Mel Gibson Is What Audiences Want (According to Harris Poll)

E Online ^ | 12/18/03 | Sarah Hall

[truthandlife]

American audiences are passionate about Mel Gibson.

According to the annual Harris poll that tracks which movie stars are most popular among U.S. filmgoers, the Aussie actor is tops--moving up to number one from last year's number two berth.

The leap up the ladder for the Signs star most likely has nothing to do with his laboring over his controversial pet project The Passion of Christ--a 12-hour epic about the final hours of Jesus Christ's life. The project has drawn a lion's share of criticism, though it remains largely unseen and will likely not be anywhere near as popular as, say, Lethal Weapon 3.

Passion or no, Gibson has held his own among the popular crowd over time--he's made the top five in the rankings every year since the poll began in 1993.

Slipping into the number two slot this year is America's Sweetheart star Julia Roberts (news). She of the Mona Lisa Smile was number three last year and number one in 2001.

The Pretty Woman ingnue was the only member of the fairer sex to crack the top 10--the other nine slots are held by male actors.

The folks at Harris Interactive conducted the 2003 poll online, collecting the film star preferences of a nationwide sample of 1,102 adults between November 17 and 23.

Apparently the American public is consistent about what it likes--nine out of the top 10 stars were also in the top 10 last year.

The sole new addition to the list is Johnny Depp (news), who came in at number 10. The Chocolat thesp (and E!'s pick for Entertainer of the Year) was the lone member of the top 10 club to score a box-office success in 2003, with the wildly popular Pirates of the Caribbean, not to mention Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

Depp displaced last year's bottom-runger, Sandra Bullock (news), who went unseen at the 2003 box office.

Other ebbs and flows in the Harris poll rankings affected Tom Cruise (news), who shot up from a low number nine to share the number five slot with Harrison Ford (news), who fell a notch from his number four position last year.

Sean Penn (news) jumped from number five to number three, while Harris poll stalwart, the late John Wayne (news) slipped to a number seven seat--his lowest ranking yet.

Wayne's longevity in the rankings remains baffling to entertainment insiders--the actor has been dead since 1979 and is the only dead movie star ever to make it into the Harris top 10.

When broken down by sex, more men choose the Duke as their favorite star than choose any other actor, with Tom Cruise coming in second.

Women choose Mel Gibson (news), as do whites, while African Americans favor Denzel Washington (news). Hispanics choose Robert DeNiro.

Political affiliation weighs into the choices as well--Democrats and Republicans concur that Mel Gibson is the best, while Independents think that Julia Roberts and John Wayne top the charts.

Here's a complete list of the top movie stars of 2003 according to the Harris poll:

1. Mel Gibson 2. Julia Roberts 3. Sean Connery (news) 4. Tom Hanks (news) 5. Harrison Ford (tie) 5. Tom Cruise (tie) 7. John Wayne 8. Clint Eastwood (news) 9. Denzel Washington 10. Johnny Depp

[truthandlife]

Ping

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The (Passion of Christ) project has drawn a lion's share of criticism, though it remains largely unseen and will likely not be anywhere near as popular as, say, Lethal Weapon 3.

That remains to be seen, doesn't it?

[VOA]

like most of his life. His family home is in Australia, his children go to school there.

Hey, he's "bi-coastal"...coast of Australia and Southern California.

I saw him a couple of years ago at the Malibu Courthouse...and he's had
some controversy because he's building a church that's of the sort of Catholic
type group he worships with...sorry I can't give a better explanation of that.
(I guess he's not 100% in line with what is considered regular Roman Catholocism.)

But, I guess some folks here were objecting to the building of a church...
bet there'd not have been a peep if it had been a mosque!
Or an Al Queda camp!
That's how nutty this place gets.

[MissAmericanPie]

Go Mel. I can't believe Bruce Willis isn't up there in the top four.

[LanPB01]

http://videoeta.com/movie/52577

[diamond6]

The movie is 12 hours long!!!! Am I misunderstanding something.

[Clemenza]

like most of his life. His family home is in Australia, his children go to school there.

Actually, Mel currently lives with his family outside of Peekskill, New York.

[billbears]

Interesting. I understood his view of Catholicism probably wasn't along the lines of what the standard is now. But I haven't really researched what he believed. I know Gibson is probably one of my favorites. For some reason he reminds me in ways of the movie stars of the 40s and 50s

[VOA]

I know Gibson is probably one of my favorites. For some reason he reminds me in ways
-of the movie stars of the 40s and 50s

Well, this is about the 20th time I've mentioned my "brush with fame"
seeing Mr. Gibson as we passed in the hallway of the courthouse.
Later I was sitting outside between court sessions and saw Gibson leave...by himself,
no entourage and get into a very humble mid-range SUV and drive off.
I still almost didn't believe it was him...but saw him at the some event for the
opening of "Chicken Run" and he was still wearing the same Hawaiian shirt and blue jeans
that he was wearing at the courthouse.

Another reason to like Mel? He was amongst the enthusiastic applauders when
Elia Kazan got his controversial Oscar...while sadly deluded (but talented)
actors like Nick Nolte and Ed Harris either glared or sat on their hands.

[Texas Deer Hunter]

Yes you are, the reporter is an idiot, just like most reporters. The movie is about the last 12 hours of Christ's life, it's not 12 hours of movie.

Reporters never bother with facts.

[Vision Thing]

Johnny Dep lives in france because America is just to violent for his "artist" sensitive tastes

Johnny Depsh*t's latest roles been violent in nature, if not downright depraved.

For the purposes of full disclosure, I am not too fond of him. Why? Because my ex-girlfriend had a thing for him.

[Mackey]

Mel has character. That is what elevates him above the Hollywood herd.

[snowstorm12]

I saw this the other day on "top 100 celebrity oops" at the notting hill premiere.

[Blue Collar Christian]

"yawn"

[b9]

"Gibson is an anomoly: deeply religious, ferociously principled, and highly intelligent."

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

Not to mention HOT, hunky, manly, adorable, gorgeous, witty, brave, unapologetically politically INcorrect ...and....and....and... just plain CUTE.

(Did I leave anything out? =)

[lorrainer]

(Did I leave anything out? =)

Well, just some pics....

[b9]

Oh my.
Just as I was about to hit the sack.
Now I won't be able to sleep =)
*swoon*

[lorrainer]

Can't sleep? Well, I only post this one in emergencies, so....

[Fledermaus]

He's also a braindead lefty that hates the same country, USA, that made him a fortune.

I say to heck with him.

[Fledermaus]

Any real man that thinks Julia Roberts is attractive is a fake and probably gay.

She's a more disgusting example of a female than Rosie O'Donnell.