Depp? Denzel? Nope. Clint Proves You Don't Need Movie to Be America's Fave Movie Star

Eastwood tops the Harris Poll, unseating Denzel Washington's three-year run at the top; Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp also rank

Yeah, yeah, we know. They made his day.

But Clint Eastwood, apparently, made the moviegoing nation's year, all without the burden of ever appearing on film for the whole of 2009. Hey, when you're a star of Clint's caliber, actual work has a funny way of becoming irrelevant.

How else to explain why Eastwood—and not Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Denzel Washington, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Robert Pattinson or any other star who actually deigned to appear on the big screen last year—was voted America's Favorite Movie Star in the annual Harris Poll?

True, it's not like Eastwood didn't work at all last year—he directed Morgan Freeman (No. 9 on the list) and Matt Damon (uh, not listed) in Invictus. But performances come and go; movie stars are clearly forever.

Unless you're Will Smith.

Like Eastwood, the star didn't appear in any films last year, but unlike Eastwood, his sabbatical meant saying goodbye to any ranking. Along with Smith, Angelina Jolie and Harrison Ford also found themselves off the list after all three placed last year.

Popularity is a harsh mistress.

Still, perpetually popular Depp came second on the list, while Washington, who held the title of America's Favorite Movie Star for the past three years, slipped to third.

America's current sweetheart Bullock was the highest-ranked female star, coming fourth, while Hanks rounded out the top five and Clooney returned to the rankings after two years away, at No. 6.

Showing how utterly relevant the Harris poll is, John Wayne, dead for three decades and counting, proved posthumously popular, tying the very much still kicking Meryl Streep (in her poll debut) at No. 7.

Rounding out top 10 are Freeman and the erstwhile Pretty Woman.

Here's the full list of film favorites:

1. Clint Eastwood
2. Johnny Depp
3. Denzel Washington
4. Sandra Bullock
5. Tom Hanks
6. George Clooney
7. John Wayne (tie)
7. Meryl Streep (tie)
9. Morgan Freeman
10. Julia Roberts

Meanwhile, here's a recap of the TV faves released yesterday:

1. Oprah Winfrey
2. Glenn Beck
3. Jay Leno
4. Ellen DeGeneres (tie)
4. Hugh Laurie (tie)
6. Jon Stewart
7. Charlie Sheen
8. Mark Harmon
9. David Letterman
10. Bill O'Reilly