A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

who is

famous Famous may refer to: Companies * Famous Brands, a South African restaurant franchisor * Famous Footwear, an American retail store chain * Famous Music, the music publishing division of Paramount Pictures * Famous Studios, the animation division ...

for their starring, or leading, roles in

movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

s. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names and whose names are used to promote movies, for example in trailers and posters. The most prominent movie stars are known in the industry as

bankable star In the film industry, a bankable star is a film actor (movie star) "capable of guaranteeing box-office success simply by showing up in a movie". The bankability of an actor includes their films' box office track record, professional demeanor, and ...

United States

In the early days of

silent movies A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

, the names of the actors and actresses appearing in them were not publicized or credited because producers feared this would result in demands for higher salaries.100 years of movie stars: 1910-1929
, ''The Independent'', January 25, 2010. However, audience curiosity soon undermined this policy. By 1909, actresses such as

Florence Lawrence Florence Lawrence (born Florence Annie Bridgwood; January 2, 1886 – December 28, 1938) was a Canadian-American stage performer and film actress. She is often referred to as the "first movie star", and was long thought to be the first film act ...

and

Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...

were already widely recognized, although the public remained unaware of their names. Lawrence was referred to as the “Biograph Girl” because she worked for

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

Biograph Studios Biograph Studios was an early film studio and laboratory complex, built in 1912 by the Biograph Company at 807 East 175th Street, in The Bronx, New York City, New York, which was preceded by two locations in Manhattan. History 841 Broadway ...

, while Pickford was "Little Mary." In 1910, Lawrence switched to the Independent Moving Pictures Company, began appearing under her own name, and was hailed as "America's foremost moving picture star" in IMP literature. Pickford began appearing under her own name in 1911. The Independent Moving Pictures Company promoted their "picture personalities", including Florence Lawrence and

King Baggot William King Baggot (November 7, 1879 – July 11, 1948) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was an internationally famous movie star of the silent film era. The first individually publicized leading man in America, Baggo ...

, by giving them billing, credits and a

marquee Marquee may refer to: * Marquee (overhang), a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building * Marquee (structure), a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel, theater, casino, train station, or similar building. * Pole marquee ...

Promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...

in advertising led to the release of stories about these personalities to newspapers and fan magazines as part of a strategy to build brand loyalty for their company's actors and films. By the 1920s, Hollywood film company promoters had developed a "massive industrial enterprise" that "...peddled a new intangible—fame."Mitchell A. Flagg,
Star Crazy: Keeping The Right Of Publicity Out Of Canadian Law
" (1999) Ad IDEM Early Hollywood studios tightly controlled who was a movie star, as only they had the ability to place stars' names above the title; according to film historian

Jeanine Basinger Jeanine Basinger (born February 3, 1936, Ravenden, Arkansas) is an American film historian who was the Corwin-Fuller professor of film studies at Wesleyan University and the founder and curator of the university's cinematic archives. Early life ...

, this was done "only for economic reasons". Hollywood "image makers" and promotional agents planted rumors, selectively released real or fictitious biographical information to the press, and used other gimmicks to create glamorous personas for actors. Publicists thus "created" the "enduring images" and public perceptions of screen legends such as

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

, and

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982), also known as Grace of Monaco, was an American actress and Princess of Monaco as the wife of Prince Rainier III from their marriage on April 18, 1956, until her death in 1982. ...

. The development of this "

star system A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars that orbit each other, bound by gravity, gravitational attraction. It may sometimes be used to refer to a single star. A large group of stars bound by gravitation is generally calle ...

" made fame "something that could be fabricated purposely, by the masters of the new 'machinery of glory'." However, regardless of how "...strenuously the star and their media handlers and press agents may ... try to 'monitor' and 'shape' it, the media and the public always play a substantial part in the image-making process." According to Madow, "fame is a 'relational' phenomenon, something that is conferred by others. A person can, within the limits of his natural talents, make himself strong or swift or learned. But he cannot, in this same sense, make himself famous, any more than he can make himself loved." Madow goes on to point out "fame is often conferred or withheld, just as love is, for reasons and on grounds other than 'merit'." According to Sofia Johansson the "canonical texts on stardom" include articles by Boorstin (1971), Alberoni (1972) and Dyer (1979) that examined the "representations of stars and on aspects of the Hollywood star system". Johansson writes that "more recent analyses within media and cultural studies (e.g. Gamson 1994; Marshall 1997; Giles 2000; Turner, Marshall and Bonner 2000; Rojek 2001; Turner 2004) have instead dealt with the idea of a pervasive, contemporary, '

celebrity culture Celebrity culture is a high-volume exposure to celebrities' personal lives on a global scale. It is inherently tied to consumer interests where celebrities transform their fame to become product brands. Whereas a culture can usually be physically ...

'." In the analysis of the celebrity culture, "fame and its constituencies are conceived of as a broader social process, connected to widespread economic, political, technological and cultural developments." In the 1980s and 1990s, entertainment companies began using stars for a range of publicity tactics including press releases, movie junkets, and community activities. These promotional efforts are targeted and designed using market research, to increase the predictability of success of their media ventures. In some cases, publicity agents may create “provocative advertisements” or make an outrageous public statement to trigger public controversy and thereby generate "free" news coverage. Movie studios employed performers under long-term contracts. They developed a star system as a means of promoting and selling their movies. "Star vehicles" were filmed to display the particular talents and appeal of the most popular movie stars of the studio.

Egypt

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

's famous movie stars in the 20th century include

Youssef Wahbi Youssef Abdallah Wahbi Qotb () (14 July 1898 – 17 October 1982) was an Egyptian stage, film actor and director, a leading star of the 1930s and 1940s and one of the most prominent Egyptian stage actors of all time, who also served on the ...

Fatima Rushdi Fatima Rushdi (; November 15, 1908 – January 23, 1996) was an Egyptian actress, singer, film director, and producer who was one of the pioneers of Egyptian cinema. Early life Born in Alexandria, Fatima Rushdi moved to Cairo at 14 to become an ...

Leila Mourad Leila Mourad or Layla Morad (; February 17, 1918 – November 21, 1995) was an Egyptian singer and actress, and one of the most prominent superstars in Egypt and the entire Arab world in her era. Born Lilian Zaki Ibrahim Mourad to Jewish parents ...

Anwar Wagdi Anwar Wagdi (, ; 11 October 1904 – 14 May 1955), born Anwar Wagdi Yehia Elfattal, was an Egyptians, Egyptian actor, screenwriter, Film director, director and Film producer, producer. Life Anwar was born in the Cairo district of Daher, Egypt, ...

Naguib El-Rihani Naguib el-Rihani (; January 21, 1889 in Cairo – June 8, 1949 in Alexandria) was an Egyptian film and stage actor. Biography Born in Bab El Shereya, Cairo to a middle class family. His father, an Assyrian Christian who worked as a horse exper ...

Taheyya Kariokka Taheyya Kariokka () also Tahiya Carioca (born Badaweya Taheyya Mohamed Ali Elnedany Kareem ()), (February 22, 1915 – September 20, 1999) was an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress. Early life Born in the Egyptian city of Ismaïlia to ...

Ismail Yassine Isma'il Yasin (also credited as ''Ismail Yassin''; ; 15 September 1912 – 24 May 1972) was an Egyptian actor and script writer. He was known for his slapstick humor and has been compared to Charlie Chaplin. He began his acting career in 1939 ...

Faten Hamama Faten Ahmed Hamama (, ; 27 May 1931 – 17 January 2015) was an Egyptian film and television actress and film producer. She made her screen debut in 1939, when she was only seven years old. Her earliest roles were minor, but her activity an ...

Salah Zulfikar Salah El-Din Ahmed Mourad Zulfikar (, ; 18 January 1926 – 22 December 1993) was an Egyptian actor and film producer. He started his career as a Egyptian National Police, police officer, before becoming an actor in 1956. He is regarded as one o ...

