AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars is the American Film Institute's list ranking the top 25 male and 25 female greatest screen legends of American film history and is the second list of the AFI 100 Years... series.
In other words, the list generally honors actors recognized for their contributions to classical Hollywood cinema.
[2] When the lists were unveiled, Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple, Lauren Bacall, Kirk Douglas and Sidney Poitier were alive, but have since died.
(12 May 1907 – 29 June 2003) (25 December 1899 – 14 January 1957) (5 April 1908 – 6 October 1989) (18 January 1904 – 29 November 1986) (4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) (20 May 1908 – 2 July 1997) (29 August 1915 – 29 August 1982) (3 April 1924 – 1 July 2004) (18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) (10 May 1899 – 22 June 1987) (1 June 1926 – 4 August 1962) (16 May 1905 – 12 August 1982) (27 February 1932 – 23 March 2011) (1 February 1901 – 16 November 1960) (10 June 1922 – 22 June 1969) (17 July 1899 – 30 March 1986) (27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992) (5 April 1900 – 10 June 1967) (23 March 1906 [Note 1] – 10 May 1977) (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) (16 July 1907 – 20 January 1990) (7 May 1901 – 13 May 1961) (13 September 1903 – 30 July 1996) (5 April 1916 – 12 June 2003) (12 November 1929 – 14 September 1982) (26 May 1907 – 11 June 1979) (16 July 1911 – 25 April 1995) (22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) (17 August 1893 – 22 November 1980) (23 August 1912 – 2 February 1996) (5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967) (6 May 1915 – 10 October 1985) (14 October 1893 – 27 February 1993) (9 December 1916 – 5 February 2020) (23 April 1928 – 10 February 2014) (8 February 1931 – 30 September 1955) (17 October 1918 – 14 May 1987) (2 November 1913 – 20 October 1994) (16 September 1924 – 12 August 2014) (born 20 September 1934) (4 October 1895 – 1 February 1966) (3 March 1911 – 7 June 1937) (20 February 1927 – 6 January 2022) (6 October 1908 – 16 January 1942) (6 August 1917 – 1 July 1997) (8 April 1892 – 29 May 1979) (12 December 1893 – 26 January 1973) (24 December 1922 – 25 January 1990) (17 April 1918 – 12 November 1981) The legends were chosen out of a list of 250 male and 250 female nominees.
[3] With the death of Sidney Poitier in January 2022, all male living legends and nominees have now died.