Who are the Hollywood Chrises and why are there only four of them?

The traditional Hollywood “A-list” may now be a thing of the past, but there is still no shortage of stars to adorn our cinema screens.

You would be forgiven, however, for thinking that they are all named Chris.

While Hollywood is replete with actors who go by the forename Chris, the “Hollywood Chris” term is often used to refer to one of four actors: Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine and Chris Pratt.

But what makes a Hollywood Chris, and why are there only four of them?

There are certain similarities between them: all four actors are white, in their late thirties to early forties, and all four are known for fronting franchise films. 

Evans, Hemsworth and Pratt are known for their roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while Pine has starred in films including Wonder Woman and Star Trek.

However, none of the four could be considered A-listers in the traditional sense, and all four are still relatively unproven as actors outside the remit of Hollywood studio blockbusters.

While the term was coined simply as a viral social media observation about the litany of high-profile actors with the same birthname, it also confers something about the interchangeability of the modern Hollywood leading man.

A running trend on social media is for people to rank the four Chrises by order of personal preference or talent.

Pratt was recently condemned by some fans for his political leanings, with many dubbing him the “worst of the Hollywood Chrises”.

The ranking prompted many of Pratt’s Marvel co-stars to speak in his defence, including Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.

People also frequently suggest additions or substitutions to the Hollywood Chris canon, with common candidates including Chris Messina, Chris Tucker and Chris Rock. 

Others posited that Kristen Stewart deserved to be added to the canon of Hollywood Chrises (though she is technically a Kris).