America's favourite movie stars of 2009

Clint Eastwood, who has managed to combine acting with Oscar-winning directing stints in the last 10 years, has been named America's favourite movie star of 2009 in a new poll.

His new directorial venture Invictus (starring Matt Damon) may be an Oscar favourite but we may not see Eastwood on screen again -- his 2008's Gran Torino may be his last acting release, as he claims he is done with acting and would like to spend the rest of his professional life behind the camera.

'I'm done... You never know where a good story comes from but I'm a senior here (and) you get to a certain stage and you think, 'Why not just stand behind the camera?'' Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

'Nobody's fooling with you, nobody's wanting to put make-up, do your collar, all that kind of stuff,' he added.

Be that as it may, here are America's other actors who we hope should stick around a little longer.

Johnny Depp jumped up to second spot from last year's eighth spot, reports the Telegraph.

Proof of the actor's popularity was evident when gossip websites crashed after hoaxers claimed that the actor had been killed in an accident. The fraudsters mocked up a CNN page saying he had died in a car crash.

Twitter users forwarded the bogus report and grieving fans jammed the Internet with one search engine reporting 13 million hits.

Computer experts claimed Johnny's 'death' was the most searched subject in the world.

But the bemused actor, 46, assured fans: 'I'm alive and well.'

At number three in the annual Harris Poll list is the Oscar winner, who credits his acting career for saving him from becoming a criminal, as he had fallen in with a bad crowd as a teenager.

Denzel Washington, who played a man who takes a bribe from a hijacker, played by John Travolta, in The Taking of Pelham 123, says that he could connect with the character because he took part in petty crimes while growing up in a tough New York neighbourhood.

'I believe I have been that guy. Not recently, but you don't forget. I'll never forget what it feels like not to eat, no matter how much food you get. I agree that it's not quite the same situation, because he (character) has taken money and I haven't done anything like that. But the humiliation, that's happened in the boxing ring when you are getting beaten up. And we've all done a small crime... Oh, I've been very bad,' the Daily Star quoted him as saying.

It's easy to see why Bullock made the list. Her rom-com The Proposal and the drama The Blind Side -- for which she won the Golden Globe and Screen Guild Award -- won her rave reviews and a growing fan following.

Angels & Demons was the actor's only film in 2009. But it's popularity rubbed off on the actor as well.

It's easy to see why the actor is in the list.

Besides gorgeous good looks, Clooney can act too. In fact, his movie Up in the Air has been named the best movie of 2009 by website MovieHole.

Directed by Jason Reitman, the film also stars Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga.

He is the only deceased star, who has appeared on the poll every year since it first began in 1994.

Award ceremonies are not complete without Meryl Streep. The year started on a good note, as Streep bagged a Best Actress award at the Golden Globe ceremony for her film Julie and Julia.

Although the actor lost out to Jeff Bridges for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama at this year's Golden Globes, his role as Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood's Invictus got him critical acclaim.

Who doesn't love America's favourite sweetheart? The actress returned to the screen last year with her much touted thriller Duplicity opposite Clive Owen. The two play expert spies in the film.