Oh please with that “actress” schtick. Women are so overly sensitive as to be comical. Can’t call them girls, can’t call them actresses, but they can’t get enough of refering to their “inner goddess.” (Which, IMO, is every but as moronic as a guy refering to his “inner god.”) It’s laughable. Anyway…
As to the OP, I have different lists for the three different phrasings of your question.
My favorites won’t necessarily cause me to watch something. (Christopher Walken, learn to read a script before attaching your name!) Also, a lot of my favorites aren’t leads, so I won’t go out of my way to find the latest Steve Buscemi project, though he’s near the top of my list.
Those that I would say I’d pay to watch read a phonebook are people like Gary Oldman, who is pure gold IMO. But oddly, I won’t seek his stuff out. (So I guess I’m fooling myself with the whole phonebook hyperbole, eh?)
Here’s my list of what I think you’re asking, which is that if any of the following are attached – even as a bit part – I will make it a point to see it. (That usually means waiting for it to hit Starz or HBO, which is how I watch 99% of the movies I watch.)
Actresses
Kate Beckinsale
Jessica Biel
Jennifer Connelly
Rachel Leigh Cook
Zooey & Emily Deschanel
Katie Holmes
Keira Knightley
Anna Paquin
Sarah Polley
Natalie Portman
Christina Ricci
Winona Ryder
Robin Tunney
Actors
Adrien Brody
Jim Carey
George Clooney
Matt Damon
James Gandolfini
Jason Lee
Edward Norton
Joaquin Phoenix
Brad Pitt
Adam Sandler
Bruce Willis
So, as may be obvious, I watch and enjoy a ton of crappy movies. heh.
Some names I would have included, but found myself unable to watch some of their mindless dreck. Jessica Alba would have made it but for Honey, for example. I can’t watch more than 100 seconds of it at a time.
As opposed to Kate Beckinsale, where despite the fact that I despise Van Helsing, I’ve seen it a couple times now. I just sit and stare at Kate like a mental patient…I just can’t change the channel.