Recession hits Hollywood stars

The ongoing recession has affected Hollywood stars in a big way, the Ulmer Scale's global bankability survey of film industry professionals found out.

The celebrity who suffered the biggest recession in star power is Mel Gibson, who fell 26 points since 2007, followed by Jim Carrey with a 21-point dip. Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves and Robin Williams tied at third place.

Shia LaBeouf and Daniel Craig topped The Ulmer Scale's list of biggest gainers, rising 43 pints and 36 points, respectively.

"In nearly every market sector, Hollywood's blue chip star stock has fallen," reports James Ulmer, who has compiled and written the survey since founding The Ulmer Scale in 1997.

"The ability of a star's name alone to raise money to make a movie has significantly weakened since we last measured it in 2007."

The Ulmer Scale's Actors Hot List measures the power surges and power drops of more than 1,400 stars around the world according to their bankability -- defined by Ulmer as the degree to which an actor's name alone can trigger full financing for a movie.

The top five gainers in star power from 2007 to 2009

1. Shia LaBeouf
2. Daniel Craig
3. Rowan Atkinson
4. Cate Blanchett
5. Helen Mirren

The biggest losers in star power from 2007 to 2009

1. Mel Gibson
2. Jim Carrey
3. Tom Cruise
4. Keanu Reeves
5. Robin Williams

Images: Shia LaBeouf , Daniel Craig, Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey.