Calculations

We use an algorithm to rank actors based on how well their movies do at the box office (domestically) and on how the critics and fans judge them and their movies. We take many things into account. For example whether an actor or actress starred in a film changes how that film affects their score. It is also important to look at how well an actor or actress has done in recent years compared to their whole career. The overall score is weighted as such:

Box office score × 0.4 + Critical acclaim score × 0.4 + X-factor score × 0.2 = Total Score

Box Office Score:

Some movies are bad but people go to see them anyway. For example, The Da Vinci Code grossed over 225 million in 2006 despite getting very poor reviews from critics and average reviews from the public. Oh yeah, it starred Tom Hanks. People like to see the big stars’ movies; even the bad ones.

Critical Acclaim Score:

Critical acclaim comes down to two things. Do the critics like their movies, and do fans like their movies. Good films have one or the other, but everyone likes truly great films. For example both critics and fans love films such as The Godfather, Pulp Fiction and The Dark Knight. Great actors consistently star in well reviewed films. This is largely due to their great acting in an important or starring role.

X-Factor:

Someone’s X-factor can encompass many different things. Are they incredibly good looking? Are they known for something? Whatever it is users know best which is why X-factor is the only category where users vote to decide the score.