In 1999, the American Film Institute aired a three-hour special to name the 100 greatest stars of all time. But they had a special criteria: A star was not eligible to be picked unless they had debuted by 1950, or had died, leaving us with an entire body of work. The AFI chose 25 men and 25 women, on two separate lists. Here are the 100 greatest stars to have debuted by 1950, or to have died:
(Note: When you click on a person's name, you will be taken to the Internet Movie Database's page for that person.)
The 25 Greatest Male Stars
25. William Holden (1918-1981)
24. Edward G. Robinson (1893-1973)
23. Robert Mitchum (1917-1997)
22. Sidney Poitier (1927-)
21. Buster Keaton (1895-1966)
