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Famous Actors

The best-known film, television and stage actors in our archive, ranked by historical popularity.

1,391 actors in our database, ranked by historical popularity. Page 1 of 28.

An actor becomes notable when audiences remember the person as well as the part. Some earn that through a single role that enters popular culture, others through careers spanning decades of film, television and theatre. The actors near the top of this list are recognised across many countries and languages, not just in the industry where they made their name.

This list covers the film, television, stage and voice actors in our database, from silent-era stars to today's leading performers. We rank them by historical popularity, not by awards or box office, so the order reflects who people around the world still look up most.

Who is included: everyone in our database whose primary occupation matches this list. Each person must have an English Wikipedia article and a full date of birth recorded on Wikidata. A growing share of people also have an original profile, written to our editorial rules and marked with a Last reviewed date.

Most famous actor

Charlie Chaplin

Highest historical popularity score (HPI 89.8)

Most common birth month

April

140 of 1,391 were born in April

Living vs deceased

980 / 411

70% are still living

Most common nationality

American

796 people, 57% of the list

Editor-written profiles

262

19% have a full original profile so far

The ranked list

  1. 01Charlie ChaplinCharlie ChaplinCreated the Little Tramp, the bowler-hatted silent screen figure at the heart of films like The Kid and Modern Times.🇬🇧British · Born April 16, 1889 · Died December 25, 1977View profile
  2. 02Al PacinoAl PacinoPlayed Michael Corleone in The Godfather films and won the Best Actor Oscar for Scent of a Woman.🇺🇸American · Born April 25, 1940View profile
  3. 03Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodPlayed the Man with No Name and Dirty Harry, then won Best Director Oscars for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.🇺🇸American · Born May 31, 1930View profile
  4. 04Sylvester StalloneSylvester StalloneWrote and starred in Rocky, then added the Rambo films to become a leading action star.🇺🇸American · Born July 6, 1946View profile
  5. 05Marilyn MonroeMarilyn MonroeHollywood star of the 1950s whose comic roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Some Like It Hot made her a screen icon.🇺🇸American · Born June 1, 1926 · Died August 4, 1962View profile
  6. 06Grace KellyGrace KellyOscar-winning star of Rear Window and High Noon who left Hollywood to become Princess of Monaco.🇺🇸American · Born November 12, 1929 · Died September 14, 1982View profile
  7. 07Bruce LeeBruce LeeMartial artist and film star behind Enter the Dragon, who developed the fighting philosophy Jeet Kune Do.🇺🇸American · Born November 27, 1940 · Died July 20, 1973View profile
  8. 08Alain DelonAlain DelonFrench screen idol who starred in Rocco and His Brothers and the crime thriller Le Samouraï.🇫🇷French · Born November 8, 1935 · Died August 18, 2024View profile
  9. 09Brigitte BardotBrigitte BardotBecame a global French screen icon through And God Created Woman, then devoted her later years to animal welfare.🇫🇷French · Born September 28, 1934 · Died December 28, 2025View profile
  10. 10Anthony HopkinsAnthony HopkinsWelsh actor who won Oscars for playing Hannibal Lecter and for The Father.🇬🇧British · Born December 31, 1937View profile
  11. 11Robert De NiroRobert De NiroActor whose intense performances in Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Godfather Part II won him two Academy Awards.🇺🇸American · Born August 17, 1943View profile
  12. 12Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerBodybuilding champion who became the Terminator on screen and Governor of California.Austrian-American · Born July 30, 1947View profile
  13. 13Marlene DietrichMarlene DietrichStarred as Lola Lola in The Blue Angel, then became a Hollywood screen icon and celebrated cabaret performer.German-American · Born December 27, 1901 · Died May 6, 1992View profile
  14. 14Sophia LorenSophia LorenItalian film star who built a celebrated career in both Italy and Hollywood.🇮🇹Italian · Born September 20, 1934View profile