Shadia Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker (; 8 February 193128 November 2017), better known by her stage name Shadia (, ''Shādya''), was an Egyptian actress and singer. She was famous for her roles in light comedies and Drama (film and television), drama in th ...

Soad Hosny Soad Mohammad Kamal Hosny (, ; 26 January 1943 – 21 June 2001) was an Egyptian actress. She was known as the "Cinderella of the Screen" and one of the most influential actresses in the Middle East and the Arab world. She is generally regarded a ...

Shoukry Sarhan Mohamed Shoukry El Husseiny Sarhan (13 March 1925 – 19 March 1997, ), better known as Shoukry Sarhan (), was an Egyptian actor. He is regarded as one of the greatest Egyptian actors of all time. Life and career Sarhan was born in El Sha ...

Rushdy Abaza Rushdy Saiid Bughdadi Abaza () (3 August 1926 – 27 July 1980) was an Egyptian film and television actor. He was considered one of the most charming actors in the Egyptian film industry and is one of the most famous. He died of brain cancer at t ...

Nadia Lutfi Nadia Lutfi or Nadia Lotfi (; born Paula Mohamed Mostafa Shafik (); 3 January 1937 – 4 February 2020), was an Egyptian actress. During the apex of her career, she was one of the most popular actresses of Egyptian cinema's golden age. Early ...

Ahmed Mazhar Ahmed Hafez Mazhar (; 8 October 1917 – 8 May 2002) was an Egyptian actor. He graduated from the military academy in 1938Sanaa Gamil, Ahmed Zaki, Nour El Sherif, Mervat Amin,

Adel Emam Adel Mohammed Emam (; born on 17 May 1940), is an Egyptians, Egyptian Cinema of Egypt, film, Television in Egypt, television, and Egyptian Theatre, stage actor, known for his extensive career with over 150 artistic works, including films, plays, a ...

, Naglaa Fathi,

Yousra Yousra ( ; , ; born Sivin Nesim (. ) is an Egyptians, Egyptian actress and singer. She is considered as a glamorous icon for the Middle East and is an influential voice in the region. Career Yousra participated as a main Role actress in almos ...

Mahmoud Abdel Aziz Mahmoud Abdel Aziz (‎; 4 June 1946 – 12 November 2016) was an Egyptian film and television actor. He became famous for several famous roles in Cinema of Egypt, Egyptian cinema, before becoming famous in his native Egypt and the whole regi ...

Hussein Fahmy Hussein Mahmoud Fahmy (; born 22 March 1940) is an Egyptian actor. He worked in the film and television industry for more than 50 years, specializing in film directing and appearing in over 100 film, television, and theatre productions. He gradu ...

Sherihan Sherihan Ahmed Abdel Fattah el Shalakani (, ; born 6 December 1964) is an Egyptian actress, singer and classically trained dancer. Biography Sherihan started acting at the age of four. She is mostly known for Fawazir Ramadan. She retired in 200 ...

, Mahmoud Yassin and

Samir Ghanem Samir Yousef Ghanem (; 15 January 1937 – 20 May 2021) was an Egyptian comedian, singer, and entertainer. Early life and education Ghanem was born in al-ʿAtawlah, Asyut Governorate. After graduating from high school, he joined the Police Aca ...

. In the 21st century;

Mona Zaki Mona Ali Mohamed Zaki (; born 18 November 1976) is an Egyptian actress and producer. Early life and education Mona Ali Mohamed Zaki was born in Cairo to her parents Ali Mohamed and Tahini Zaki on 18 November 1976. Her father was a university ...

, Ahmed Ezz, Menna Shalabi,

Ahmed El Sakka Ahmed Mohamed Salah El Din El Sakka (; born 1973) is an Egyptians, Egyptian actor. The son of theatre director Salah El Sakka, he began his career with uncredited roles in a lot of films and television series, until he made his breakthrough role ...

