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| Check out the Results pages to find out who you voted as the 100 greatest movie stars of all time. Click on any star's name to be taken to in-depth information about their work. |
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| 50- Charlie Chaplin |
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Born in London in 1889 to music hall entertainers who split when he was a year old. After spells in orphanages and boarding schools he joined Fred Karno's troupe at 17, and on a trip to America impressed Keystone boss Mack Sennet. He made his movie debut in 1914 and made 35 films in that year alone. In 1918 he signed the first million-dollar contract with First National to direct eight films. He formed United Artists Studios in 1919 with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and DW Griffiths and made his first talkie in 1940 (The Great Dictator). He only made four more films but won an honorary Oscar in 1972 and was knighted in 1975. He died in 1977.
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| 49- Bruce Lee |
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Bruce Lee (1940-73) grew up in Hong Kong and appeared in over 20 movies as a child. An accomplished cha cha dancer as well as a kung fu expert, he left for San Francisco after a couple of run-ins with the police. After studying philosophy at university he appeared as Kato on TV's The Green Hornet, winning the role because he was the only person who could pronounce the star's name (Britt Reid). He gave karate lessons to stars such as James Coburn and Steve McQueen but died – from swelling of the brain caused either by an allergic reaction to a pain killer or (more controversially) from steroid abuse – before he became a major star.
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| 48- John Cusack |
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Chicago born and bred, Cusack had appeared on radio and in commercials by the time he was 12. He made his movie debut at 17 in the comedy Class (1983) and appeared in a succession of teen movies before his first 'adult' role in The Grifters. He had been offered a part in Platoon, but his mum wouldn't let him go. His anti-Hollywood stance saw him turn down Indecent Proposal and Apollo 13, forming instead his own production company, New Crime Productions. The intention was to produce more offbeat films such as Grosse Pointe Blank, which Cusack starred in, produced and co-wrote. He has since taken the corporate dollar for Con Air but has continued along a largely independent path.
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| 47- Jim Carrey |
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Born January 1962 in Ontario, Canada, Carrey was a fearlessly extrovert child who honed his comic skills by doing impersonations of his alcoholic grandparents. His stage debut was as Santa Claus aged eight. After dropping out of school he performed at The Comedy Store in L.A. and briefly starred in an unsuccessful sitcom (The Duck Factory) before trying his hand at films. Bit parts followed before fellow Earth Girls Are Easy star Damon Wayans recommended him for the comedy show In Living Color. That led to him being chosen for Ace Ventura and after two more big successes in the same year (1994) he trousered the then highest ever salary of 20 million dollars for The Cable Guy.
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| 46- JOhn Travolta |
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To lose one movie career might be regarded as a misfortune – to lose two looks like carelessness. John Travolta was born to a drama teacher and tyre salesman in New Jersey, 1954. He made pop albums, and appeared on Broadway and TV before his role in 1976's Carrie. He hit the big time as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, but after Grease turned down American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman. Richard Gere said thanks, Travolta's career tanked, but when Tarantino persuaded him to take on the role of Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction he was back in the big time. Trousering 20 million a movie, he has tried to jack it all in again with Battlefield Earth.
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