Despite its name, the American Film Institute’s “100 Years…100 Stars” is a list of the 50 greatest movie stars to grace the silver screen, not 100. The list is made up of 25 male actors and 25 actresses and features screen legends like Henry Fonda, Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Lauren Bacall and Kirk Douglas.
The top five in each genre category present an AFI-approved definitive list of the 10 biggest movie stars in movie history. Icons such as Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn top the AFI rankings.
ten Fred Astaire
Known for his longtime partnership with Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire has appeared in hit movies such as top hat, holiday hosteland royal wedding. He wasn’t just an actor; he was also a world famous singer and dancer.
In 1974 he appeared in the star-studded cast of the classic disaster epic The infernal tower. Astaire never won an Oscar for his acting role, but he received an Academy Honorary Award in 1949.
9 Greta Garbo
While many actors of her era made a name for themselves in goofy comedies, Greta Garbo made a name for herself with nuanced and understated dramatic performances. She started in Swedish cinema before 1927 The flesh and the devil made her an internationally recognized star.
Garbo’s acclaimed turns in movies like big hotel, Camilleand Ninotchka earned him an Academy Honorary Award (in addition to his three regular Oscar nominations).
8 Marlon Brando
With his performance in A tram called Désir and At the water’s edge Throughout the 1950s, Marlon Brando became universally recognized as one of the world’s greatest actors. Over his decades-long career, Brando has been nominated for eight Oscars and won two.
In the 1970s, Francis Ford Coppola breathed new life into Brando’s career by giving him the role of Don Corleone in The Godfather – one of his Oscar-winning roles – and Colonel Kurtz in Revelation now.
seven Ingrid Bergman
Best known as the female lead of casablanca (rented alongside Citizen Kane as one of the greatest films ever made), Ingrid Bergman rose to stardom after starring in 1940s classics such as gas lamp and Famous.
A seven-time Oscar nominee and three-time winner, Bergman also appeared in the sprawling set of Agatha Christie’s classic 1974 adaptation. Murder on the Orient Express.
6 James Stuart
James Stewart was an earlier generation of moviegoers’ answer to Tom Hanks: an ordinary man whom audiences around the world adored. He tackled politics in Mr. Smith goes to Washingtonshowed off his comedic abilities in Philadelphia Historyand told an uplifting story about the true meaning of happiness in It’s a wonderful life.
Nominated for five Oscars (but only winning one), Stewart was known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock on classic thrillers like rear window and fear of heights.
5 Audrey Hepburn
Both a revered actress and an icon of historical style, Audrey Hepburn has starred in critically acclaimed novels such as roman holidays and sabrina before giving arguably her most memorable performance as eccentric socialite Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
She also appeared in George Cukor’s Musical Gem my lovely lady. Throughout her career, Hepburn has been nominated for five Academy Awards (and won for roman holidays).
4 Cary Grant
Cary Grant got his start in comedies like raising baby, but he became a screen legend as the romantic lead in genre films. movies like Charade and To catch a thief offer a fun mix of romance and mystery. Grant didn’t win either of his two Oscar nominations, but he did receive an Academy Honorary Award in 1970.
The actor was also known as one of Hitchcock’s leading men. He played in a few Hitchcockian hits, like the blacks of the 1940s Suspicion and Famous and 1959 from north to northwestthe closest Hitchcock has come to making a James Bond movie.
3 Bette Davis
With a career spanning over 50 years and 100 acting credits, Bette Davis is one of the most prolific stars in Hollywood history. She was the first actress to amass more than 10 Oscar nominations (despite only earning two).
Davis starred in some of the most iconic films ever made, from showbiz drama All about Eve to the genre-defining “psycho-biddy” thriller What happened to Baby Jane?.
2 Humphrey Bogart
A go-to casting choice for diehard sleuths, Humphrey Bogart is one of the most recognizable icons in movie history. He played the male lead role in casablancaranked by many publications as the greatest film ever made, and starred in classic film noir such as The big sleep and The Maltese Falcon.
Bogart received three Oscar nominations throughout his career and won for The African Queen, a cross between adventure and romance. He was also acclaimed for The treasure of the Sierra Madrein which his character Dobbs embodies the corrupting power of wealth.
1 Catherine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn first made a name for herself in wacky romantic comedies like raising baby and Philadelphia Historybut she went on to become a legendary dramatic actress with 12 Oscar nominations (and a record four wins).
She co-stars with Bogart in The African Queenone of Hollywood’s most iconic love stories, and also appeared in films of groundbreaking social significance, such as 1967’s Guess who’s coming to dinner.
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