Karim Abdel Aziz Karim Abdel Aziz () (born August 17, 1975) is an Egyptian actor and director. He is the son of director Mohammad Abdul Aziz and nephew of film director Omar Abdel Aziz. He began acting as a child, making his acting debut in his father's film (B ...

Sherif Mounir Sherif Mounir (sometimes credited as Sherif Moneer), (), born May 14, 1959, in El Mansoura (المنصورة) in Dakahlia Governorate (محافظة الدقهلية) as Sherif Ahmed Mounir (), is an Egyptian movie and stage actor An acto ...

Nelly Karim Nelly Karim (; born 18 December 1974) is an Egyptian actress and singer, model, and former ballerina. Early Life Nelly Karim is the daughter of a Soviet Russian mother from Leningrad and an Egyptian father from Zagazig. Born in Alexandria, E ...

Mohamed Henedi Mohamed Henedi (, ) is an Egyptian actor born in Giza, Egypt, on 1 February 1965.Mohamed Saad, Donia Samir Ghanem,

Ahmed Helmy Ahmed Muhammad Helmy Abdel Rahman Awwad (; born November 18, 1968) is an Egpytians, Egyptian actor, comedian, film producer, author, TV host and diplomat. He started his career in 1993 on the Egyptian satellite broadcast in a program called ''Le ...

Ghada Adel Ghada Adel Ibrahim (, born 25 December 1974) is an Egyptian actress and television presenter. Early life She was born in Benghazi, Libya, to an Egyptian working family. Her Egyptian mother was also the half-sister of the retired actress Sham ...

, Khaled El-Nabawy,

Ruby Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...

Maged el-Kedwany Maged Nabil Elkedwani (: born: 10 December 1967) is an Egyptians, Egyptian actor. He began acting in the 1990s, playing supporting roles. He won the Muhr Arab - Feature Best Actor Award for his role in ''678 (film), 678'' from Dubai Internationa ...

and many more considered

Egyptian Cinema The Egyptian film industry is today based mainly in Cairo, which is sometimes referred to as Hollywood on the Nile, Hollywood of the Middle East or Hollywood of the East, despite having its beginnings in the city of Alexandria in the early 20t ...

movie stars.

Asia

Sophie Marceau Zhang Ziyi Cabourg 2014 2

Movie stars enjoy considerable prominence in Asia. In Asian film industries, many movies often run on the weight of the star's crowd pulling power more than any other intrinsic aspect of film making.

China

A number of

Chinese film The cinema of China is the filmmaking and film industry of mainland China, one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese languages, Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan. China is the hom ...

actors have become some of the most popular movie stars in

Eastern Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan ...

, and several are also well known in the Western world. They include

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...

Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese-born Singaporean Martial arts, martial artist and actor. With a Jet Li filmography, film career spanning more than forty years, Li is re ...

Chow Yun-fat Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility, encompassing action to melodrama and comedy and historical drama, his accolades include three Hong Kong Film Awar ...

Stephen Chow Stephen Chow Sing-chi (; born 22 June 1962) is a Hong Kong filmmaker and former actor, known for his mo lei tau comedy. His career began in television, where he gained recognition through variety shows and TV dramas. Chow's breakthrough came in 1 ...

Sammo Hung Samuel "Sammo" Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a figh ...

Gong Li Gong Li ( zh, s=巩俐, t=鞏俐; born 31 December 1965) is a Chinese-born Singaporean actress. She is regarded as one of the best actresses in China today, known for her versatility and naturalistic performances. She starred in three of the ...

Ziyi Zhang Zhang Ziyi (; ; born 9 February 1979), sometimes credited Ziyi Zhang, is a Chinese actress, known for playing independent and strong-willed characters. Born and raised in Beijing, Zhang was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama in 1996. Th ...

Maggie Cheung Maggie Cheung Man-yuk (; born 20 September 1964) is a Hong Kong actress. She is one of the most successful and internationally acclaimed actresses in Asia, renowned for her diverse and versatile performances as well as her natural acting skills ...

