???The international marketplace is still fairly racist,??? said James Ulmer, proprietor of the Ulmer Scale, which compiles input from about 100 international film professionals in a periodic rating of stars??? ???bankability.??? In Mr. Ulmer???s rating, Will Smith, the highest-ranked black star, placed No. 12 over all last year, behind Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey and others, notwithstanding industry chatter that has often tagged Mr. Smith as the biggest star today. This state of affairs may be changing.
Source: NY Times