  15. 15Audrey HepburnAudrey HepburnPlayed Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's and won an Oscar for Roman Holiday, later working as a UNICEF ambassador.🇬🇧British · Born May 4, 1929 · Died January 20, 1993View profile
  16. 16Marlon BrandoMarlon BrandoMethod actor who played Vito Corleone in The Godfather and Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.🇺🇸American · Born April 3, 1924 · Died July 1, 2004View profile
  17. 17James StewartJames StewartEveryman star of It's a Wonderful Life, Vertigo and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.🇺🇸American · Born May 20, 1908 · Died July 2, 1997View profile
  18. 18Danny DeVitoDanny DeVitoPlayed the scheming dispatcher Louie De Palma in Taxi and directed the black comedy The War of the Roses.🇺🇸American · Born November 17, 1944View profile
  19. 19Richard BurtonRichard BurtonStage and screen actor with a rich baritone voice, nominated for seven Oscars without winning, including for Becket.🇬🇧British · Born November 10, 1925 · Died August 5, 1984View profile
  20. 20Jean-Paul BelmondoJean-Paul BelmondoCharismatic leading man who shot to fame as the petty criminal in Godard's Breathless.🇫🇷French · Born April 9, 1933 · Died September 6, 2021View profile
  21. 21Patrick SwayzePatrick SwayzeDancer-turned-actor who starred in Dirty Dancing and Ghost, two of the most loved films of the late 1980s.🇺🇸American · Born August 18, 1952 · Died September 14, 2009View profile
  22. 22Louis de FunèsLouis de FunèsRubber-faced comic actor who starred in the Gendarme de Saint-Tropez series and the wartime farce La Grande Vadrouille.🇫🇷French · Born July 31, 1914 · Died January 27, 1983View profile
  23. 23Jackie ChanJackie ChanPerformed his own stunts in the Police Story films and co-starred with Chris Tucker in the Rush Hour series.🇨🇳Chinese · Born April 7, 1954View profile
  24. 24Mary PickfordMary PickfordSilent-era star nicknamed "America's Sweetheart", she co-founded United Artists in 1919 and won an Oscar for Coquette.Canadian-American · Born April 8, 1892 · Died May 29, 1979View profile
  25. 25Amitabh BachchanAmitabh BachchanBollywood star whose roles in Deewaar and Sholay established his screen image as the angry young man.🇮🇳Indian · Born October 11, 1942View profile
  26. 26Sarah BernhardtSarah BernhardtFrench stage legend called the Divine Sarah, famous for roles such as La Dame aux camélias.🇫🇷French · Born October 22, 1844 · Died March 23, 1923View profile
  27. 27Sean ConnerySean ConneryIntroduced James Bond to cinema audiences in Dr. No and won an Oscar for The Untouchables.🇬🇧Scottish · Born August 25, 1930 · Died October 31, 2020View profile
  28. 28Yul BrynnerYul BrynnerShaven-headed actor who won an Oscar for The King and I and led The Magnificent Seven.🇺🇸American · Born July 11, 1920 · Died October 10, 1985View profile
  29. 29Gene HackmanGene HackmanWon Academy Awards for The French Connection and Unforgiven, playing Popeye Doyle in the first and Little Bill Daggett in the second.🇺🇸American · Born January 30, 1930 · Died February 18, 2025View profile
  30. 30Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanWon an Academy Award for Million Dollar Baby and starred as Red in The Shawshank Redemption.🇺🇸American · Born June 1, 1937View profile
  31. 31Jack NicholsonJack NicholsonWon three Academy Awards, including for playing Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.🇺🇸American · Born April 22, 1937View profile
  32. 32Claudia CardinaleClaudia CardinaleItalian film star who appeared in Visconti's The Leopard and Fellini's 8½, and in Once Upon a Time in the West.🇮🇹Italian · Born April 15, 1938 · Died September 23, 2025View profile
  33. 33Jean RenoJean RenoLeading man of French cinema, best known as the hitman in Luc Besson's Léon.Spaniard · Born July 30, 1948View profile
  34. 34Romy SchneiderRomy SchneiderActress who rose to fame as Empress Elisabeth in the Sissi films and later became a star of French cinema.🇦🇹Austrian · Born September 23, 1938 · Died May 29, 1982View profile
  35. 35Dustin HoffmanDustin HoffmanTwo-time Oscar winner for Kramer vs. Kramer and Rain Man, first famous for The Graduate.🇺🇸American · Born August 8, 1937View profile
  36. 36Elizabeth TaylorElizabeth TaylorWon Academy Awards for Butterfield 8 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and starred in Cleopatra.British-American · Born February 27, 1932 · Died March 23, 2011View profile
