If you feel like you’ve been seeing a lot of Dwayne Johnson lately, you’re not wrong: The pro wrestler-turned-actor just released his second popcorn movie in three months – while the first one is still in theaters.
“If you look up ‘international superstar’ in the dictionary, Johnson’s name is there,” says comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
Johnson is one of 10 movie stars who made USA TODAY’s ranking of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. So is Tiffany Haddish, who has prominent roles in a whopping eight movies in 2018 and 2019, and Margot Robbie, who stars in six.
Their ubiquity made us wonder: Who else leads that list? Using casting and search data from Movie Insider and IMDb, we analyzed actors’ recent starring film roles, upcoming projects and page views, with consideration given to name recognition.
Our ranking includes Oscar winners, action stars, independent film stars/producers and character actors, though unsurprisingly, there are some big gaps in our findings. The movie business still skews white and male, and so does this list. There are also two men who have been accused of abusive behavior toward women, which doesn’t seem to have diminished their ability to find work.
But there’s reason to expect progress in the years to come: Haddish, one of three women and three actors of color to make our top 10, was relatively unknown just last summer.
“What stands out is that this group of actors is truly cross-generational, a mix of old school and new school, with some representing multiple decades in the business, alongside dynamic young stars that are relatively early in their careers,” Dergarabedian says. “Given the impressive and growing influence of women both behind and in front of the camera, future lists of this type will likely see a greater number of female creatives among the ranks.”
For the full story, visit USAToday.com/Life/Movies.
