Variety’s New York Legends Power List: Mamdani, Matt Damon, the Knicks and the people who rule New York

First couple

New York’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor is one of the country’s most popular politicians, and the democratic socialist provides daily bread and butter to newspaper columnists and cable news talk show hosts here and abroad. Mamdani and his wife Rama are lightning rods who not only have the eyes of New York but also the nation on them.

Brandon

Ocasio-Cortez is, along with fellow democratic socialist Mamdani, the political right’s favorite punching bag. Millions of people were glued to the congresswoman’s social media as she documented her egg-freezing journey, and the potential 2028 presidential candidate makes headlines every time she opens her mouth.

Lord of the city center

In addition to being one of President Trump’s most vocal critics, the legendary actor is set to star in the highly anticipated “Meet the Parents” sequel, “Focker-in-Law.” He also presides over the annual Tribeca Festival and a constellation of businesses including the Greenwich Hotel, Nobu and Locanda Verde.

Father-daughter duo

Few people are more synonymous with New York than Martin Scorsese, who rose from the mean streets of Little Italy to become one of the greatest living American filmmakers. His company, Sikelia Productions, is based in New York, as is his 26-year-old daughter, actress and filmmaker Francesca, who regularly treats her social media followers with heartwarming father-daughter videos.

Authors

Yes, the husband and wife team behind the movie “Barbie” (which she directed; they co-wrote) live in New York. Baumbach is a Brooklyn native, while Gerwig had resided in the Big Apple since 2002, when she enrolled at Barnard. With seven Oscar nominations between them, they have directed films such as Baumbach’s “The Squid and the Whale” and “Marriage Story,” as well as Gerwig’s “Ladybird,” “Little Women” and the upcoming “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.”

The fanatic

Lee immortalized New York on the big screen in films like “Do the Right Thing” and “25th Hour”; he has taught film at NYU Tisch since 1993; has housed his production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks in Fort Greene, Brooklyn – where he hosts popular block parties – since 1979; and I was the most legendary Knicks fan of all time. Spike Lee East New York.

Gods of the screen

We know what you’re thinking: Matt Damon… New Yorker? Well, the Boston actor and co-founder of Artists Equity has called the city home since 2021 and could win his first acting Oscar for “The Odyssey,” which is approaching $2 billion in worldwide gross. Her “Odyssey” co-star (and New York native) Hathaway also had a big year with “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “The End of Oak Street” and the upcoming “Verity.” On top of all that, his production company Somewhere Pictures optioned the hugely popular (and pleasantly controversial!) traditional novel “Yesteryear,” starring Hathaway.

Talented transplants

The actor-director and movie star has been living in New York since 2016 and lives in the same Brooklyn Heights apartment building as his friend Matt Damon. Krasinski wrote and starred in this year’s “Jack Ryan: Ghost War” and is hard at work directing “A Quiet Place Part III,” while Blunt had spectacular roles in Steven Spielberg’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Disclosure Day.”

Olivia Benson

This year’s Emmys host – and Variety cover star – has played Olivia Benson on the NBC hit “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 1999 and made her Broadway debut in May in “Every Brilliant Thing.” Her biggest fan is none other than New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson, who kisses her after his team’s victories, making Hargitay the envy of every team fan.

Kingmaker

Some thought the “Saturday Night Live” founder and comedy kingmaker would step down after the sketch series’ big 50th anniversary special in 2025. That didn’t happen! Instead, Michaels doubled down and launched “Saturday Night Live UK,” served as the subject of this year’s Morgan Neville documentary “Lorne” and even won a Tony for producing the Broadway musical “Schmigadoon!” »

Classy family

Is there a cooler New York family than this trio? Coppola is the author of cult classics like “Lost in Translation” and “Marie Antoinette,” the latter celebrating its 20th anniversary with a beautiful book and documentary. Meanwhile, Thomas Mars is the lead singer of the rock band Phoenix, and Romy Mars, their 19-year-old daughter, starred in the FX series “The English Teacher” and became a TikTok sensation.

West Village royalty

New York couples don’t really get more iconic than Carrie Bradshaw and her real-life Mr. Big. While Parker dominated the small screen in the acclaimed New York set “Sex and the City” and the spinoff “And Just Like That…”, ’80s darling Broderick is a Tony-winning Broadway powerhouse, appearing in plays like “The Producers,” “Sylvia” and “Plaza Suite.”

Five-tool player

A kid from the Upper West Side, Stiller got his start with a brief stint on “Saturday Night Live” before rising to the top of the film comedy world, starring in films like “There’s Something About Mary” and the “Meet the Parents” franchise while directing “Tropic Thunder” and the Emmy-winning series “Severance.” The Knicks superfan even filmed the team’s recent championship run for an upcoming HBO documentary series.

Hypebeast

Chalamet is a proven New Yorker, having grown up in Hell’s Kitchen before attending LaGuardia High School and Columbia University. The 30-year-old, three-time Academy Award nominee, is one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood and his films have grossed more than $2.3 billion worldwide. Present on the field during Knicks games, he will next appear on screens in the December sequel “Dune: Part Three”.

Prankster

While a student at the Professional Performing Arts School in New York, the Queens-born Eisenberg landed his breakout role in “Roger Dodger” in 2002. Since then, he has starred as Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network” and Lex Luthor in “Batman v.” Superman: Dawn of Justice”; contributed to the New Yorker; wrote a series of plays; and directed (and starred in) the Oscar-nominated drama “A Real Pain” as well as the upcoming Julianne Moore-starring musical “The Debut.”

Cool filmmakers

The A24 juggernaut is relentless, and its huge 2026 has only cemented its status as a top brand thanks to “Backrooms,” the studio’s highest-grossing film, which grossed $396 million, as well as “The Drama,” “The Invite,” “Tony,” “Primetime,” “Misty Green,” “Club Kid,” “The Debut” and Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes curiosity “You Can See Everything.”

Best friends

These best friends are not only two of the most trusted names in news (“Anderson Cooper 360°”) and gossip (“Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen”), but they’re also helping the country ring in the new year in style. Cooper is still the chiseled face of CNN, while Cohen recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise.

Princes of chatter

Since becoming friends at NYU, these comedians have become an integral part of the cultural landscape,…