  37. 37Bud SpencerBud SpencerStarred opposite Terence Hill in comic westerns such as They Call Me Trinity, and was also an Olympic-level swimmer.🇮🇹Italian · Born October 31, 1929 · Died June 27, 2016View profile
  38. 38Bruce WillisBruce WillisAction star of Die Hard who also appeared in Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense.🇺🇸American · Born March 19, 1955View profile
  39. 39Marcello MastroianniMarcello MastroianniItalian leading man who starred in Fellini's La Dolce Vita and 8½.🇮🇹Italian · Born September 28, 1924 · Died December 19, 1996View profile
  40. 40Gérard DepardieuGérard DepardieuStarred in Cyrano de Bergerac, which won him the Cannes best actor prize and an Oscar nomination, among over 200 film roles.🇫🇷French · Born December 27, 1948View profile
  41. 41Nicolas CageNicolas CageWon the Academy Award for Best Actor for playing a suicidal alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas.🇺🇸American · Born January 7, 1964View profile
  42. 42Debbie ReynoldsDebbie ReynoldsPlayed Kathy Selden opposite Gene Kelly in the musical Singin' in the Rain.🇺🇸American · Born April 1, 1932 · Died December 28, 2016View profile
  43. 43Paul NewmanPaul NewmanStarred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and won the Best Actor Oscar for The Color of Money.🇺🇸American · Born January 26, 1925 · Died September 26, 2008View profile
  44. 44Charles BronsonCharles BronsonPlayed the vigilante Paul Kersey in Death Wish, after earlier roles in The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven.🇺🇸American · Born November 3, 1921 · Died August 30, 2003View profile
  45. 45Gina LollobrigidaGina LollobrigidaItalian screen star of the 1950s, famous for Bread, Love and Dreams and Trapeze.🇮🇹Italian · Born July 4, 1927 · Died January 16, 2023View profile
  46. 46Terence HillTerence HillItalian actor famous for comic spaghetti westerns such as They Call Me Trinity with Bud Spencer.🇮🇹Italian · Born March 29, 1939View profile
  47. 47Michael DouglasMichael DouglasHollywood actor and producer who won an Oscar as the ruthless financier Gordon Gekko in Wall Street.🇺🇸American · Born September 25, 1944View profile
  48. 48Christopher LeeChristopher LeePlayed Count Dracula for Hammer Films, and later Saruman in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.🇬🇧British · Born May 27, 1922 · Died June 7, 2015View profile
  49. 49Shah Rukh KhanShah Rukh KhanBollywood star whose roles in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai made him a romantic icon.🇮🇳Indian · Born November 2, 1965View profile
  50. 50Ingrid BergmanIngrid BergmanWon three Oscars, and starred as Ilsa Lund opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca.🇸🇪Swedish · Born August 29, 1915 · Died August 29, 1982View profile

How we rank and select

  • Ranking: people are ordered by their Historical Popularity Index (HPI) from Pantheon. HPI combines how many Wikipedia language editions have an article about a person, how many page views those articles get, how evenly the views are spread across languages and how long ago the person lived. People Pantheon does not yet cover are listed after them, ordered by our own popularity score (the number of Wikipedia language editions with an article about them).
  • Membership: each person appears in one occupation list only, based on their primary occupation as classified by Pantheon (for example, a queen who wrote poetry is listed as royalty, not as a writer). Kings, queens, emperors, sultans and royal consorts are not listed as politicians or writers: anyone who held a monarch's office on Wikidata, and never served as a president or head of government, counts as royalty. For the few people Pantheon does not cover, we use the primary field recorded in our database.
  • One-line summaries: each summary is an original line written for this site with AI assistance under our editorial rules, then checked against the Wikipedia introduction so no wording is copied.
  • Statistics: every figure on this page is calculated live from our database each time the page loads, so it changes as we add people.

Further reading

Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026

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