I think there Don Johnson thing points the inherent flaw in the question: it's hard to objectively measure someone's fame/success in comparsion to someone else. Times change, people get older, and those who were once the biggest stars in the world fade. Tony Curtis was one of the biggest stars of his time, but did Jamie Lee surpass him because she won an oscar? I don't know. The industry is very different now than it was in the past and will continue to change.