A new list published by Forbes magazine confirms actor Will Smith’s constantly increasing star power.

With his movies having made more than $5.2 billion dollars, Will Smith became Forbes Magazine’s number one on the Forbes Star Currency List, a judgment based on past box office, potential financial attraction, whether a star can “carry” a film, and media relations.

Topping the list ahead of fellow Hollywood superstars such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp or Leonardo DiCaprio, the 40-year-old rapper turned actor, who is popular for his roles in hit movies such as “Men in Black” and “Independence Day” impressed critics with stellar performances in more recent movies such as ”Pursuit of Happyness” and “Seven Pounds.”

According to Forbes special projects editor, John Burman, Smith, who won fame on 1990s television sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” can star in any movie genre.

“He can move from doing the pop film to an 'Ali' to a 'Seven Pounds' to 'The Pursuit of Happyness,' so he's able to play in all worlds and I think people just like watching him on screen,” Burman said.

Angelina Jolie is the highest ranked woman on the list, and she’s only one of three women in the top twenty. The other two are Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep. After her fifteenth Oscar nomination and hit films like “Mama Mia” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” Meryl Streep is now seen as the female Jack Nicholson - someone very cool and hip that audiences love.

Last year, Angelina was declared a “billion dollar woman” because her three 2008 films (“Wanted,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “Changeling”) made more than a billion dollars within a nine-month period.

The list, which is based on a survey made by Forbes among the entertainment business experts, shows that even in the age of the blow-it-up blockbuster, acting ability still counts.

“You look at that top set of names and you see solid acting talent,” Burman added. “In the overall picture, talent is still a critical component.”
Rounding out the top 10 were Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon and, somewhat surprisingly, Jack Nicholson.