, and the late

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

India

The

Indian film The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on pr ...

industry consists of various regional cinema industries. One regional cinema, the Hindi film industry, commonly known as

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

, has its own set of rules in this respect. There are often

superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

s in this region who command premium pay commensurate with their

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...

appeal. Some mainstream Indian movie stars, like the Khans of Bollywood (

Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...

,How To Become A Foreign Movie Star In China: Aamir Khan's 5-Point Formula For Success
''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'', 11 June 2017

Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...

Salman Khan Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; born 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who predominantly works in Hindi films. In a career spanning over three decades, his awards include two National Film Awa ...

,),

Madhubala Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969) was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. She is considered as one of the greatest and finest actresses in the history of Indian cinema. One of the country ...

Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (; born as Shrishti Nath Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influen ...

Nargis Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid, also known as Nirmala Dutt; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) known mononyomusly as Nargis was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and finest actresses in the ...

Mithun Chakraborty Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, film producer, screenwriter, entrepreneur and politician who predominantly works in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali cinema. In a career spa ...

,Do you remember Jimmy Jimmy?
SBS, 18 March 2017

Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...

Arjun Rampal Arjun Rampal (born 26 November 1972) is an Indian actor and model who mainly works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's romance film ''Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (2001) and has since gone on to Arjun Rampal filmography, act in ...

and

Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (; Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films. Rai won the Miss World 1994 pageant and later established herself as one of the most-popu ...

gained international fame across

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

. For example,

films were popular in the Soviet Union, more so following the restriction of

Hollywood films The cinema of the United States, primarily associated with major film studios collectively referred to as Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, has significantly influenced the global film industry since the early 20th century. Classical Holly ...

, and occasionally even more popular than domestic

Soviet films The cinema of the Soviet Union includes films produced by the constituent republics of the Soviet Union reflecting elements of their pre-Soviet culture, language and history, albeit they were all regulated by the central government in Moscow. ...

. Indian actors like Raj Kapoor, Nargis and Mithun Chakroborty were household names in the Soviet Union, with films such as ''

Awaara ''Awaara'', also written ''Awāra'' and known overseas as ''The Vagabond'', is a 1951 Indian crime drama film, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It stars Raj Kapoor along with his real-life father Prithv ...

'' (1951) and ''

Disco Dancer ''Disco Dancer'' is a 1982 Indian dance-action film, written by Rahi Masoom Raza and directed by Babbar Subhash. It stars Mithun Chakraborty and Kim in leading roles, with Om Puri, Gita Siddharth and Karan Razdan in supporting roles with ...

'' (1982) drawing more than 60 million viewers in the country. The

Hindi film Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and " Hollywood". The industry, producing films in t ...

actors Raj Kapoor and Aamir Khan also became very popular in China, with films such as ''Awaara'', ''

3 Idiots ''3 Idiots'' is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, co-written by Abhijat Joshi and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Shar ...

'' (2009), and '' Dangal'' (2016), one of the top 20 highest-grossing films in China.'Dangal' Makes More History In China, Joins List Of All-Time 20 Biggest Box Office Hits
''

'', 9 June 2017

Southeast-Asian archipelago

20th Century

The film industry of the Malay Archipelago (also known as Nusantara) consists primarily of film industries which made the cinema of

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, and

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

. Over the past century, these four cinemas have collaborated on a number of projects. A number of actors from this region have become some of the most sought-after movie stars in southeast Asia, commonly in Malay-speaking countries. Many of these movie star have acted in all four countries In the

, their most recognizable thespian consisted of

Nora Aunor Nora Cabaltera Villamayor (May 21, 1953 – April 16, 2025), known professionally as Nora Aunor (), was a Filipino actress, producer and singer. Known for her leading roles with patriotic, feminist and Political sociology, socio-political th ...

