A-List to Z-List Celebrities: What Do the Lists Mean?

Everyone knows who the A-List celebrities are. They are the ones who have a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the ones who cause the biggest stir in Tinseltown. And while most of us recognize who these people are, as one moves on down the "scale" of famous people, it is obvious that the rich and famous are divided into some obscure (and not so obscure) categories. James Ulmer, a contributing writer for the New York Times has made a career out of assessing the bankability of Hollywood's elite. His Ulmer Scale sets the standard for the film industry's celebrity ranking system. This scale is used to determine how lucrative utilizing certain superstars will be in projects. This is extremely important, as financing for films is a very tricky business. Directors, investors, and producers need to know up front how much of a return they can expect on their "investments" : celebrities. Keeping this in mind, here is a quick guide which explains the difference amongst A, B, C, D, and even Z-List celebrities. To give you a few examples of who might fit into these categories, each group of stars has been "Googled" by image according to their celebrity "status" listing. You might be surprised to see who the world considers to be cream of the crop, and who falls slightly short...

A-List:

Think of your huge blockbuster films which are nominated multiple times over for dozens of awards. These stars enjoy consistent commercial fame, and have all the imaginable perks that come along with this type of celebrity status. These are the celebs that others look to as fashion icons. As a result, the world's top designers typically flock to these entertainers in order to boost their names in the fashion industry. These are basically the celebrities by which publicists, filmmakers, directors, and other industry greats make the most money. According to the Ulmer Scale (an actual measuring tool of a celebrity's bankable worth)-someone on the A-List must possess considerable acting range or other substantial talents, and a certain air of professionalism.

GOOGLED IMAGES: Madonna, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, Cate Blanchett, Morgan Freeman

B-List:

Celebrities on this list are typically invited to all the "See and Be Seen" events in Hollywood. But the paparazzi cares slightly less about the personal goings on of these people. B-List celebrities do in fact make it to the covers of strong, reputable publications like People or Vanity Fair. But their appearances in these periodicals are quickly forgotten. Additionally, these entertainers are sometimes slightly less prestigious than their A-List counterparts. Even still, B-Listers are known to frequently date, mate with, and marry their A-List cohorts. However, it is sometimes difficult to assess whether their doing so is a direct attempt to remain in the spotlight. And the marriages of A-Listers to B-Listers almost always make it to the front pages of reputable media publications. In general, though these stars are able to command certain salaries for the projects they work on, their integrity in the public eye is sometimes compromised by their personal issues, or lack of star appeal.

GOOGLED IMAGES: Pamela Anderson, Matt Dillon, Star Jones, Eva Longoria, Mark Wahlberg, Whitney Houston, Kate Hudson

C-List:

These are the actors, musicians, singers, etc. who always seem to be "aspiring" to something else, even though they are seen in tabloids and other gossip rags with relative frequency. Many of these people have been in the industry for a long time, shuffling from one endeavor to another, amassing quite a bit of wealth along the way. Many reality-television contestants turned TV stars fit into this category: they have not been formally trained in their current "profession", but are content to assume whatever role that will keep them in the spotlight (for as long as possible). You may see some C-List actors on the big screen. But usually their roles are limited or shallow; most often C-List stars' movies go directly to video.

The public generally views people in this category with a measure of amusement, because the nature of their fame is commonly questioned by the public.

GOOGLED IMAGES: Jessica Simpson, Lil' Kim, Vince Vaughn, Taye Diggs, Michael Bolton, Britney Spears

D-List:

These interesting people are great at keeping Hollywood afloat. For if not for the D-List celebrity, there would be few sleazy scandals. Per the Ulmer Scale, these are the "minor" celebrities. They sometimes are able to hover about in their daily endeavors without being recognized; but the paparazzi rarely clamors for photographs, unless there is a hot story attached to the photo. Per Hollywood standards, a "D-List" celebrity is virtually too obscure to be included on the Ulmer Scale. This is typically because their moment in the limelight has passed, though they are still regarded as important enough to be included in some pretty impressive social circles.

GOOGLED IMAGES: Anna Nicole Smith, Erik Estrada, David Hasselhoff, Nick Lachey, Ashley Simpson, Chad Lowe

Z-List:

A Z-List celebrity typically has no national following whatsoever. Usually, these are the entertainers who have achieved local fame, and made it into Hollywood---but only because of someone he/she associates with-usually a D, or C-List person. Many members of the Z-list group are former child actors or stars who are attempting to navigate their way into another aspect of entertainment. But over the years, their notoriety might have faded, either by way of substance abuse or poor future career choices. These are the people who make a living in the entertainment industry on more "accessible" levels. However, their success is typically minimal by mainstream standards. As a matter of fact, many former adult stars fall onto this list once they decide to leave their steamy careers behind in lieu of more conventional occupations.

GOOGLED IMAGES: Jenna Jameson, Shar Jackson, Stavros Niarchos, Corey Feldman, Donald Faison, Carrot Top