The Biggest Surprises Of The Hollywood Reporter’s 100 Most Powerful People In Entertainment List
Every year, The Hollywood Reporter releases a list of the top 100 most powerful people in Hollywood. This year's list looks a lot different from last year's list thanks to the #MeToo movement and a huge demand for more diversity in major motion pictures.
Some names that were high up on the list last year don't appear on the list at all this year, and yes I'm talking about Harvey Weinstein. The list still has some of the usual suspects: Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, all of the execs at Disney... But some of the new faces this year might surprise you. Keep reading to find out who they are.
Tiffany Haddish
Last year, very few people had even heard of Tiffany Haddish. Now she's everywhere. Her breakout performance in Girls Trip made her a huge success.
This lady comedian has since become a one woman empire. She's hosted SNL, won an Emmy, and made a bunch of stand-up specials. 2018 was definitely Tiffany's year.
Elisabeth Moss
Before she was offered on The Handmaid's Tale, Elisabeth Moss was Peggy on the critically acclaimed show Mad Men. Elisabeth Moss is making huge waves as the star of her own drama series.
She's a two-time Emmy winner, a producer, and a boss if I ever saw one.
Donald Glover
Way back in the day, Donald Glover was just that kid in that show. When he was playing Troy on Community, who could have predicted that he would become such an artiste?
This guy does it all. He's a successful actor, musician, writer, and producer. Everything this guy touches ends up being fantastic.
Ava DuVernay
Director and producer Ava DuVernay has been making big moves in Hollywood lately. She directed Wrinkle in Time, and she did a great job with Jay Z's "Family Feud" music video.
This woman runs her empire with class. We are truly not worthy of her talent.
Ronan Farrow
At number 100, Ronan Farrow barely squeezed his way onto The Hollywood Reporter's 2018 list. This politically minded journalist made it his business to expose some of the biggest scandals in American history.
Harvey Weinstein isn't on the list this year because of Ronan Farrow, and that is a huge deal.
Ryan Reynolds
Actor and producer Ryan Reynolds is number 71 on The Hollywood Reporter's list this year. He brought Deadpool to life and he's becoming way more active as a producer. He also just signed a three-year first look deal at Fox.
Ryan Reynolds is making things happen.
Jennifer Lawrence
Although her last two movies didn't do as well as expected, J-Law is showing no signs of slowing down. This year she comes in at number 65 on The Hollywood Reporter's list of the most influential people in entertainment.
I am so excited to see what this powerhouse actress does next.
LeBron James
LeBron James is truly a master of all trades. This guy is an all-star basketball player who just signed a $1 billion Nike endorsement deal. He's also an actor and a producer who is about to star in the much awaited sequel to Space Jam.
Is there anything that this guy can't do?
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres sits comfortably at number 44 on The Hollywood Reporter's list this year. Her talk show has been on the air for almost two decades, and it still wins an Emmy every year.
Nobody spreads kindness and joy quite like Ellen. She even has a stand-up special, her first in 15 years, coming out on Netflix.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson keeps making mega hit after mega hit. At 46 years old, he's one of Hollywood's highest paid actors. He reportedly made around $124 million in 2018.
I guess a role in a Disney film and huge producing credits will do that for you. Dwayne is currently sitting at number 38 on the list.
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan has made so many great movies— from Dunkirk to Inception to Batman, all the way back toMemento — this guy has got writing and directing down to a science.
Expect more big things from this guy in the years to come. I'm hoping he'll consider another collaboration with his brother, Jonathan Nolan, one of the creators of Westworld.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
In 2018, Lin-Manuel Miranda became synonymous with Broadway. He also made an insanely popular Broadway play, which is no easy feat.
Now he's writing songs for Disney movies and producing TV shows. He's a showman in the truest sense of the world, and Hollywood is a little bit brighter because of him.
Jon M. Chu
For some reason, people were surprised by the success of Crazy Rich Asians. The movie grossed over $188 million at the box office.
This director is sitting comfortably at number 97 on the list. Next year he's directing an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's play, In the Heights.
Kevin Hart
Ok, this one is not so surprising. Obviously Kevin Hart is one of the most influential performers in Hollywood. This man's appeal knows no bounds.
This actor and comedian is sitting at number 69 on the list. He's set to star in a bunch of big budget sequels next year.
Michael B. Jordan
At number 94 on the list, we have Michael B. Jordan. It's been a long time coming for this very handsome actor and producer. After a bunch of bit parts and small supporting roles, he finally made it big (and I mean really big) in 2018.
His role in Marvel's Black Panther took him from stardom to superstardom.
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington has been steadily making it work in Hollywood for decades now. He earned an Oscar nomination in 2018 forRoman J. Israel, Esq.
Equalizer 2 was his first sequel, but with $180 million, it probably won't be his last. Washington is 60 years old and sill going strong.
Jordan Peele
Years ago, when Jordan Peele was a resident goofball on Mad TV, or when he was half of the very funny duo Key and Peele, who would have thought that he would become one of the most important people in Hollywood.
Peele's film, Get Out, was a huge success, and now he's helming a Twilight Zone reboot.
Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt is another actor who went from comedy darling to Hollywood superstar. His involvement in films like Jurassic World and Guardians of The Galaxy have made him a household name.
I am so excited to see what Chris Pratt is going to do next. Right now, he's number 68 on the list.
Tom Cruise
Apparently, Tom Cruise is a lot more powerful than we all thought. I mean, I knew he was powerful, but I didn't know he was number 96 on the list powerful. And in 2018 no less?
Tom Cruise is not about to let his star power fall by the wayside.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio hasn't made a film in three years, but he's still holding onto all that power from his 2015 Oscar win. Leo is going to return to the screen in 2019 in Quentin Tarantino's latest flick,Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Maybe he'll win another Oscar. Maybe Oscars are like Pringles— once you pop, you can't stop.
