0: Introductions

Welcome to The Last Star In Hollywood! In this introductory episode, we set out our plans for the podcast, discuss what makes a star, and ask the tough questions: Has Hollywood outgrown the need for stars? What is the least Downey performance that we’ve seen Downey do? Is Tom Hanks hot? Alastair’s impromptu, informal criteria for stardom: Profitability – how much money has the actor made, and how consistent are those profits? Longevity – how long has has the actor been acting, and how consistent has their career been? Exclusivity – to what degree is the actor primarily or exclusively a leading actor in feature films? Iconicity – to what degree is the actor’s off-screen persona recognizable in or compatible with their on-screen performances? Unanswered Questions: Are there any other current movie stars who fulfill the criteria? Are there any other criteria we might apply? Are movie stars good or bad for the industry? Are they good or bad for our shared cultural landscape? Further reading: Tom Cruise (TheNumbers.com) Top 100 Stars In Leading Roles (TheNumbers.com) The Last Star In Hollywood: Production Schedule For bonus shows, extra content and more, support The Last Star In Hollywood on Patreon.com/LastStarPod! Join us next time for a discussion of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1981 movie, Endless Love. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★