if he's black? I should start being like that too.
Isn't it great that the richest man in the world is white?

DiamondGlove said:

I'm black and I prefer Denzel and Larry Fishburne over Will.

Do people actually say "I'm gonna go see the new Will Smith movie"??

I think the only one I've seen all the way through since, shit, Men in Black was The Pursuit of Happyness and that was on a plane. If he's still selling tickets, more power to him. I sure as hell haven't been buying any.

well, this is the bottom line... Will has been getting called corny, wack, soft, etc. for two DECADES now; and it hasn't slowed him down at all, he's made believers out of his critics and won the hearts of adoring fans around the world. so even though all of you guys are hating on him, he goes home every night to his multimillion dollar hous, lays in bed next to Jada Pinkett, and rests his head on his bank book with 8 figures in it. Now if thats corny then sign me up to be his protege. Will has stayed true to himself, and triumphed, he never had to sell out, or degrade himself for a dollar. you guys need to recognize.

mynameisnotsusan said:

Yeah, I do. Every single time.

mynameisnotsusan said:

Damn I forgot about Men in Black, that's another one. Actually his version of "Forget Me Nots", er, the song to "Men in Black" gave me 110% more appreciation for Patrice Rushen when I first heard it.

But yeah, he is a big moneymaker, that's good I guess. But personal opinions shouldn't be bothering, lol. I can appreciate the success even if I don't like the films and he may be real good folks. No one is saying he's a monster here.

I don't get the hate for Will Smith.

I wouldn't call him my favourite, but I never saw any reason to dislike him. And he was really good in 7 Pounds.

Damn, letting a rich white boy fuck you up the ass will get you a long way (Six Degrees of Sepreration)....

Prospect said:

Prospect said:

.....

meow85 said:

Will played a gay con man in that movie, I don't know if that actually happened but he did get rave reviews for it, lol.

I don't dislike Will and I think he's actually talented but he's been to fuckin' sensiteeb in his last roles. He need to stop crying and go blow something up already.

SCNDLS said:

Do you know RD Hull?

SCNDLS said:

Yeah, with his last movie I think he was trying too hard to get an oscar. I didn't see Seven Pounds but heard it was a real tear jerker.

SCNDLS said:

LOL

I've thought the exact opposite. To me he's always angry, yelling, and running in all of his latest films. Like Carl Weathers.