Who decides? Who’s on it? Is it all about how much money/star-power one has? I’m guessing it’s not all about talent.
(I wasn’t sure if this ought to be in GQ, sorry if I’m in the wrong forum.)
Excuse my ignorance (and please keep fighting it!), but what A-list would that be exactly?
— G. Raven
Whoops! I meant the Hollywood one…every entertainment mag I read goes on about an ‘A-list’. I know it changes from time to time, but who’s currently on it?
Seems more like a MPSIMS–if there’s anything more pointless than caring who’s on the Hollywood “A-List,” I can’t think what it would be.
In my humble opinion, of course.
B.A. Baracus, Hannibal, Murdoch… wait, what?.. ooooh the A-list!
A-list can be based on hard facts (salary per movie, Academy Awards) and perception (who’s hot now?). There’s also the question: Can this star, by himself, get people’s fannies in the seats?
A-list actors can include Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Russell Crowe, Leonard DiCaprio. Possible additions would be Ben Affleck.
A-list actresses would be Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidmon, Barbra Streisand. Maybe Emma Thompson (although she’s been away having her kid). But Meg Ryan? Susan Sarandon? I don’t know.
As pointed out, quality has nothing to do with it. Is Jack Lemmon an A-list actor? Probably not. Highly respected, an excellent actor, but not A-list.
The list is also weighed heavily toward men over women as well.
That should get you started . . .
BWAHAHAHA!! 
Hmm…I thought A-list could also mean those that were respected as actors. For instance, though Ben Kingsley might not be a huge draw, I would consider him an A-list actor.
I write the A-list every Saturday, Monday and Thursday and fax it to VH-1, E!, MTV, and a few other news & entertainment outlets. Slip me a few thousand and I’ll see to it that your name gets on the list for the next few months.
pesch has it right on. It has nothing to do with how respected you are as an actor. It depends totally on drawing power (uh, not artistic - more like can you draw people to the theatre on name value alone). The more hits you’ve had, the longer you can stay on the A-list without a recent hit movie. Anyone who can currently draw a twenty million dollar salary for one movie is on the A-list. Have a few flops, and you’re off of it.
I don’t think that it is so much a definitive, written down list (sorry rastahomie), as a general feeling that so-and-so is hot right now (just won an Academy Award, just had three hit movies in a row, has high name recognition, on the cover of tons of magazines).