Vilma Santos Rosa Vilma Tuazon Santos-Recto (born November 3, 1953) is a Filipino actress and politician. In a career spanning over seven decades, she is recognized for her versatility in acting across various genres of film and television in the Philippine ...

Sharon Cuneta Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan (born January 6, 1966) is a Filipino actress, singer, and television personality. Prolific in multiple fields of entertainment, she is known for playing dramatic and comedic leading roles in film and television. ...

Maricel Soriano Maria Cecilia "Maricel" Dador Soriano (born February 25, 1965) is a Filipino actress and television personality. Known for her intense acting style and versatility, she is known for playing dramatic and comedic leading roles in films and telev ...

Christopher de Leon Christopher Strauss de León (born October 31, 1956), also known as Boyet, is a Filipino actor, filmmaker and politician. Often referred to as the "King of Philippine Drama", he gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous film and te ...

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...

, Jose Padilla, Fernando Poe Sr., Fernando Poe Jr., Rudy Fernandez,

Dolphy Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. (July 25, 1928 – July 10, 2012), known professionally as Dolphy, was a Filipino comedian and actor. He is widely regarded as the country's "King of Comedy" for his comedic talent embodied by his long roster of works ...

, Palito, Ramon Zamora, among many more. Philippines first international celebrity and sole in the movie star category was Ernesto dela Cruz under the pseudonym

Weng Weng Ernesto de Guzman de la Cruz (September 7, 1957 – August 29, 1992), known by the stage name Weng Weng, was a Filipino actor, stunt performer, and martial artist. He was a short person at tall. Born in what is now Baclaran in Parañaque, de ...

, who in 1981 with his hit film the

action comedy film The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the Americ ...

'' For Your Height Only,'' became the world's first and shortest

leading man A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...

standing at 2 foot 9 while even with a short lived career the international success of the film has not been topped locally.

's movie stars consist of Rima Melati,

Deddy Mizwar Deddy Mizwar (born 5 March 1955) is an Indonesian actor, director, and politician born of an Indo ( Dutch- Betawi) father and Betawi- Bugis mother. He is the Chairman of Indonesia's National Film Advisory Board (''Badan Pertimbangan Perfilman Na ...

Christine Hakim Herlina Christine Natalia Hakim (born 25 December 1956) is an Indonesian actress, film producer, and activist. Born to a devout Muslim family of mixed-race background in Jambi, she grew up in Yogyakarta, aspiring to be an architect or psychol ...

Rano Karno Rano Karno (born 8 October 1960) is an Indonesian actor and politician who has served as the vice governor of Jakarta since 20 February 2025. Previously, he served as Governor of Banten from 2014 to 2017. As a result of his fame gained from his ...

, and many more.

's most renown film celebrities are

P. Ramlee Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh (22 March 1929 – 29 May 1973), better known by his stage name P. Ramlee (Puteh Ramlee), was a Malaysian actor, filmmaker, musician, and composer. Born in Penang, Malaya, he is regarded as a prominent icon ...

Yusof Haslam Yang Berbahagia Datuk Md. Yusof bin Md. Haslam Khan (born 24 April 1954) is a Malaysian actor, film director and producer. He is best known for his longest-running police procedural drama series '' Gerak Khas'', a TV series that he created, di ...

Jins Shamsuddin Mohamed Zain "Jins" Shamsuddin ( Jawi: محمد زين بن شمس الدين) (5 November 1935 – 1 March 2017) was a Malaysian film actor, director, politician, writer and producer. Early life and film career Mohamed Jins was born in T ...

Michelle Yeoh Yeoh Choo Kheng (; born 6 August 1962), known professionally as Michelle Yeoh (), is a Malaysian actress. In a career spanning over four decades, Yeoh has appeared Michelle Yeoh filmography, in projects encompassing a wide array of genres, a ...

, Eman Manan, Alex Komang, etc.

's most famous included Fauziah Ahmad Daud, Nordin Ahmad, Saadiah, and others are also considered Singaporeans movie stars of the 20th century.

