The times are a-changing and Ellen DeGeneres now comes first with American viewers, displacing Oprah Winfrey from the No. 1 spot for the first time in six years.
A sundry of talk-show personalities and funnymen/women made up the bulk of the list of favorite American TV personalities in the annual Harris Poll, with Ellen DeGeneres crowned as Miss Congeniality. DeGeneres had a spectacular rise in popularity, jumping from number eight to number one and displacing talk show queen Oprah Winfrey.
The poll surveyed 1,171 U. S. adults between Dec. 4 and Dec. 12, who only named Oprah as their second favorite TV star. “Late Night” host Jay Leno came in third, followed by “House” star Hugh Laurie – the only actor in a drama series to make it in the top ten.
Talk show host Jon Stewart followed at number five, while David Letterman and Stephen Colbert tied at six. Eighth place went to Bill O'Reilly, while real-life comedian Ray Romano and cartoon character Homer Simpson tied at nine.
Conan O’Brien and Kiefer Sutherland did not make it on the list this year, with newcomers Colbert and Simpson replacing them.
As to movie stars Americans love, Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks finished first and second for the second consecutive year. Johnny Depp followed them closely at number three, with Julia Roberts finishing fourth as the highest-ranking woman on the chart.
Will Smith, who recently saved the world (and the box office) in “I Am Legend” was the fifth best-liked American movie star. Sixth place went to legendary Academy Award-winning actor John Wayne, who passed away in 1979 but has been listed among the top ten every year since the poll began in 1994.
Sexiest Man Alive of 2007, Matt Damon and the first actor to portray James Bond, Sean Connery, tied for seventh, while Sandra Bullock finished ninth, although she only starred in one film last year, “Premonition,” which received mixed reviews at that. Bruce Willis rounded up the top ten.
George Clooney, Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford did not make it on the list this time around.