Beating "The Tom's" (Hanks and Cruise), former leader Mel Gibson, and even Johnny Depp, Will Smith is the most powerful actor in Hollywood. The April 9 issue of Newsweek labels him the $4 billion dollar man, and with good reason. King of Hollywood, and former Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith boasts a $4.4 billion worldwide career box office, yet there is more to his appeal.
Hollywood insider told Newsweek, "Will Smith is the only thing in this business -the only thing- that represents a guaranteed opening weekend." He may be even bigger than that. "Let's put it this way," says one studio head, "there's Will Smith, and then there are the mortals."
Seemingly overnight, Hollywood's former leading men are no more. Some defeat has been self-induced. Tom Cruise has not yet recovered from his antics on Oprah's couch, and five years has passed since controversial Mel Gibson starred in a major film. Conversely, Tom Hanks, 50, always sellable and essentially above any list, is losing leading-man appeal simply because of his age.
Actor power is largely determined by opening-weekend gross. A Hollywood studio film now averages $100 million to produce and to recoup those costs a movie needs a strong opening weekend. A superstar, Will Smith, that brings in $30 million or more garners a $25 million salary supplemented with a 2-story trailer, among many other perks.
Will Smith,38, earned his power honestly. The formidable actor sells movies in any genre he touches: sci-Fi (I, Robot), action-comedy (Men in Black), romantic comedy (Hitch) and drama (The Pursuit of Happyness).
"Real power requires an understanding of the global market, and a talent for finding scripts that suit your persona and directors who can deliver the goods. Once isn't enough. You have to do it every time", according to Hollywood studio powerhouses, interviewed by Newsweek. The choice for the number one spot was unanimous.
It was "Happyness," a subdued film co-starring his son Jaden Smith (gross: $298 million), that opened industry watchers to Smith's reach. "He can do anything," says one top studio exec to Newsweek.
"The audience has enormous affection for him -we're talking a Tom Hanksian level of likeability." His appeal is so universal that it transcends race. "He's the black Jimmy Stewart," says an industry insider. "He invites the white community in, yet he's credible with the black community. That's a pretty hard trick."