21st Century

Other, more recent movie stars include Romalis Syafril,

Erra Fazira Erra Fazira (born Fazira Wan Chek, 9 February 1974), is a Malaysians, Malaysian actress, singer, fashion model, tv host, producer and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World Malaysia, Miss Malaysia World 1992. She rose to fame i ...

Rosyam Nor Datuk Mohamed Noor bin Shamsuddin (born 1 March 1967), known professionally as Rosyam Nor, is a Malaysian actor, television host and film producer. Early career He first ventured into acting in Gila-Gila Remaja, a 1986 film about youngsters ...

Shaheizy Sam Shaheizy Sam bin Abdul Samad (born 4 September 1982) is a Malaysian actor who was known as a young star in the 1990s before rising to fame in the film ''Bohsia: Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam'' in 2009, and ''Adnan Sempit'' in the following year. B ...

and

Maya Karin Maya Karin Roelcke (born 29 October 1979) is a Malaysian film actress, television host and singer, known for '' Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam'', '' Anak Halal'', '' Ombak Rindu'' and '' Munafik 2''. She holds the Malaysia Film Festival record ...

, from Malaysia;

Nicholas Saputra Nicholas Schubring Saputra (born 24 February 1984) is an Indonesian actor and film producer. He first rose to prominence as Rangga in the 2002 hit film '' Ada Apa dengan Cinta?'', a role he reprised in '' Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2'' in 2016. He ...

, Vino G. Bastian, Dian Sastrowardoyo,

Tora Sudiro Taura Danang Sudiro or better known as Tora Sudiro (born in Jakarta, Indonesia on 10 May 1973) is an Indonesian actor, and comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by ma ...

, and

Iko Uwais Uwais Qorny (), known professionally as Iko Uwais, (born 12 February 1983) is an Indonesian actor, stuntman, fight choreographer, and martial artist. He is best known for acting in the action films '' Merantau'' (2009), '' The Raid'' (2011), '' ...

, from Indonesia; Claudine Baretto,

Piolo Pascual Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual (, born January 12, 1977) is a Filipino actor, model, singer, television host, comedian and film producer. Pascual began a career in 1993 after landing a bit role in the film ''The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help ...

John Lloyd Cruz John Lloyd Espidol Cruz (born June 24, 1983) is a Filipino actor. Regarded as the "''King of Contemporary Cinema''" by the media, Cruz has top-billed several box-office successes. He has more than ten films with box office grosses of ₱100 mill ...

Jericho Rosales Jericho Vibar Rosales (; born September 22, 1979), also known as Echo, is a Filipino actor, singer, songwriter and film producer. Known primarily for his leading man roles in romantic drama, he has starred in some of the most distributed Phil ...

Aga Muhlach Ariel Aquino Muhlach"Aga Muchlach biography"
''IMDB''. Retrieved June 13, 2014. (; born August ...

, Kristine Hermosa,

Dingdong Dantes Jose Sixto "Dingdong" Gonzalez Dantes III (born August 2, 1980) professionally known as Dingdong Dantes, is a Filipino actor, filmmaker, and television personality. He is known for his acting versatility and played dramatic and fantasy-action r ...

, and

Bea Alonzo Phylbert Angelli Ranollo Fagestrom (born October 17, 1987), known professionally as Bea Alonzo, is a Filipino actress, singer and Youtuber. She is best known for playing dramatic roles in romantic drama films. Her notable films include '' The M ...

, from the Philippines; and a few from Singapore, such as

Aaron Aziz Malay styles and titles, Yang Hormat Datuk, Dato' Aaron Mustapha bin Aziz (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ارون مصطفى بن عزيز; born 23 February 1976) is a Singaporean Malaysian actor and director. He is largely known in Malaysia and also i ...

and Adi Putra.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Movie Star Acting Celebrity Film and video terminology Entertainment occupations Filmmaking occupations

United States

Egypt

Asia

China

India

Southeast-Asian archipelago

20th Century

21st Century

See also

References