This monograph examines the figure of Ricardo Darín, the leading actor that drives Argentine cinema's box office success. It aims to fill a lacuna both in Hispanic and Anglophone academia regarding the study of how Ricardo Darín's rise to stardom took place, and what that stardom means for the Latin American film industry. Accordingly, it examines whether or not Ricardo Darín embodies the epitome of the contemporary Latin American or Hispanic star, and, importantly, whether or not the characteristics of the Hollywood star system are actually applicable in the case of Argentine cinema - where the dividing lines between so-called 'industrial' and 'independent' cinemas are very difficult to discern. Thus, whilst taking the study of this key figure from contemporary Argentine cinema as its focal point, this study will also facilitate an opening up towards broader but equally vital questions that continue to require full examination: How are Argentine, Latin American and Hispanic stars constructed? Does the leading actor of contemporary Argentine cinema embody a wider social group and historical moment in the region? Is his performative approach redefining a particular cinematic style?

Analyses the cinematic and social significance of the star phenomenon in Southeast Asia.

Yul Brynner's star image was built on cosmopolitan flair, shifting tales of origin, baldness, as well as film roles as foreign rulers, freedom fighters, army officials, gunslingers and secret agents of ever-shifting ethnicities. Whether Cossacks, marauding pirate captains or cross-dressing torch singers, Brynner's characters were invariably stand-outs.

This book explores his exotic and masculine star image and its transformations from lavish Orientalist Hollywood spectacles of the 1950s to 1960s European co-productions, 1970s action films and scifi. Extensively researched, it covers the actor's entire film catalogue, his rumoured yet unrealised projects, television work and stage appearances, as well as their international media reception. Thematically organised, the book inquires after racial casting politics, the construction of sex symbols, Brynner's humanitarian work and the recurring poses and gestures that characterised his performance style.

Diana Dors became one of Britain's most successful sex symbols in the 1950s and remained a major celebrity until her death in 1984. This book examines both her acting method and her celebrity. It provides a detailed analysis of Dors' performance in a number of her films from across different periods of her career, investigating her versatility by paying close attention to her voice, facial expressions and looks, body poses and gestures in specific moments from her movies. It also discusses the performance of gender and age, as well as considering her later role as a gay icon.