No name in lights was more pleasing to US theatre owners in 2008 than Will Smith, according to a survey of American movie exhibitors.
Smith, star of Hancock and Seven Pounds, was voted the star who generated the most box office revenue for theatres in an annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co.
Smith is only the second black actor to be chosen in the Quigley poll, which since 1932 has asked movie exhibitors to vote on the 10 stars who brought in the most business. Sidney Poitier topped the poll in 1968.
Smith's superhero summer blockbuster, Hancock, grossed $US228 million ($A320.13 million).
Seven Pounds, which opens in Australia on January 8, has pulled in a somewhat lacklustre $US39 million ($A54.76 million) in two weeks.
Following Smith, in order, were Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man, Tropic Thunder), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight), Shia LaBeouf (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and LaBeouf's Indiana Jones co-star Harrison Ford.
The top 10 were rounded out by Adam Sandler, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie and Daniel Craig.
Last year's winner, Johnny Depp, who didn't have a film released this year, didn't make this year's poll, nor did seven-time winner Tom Cruise.
Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) was voted the top "star of tomorrow" along with Chris Pine of Bottle Shock.
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