EW Names Hollywood’s 50 Smartest
1. Judd Apatow, director/writer/producer
2. Steven Spielberg, director/producer
3. James Cameron, director/producer
4. Ari Emanuel, partner of the Endeavor Agency
5. Will Smith, actor/producer
6. Meryl Streep, actor
7. Peter Rice, president of Fox Searchlight
8. Tyler Perry, actor/director/writer/producer
9. David Heyman, producer
10. John Knoll, visual-effects supervisor of Industrial Light & Magic
11. Brian Grazer, producer
12. Dick Cook, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios
13. George Clooney, actor/director/producer
14. Jerry Bruckheimer, producer
15. Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment
16. Peter Jackson, director/producer
17. Will Ferrell, actor/producer
18. Robert Zemeckis, director
19. Tom Rothman, co-chair of Fox Filmed Entertainment
20. Ben Stiller, actor/director/producer
21. Johnny Depp, actor/producer
22. Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation
23. Brad Bird, writer/director
24. Emmanuel Lubezki, cinematographer
25. Zack Snyder, director
26. Stacey Snider, CEO of DreamWorks SKG
27. Michael Moore, documentarian
28. Paul Greengrass, director
29. J.J. Abrams, producer/director
30. Jodie Foster, actor/director
31. Kathleen Kennedy, producer
32. Thelma Schoonmaker, editor
33. Angelina Jolie, actor
34. Sacha Baron Cohen, actor/writer/producer
35. Tim Palen, co-president of film marketing for Lionsgate
36. Modi Wiczyk, co-CEO of Media Rights Capital
37. Guillermo del Toro, writer/producer/director
38. Diablo Cody, screenwriter
39. Mary Zophres, costume designer
40. Jeff Skoll, founder of Participant Productions
41. Stefan Sonnenfeld, president of Company 3
42. Daniel Battsek, president of Miramax Films
43. Beth Swofford, agent at CAA
44. Roderick Jaynes, editor
45. Cate Blanchett, actor
46. Jeff Walker, Comic-Con impresario
47. Amy Powell, senior vice president of interactive marketing at Paramount
48. Gustavo Santaolalla, composer
49. Sarah Polley, actor/writer/director
50. Ben Affleck, actor/director/writer/producer
Who’s missing?
Click here for the criteria, in case you’re wondering.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Geena Davis is a member of MENSA… I love her!
December 7th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
I’d like to know what criteria they based this list on.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
What about Matt Damon or Natalie Portman?
December 7th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
This list is fairly accurate. I was surprised to see Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller in the Top 20!
December 7th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Interesting list. But how did they base this list. I have the same opinion as Nerd-Girl.
December 7th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
IT SHOULD BE JENNIFER LOPEZ SINCE ALL OF BEN’S IS ABOUT JLO
December 7th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
I think Tim Burton should be in… He directs great movies.
December 8th, 2007 at 10:30 am
the list is odd. some of the people on there are not smart.
December 8th, 2007 at 10:40 am
Judd Aptow gets to be the smartest for making movies that are blatantly anti-women? How original. How smart. Way to reward a man for taking Hollywood back from the women and making it okay to objectify and openly hate women again. All that’s missing from his movies is a scene where a woman is beat to death in a Benny Hillesque scenario.
December 8th, 2007 at 10:53 am
ok ok ok, but comeeee ooon Ben Affleck is this a joke???
December 8th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
WHY NOT BEN AFFLECK WHO MADE HIS DIRECTOR DEBUT..GOT GOOD REVIEWS FOR THE FIRST TIME BY EVERYONE..AND HOLLYWOODLAND… HIS PAST FROM 3 YEARS AGO SHOULD NOT COUNT!!
HE DESERVES A CHANCE.. LEAVE HIM A LONE!! IT IS 2007 NOT 2004
December 8th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
I’m a little disappointed that Tina Fey isn’t on here
December 9th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
The Wachowski’s are missing.
Although they’re smart in that 2am in the dorm room after too many bong hits kind of way.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Also: smart people don’t choose the closet.