Tom Hanks Named America’s Favorite Movie Star
Tom Hanks earned the top spot in a poll that focuses on discovering who Americans like to see most on the silver screen. The Harris poll “surveyed more than 2,200 adults in the U.S. about the best Hollywood actor/actress. Hanks also nabbed the title in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2013,” as Variety shared.
It’s not any wonder that Tom Hanks is at the top of the poll considering his most recent film, Bridge of Spies, has earned six Oscar nominations. However, the seasoned actor has not been considered in the Best Actor category and was also snubbed at the Golden Globes.
Hot on Hank’s tail is none other than Johnny Depp, who moved up two spots on the poll when compared to last year. Depp is best known this year for his portrayal of drug lord Whitey Bulger in the film Black Mass. Despite praise given by reviewers internationally, much like Hanks, Depp was shut out of the Golden Globes as well as the Oscars for Best Actor.
“Denzel Washington, who was absent from the big screen in 2015 and topped last year’s list, fell two positions to America’s third favorite movie star. The ‘Training Day’ actor was honored with the coveted Cecil B. DeMille Award earlier this month at the Globes.”
The fourth spot went to Oscar-winning western actor John Wayne, followed by Harrison Ford, who rounded out the top five thanks to his reprisal of his role as Hans Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.Harrison Ford did, however, take the top spot as Hollywood’s “most bankable” star, as the Independent relays.
The top spot for a female on the poll went to Sandra Bullock, who sits at number six on the list thanks to her unique performance as the villainous character in the animated film, Minions, and also due to her compelling role as a strategist in the flick Our Brand Is Crisis.
Hot on Bullock’s tracks is Jennifer Lawrence at number seven. The award-winning actress was involved in a number of releases this year, including Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II and Joy.
Earlier this month, the most-loved movie star of the year, Tom Hanks, awarded his pal and last year’s earner of the top spot, Denzel Washington, with a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes. Both actors have maintained their place in the spotlight honestly and due to such remarkable onscreen abilities. It was entirely fitting that Hanks presented the award to Washington. Mediaite.com relays the words of Hanks during his speech before handing the award over to the Flight star.
“Every generation of filmgoers finds him or her, the artist that defines the time we all live in. As the credits are added to IMDB, so, too, is the power of their persona and personal taste, their learned craft and their instinctive talent, their obvious abilities and the mysterious power they have to not just hold our attention, but demand it….The cliche, ‘the list goes on and on’ doesn’t apply here, because it doesn’t. The list is finite. The club is exclusive, but it includes the actor who is being given the Cecil B. DeMille award tonight.”
After these poignant words spoken in reference to Washington were delivered, a video montage of Denzel over the years as one of Hollywood’s leading men began to play and he took the stage with his family to accept the award.
Watch the touching tribute given by Tom Hanks to his fellow actor and friend Denzel Washington at the Golden Globes.
[Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal/Getty Images]
