CRUISE, HANKS AND ROBERTS ALL TIED UP
Copyright 2002 www.variety.com

[ February 6th 2002 ]

Being Hollywood's No. 1 star is all about box office - and tied for first place are Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. The newest power list from Hollywood ranks celebrities on three main criteria: the ability to raise money for a picture, nailing down a studio distribution pact and opening the flick to box office windfalls.

The rankings to be released today by The Hollywood Reporter said that the trio tied for the top with perfect scores of 100. The pollsters said the highest-scoring stars virtually assure producers that the movie will have clear sailing in financing most like at the box office as well. The films of the top three - Cruise, Hanks and Roberts - generated $844 million globally last year, with $493 million in the U.S.

Trailing among the top-10 bankable stars are: Mel Gibson, Jim Carrey, George Clooney, Russell Crowe, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Nicholas Cage, Leonardo DeCaprio, Will Smith and Denzel Washington. The second-highest scoring actress after Roberts was Sandra Bullock, followed by Cameron Diaz, Nicole Kidman, Meg Ryan, Jodie Foster and Angelina Jolie.

John Burman, international editor who oversees the poll, said 1,000 actors were rated by industry experts on the star's "ability to secure financing for a film,