An A-list celebrity can refer to a movie star who is most well known and usually considered most bankable by the movie industry. Some actors and actress that currently make A-list celebrity status include people like Will Smith, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Nicole Kidman. Movie fans will note the number of appearances that these stars make in films, and those tracking how much income these stars make for film appearances could run out of breath counting the dollars. Such actors are usually the highest paid, and most likely to be offered plum roles. The list can change as popularity of a star rises and falls.

One way to assess whether a person is an A-list celebrity is through a method called the Ulmer Scale, developed by James Ulmer. This scale takes many factors into account and is a complex matrix for determining hottest stars. Some of the considerations weighed include the ratio of film success to failures, the way the celebrity may be perceived by others (as easy or difficult to work with), and the flexibility of acting talent.

Most people don’t need the Ulmer Scale to spot an A-list celebrity. These are usually actors and actresses who are best known and beloved by the public, and who create a certain aura and excitement. Entertainment media tends to stick to these stars like glue and attempt to report even the smallest and irrelevant details about them. Many of these actors and actresses work hard to guard their privacy, and perhaps the biggest disadvantage of this type of stardom is inability to go anywhere without being recognized or harassed by the paparazzi.

An actress or actor may be a B-list celebrity instead. These people usually work frequently, are well known by the public, but don’t command the kind of dollars or audiences created by A-list folks. Popular television actors can fall into this category, and there are numerous well-known character actors and actresses that seem to be always working. James Earl Jones might be a good example of a B-list celebrity: a man with a distinguished acting career and numerous professional accolades, but who is generally not treated with the same type of reverence as A-listers.

Sometimes the term A-list celebrity can apply to people who are not actors. It might also include the most famous musicians. Occasionally the term is applied to anyone who is very well known in the media. In such a case, those with high profiles and a lot of wealth might be considered A-list. Celebutantes like Paris Hilton may be A-listers because of the media coverage they generate.