Which Movie Stars Can We 'Blame' For the Tumbling Stock Market?

Why do celebrities ring the New York Stock Exchange bell? Is it because they have a project to promote, a longtime fascination with the stock market, a complex fetish for percussion instruments and stressed-out traders in suits? Who knows! But a lot of celebrities have gotten to ring the opening bell the past few years, and thanks to a new article in The Atlantic, we now know which movie stars are responsible for kicking off the biggest drops in recent memory. Be forewarned: Captain America may be able to protect the country against Nazis but his mighty shield cannot protect the NYSE.

Hilary Duff, December 23,2008

Project: ?

Change: -99.16

Elijah Wood, September 18, 2009

Project: 9 (Yeah, I didn't remember that either)

Market Change: +35.45

Meatloaf, June 21, 2010

Project: ?

Market Change: -105.49

Sylvester Stallone, August 19, 2010

Project: The Expendables

Market Change: -139.94

Chris Evans, July 11, 2011

Project: Captain America

Market Change: -150.01

The Smurfs, July 29, 2011

Project: The Smurfs

Market Change: -96.04

We're not saying you should blame Chris Evans, but some folks take their stocks very seriously. Can he reverse his entirely coincidental impact on your portfolio by returning to the NYSE floor with his next, more thematically relevant film, What's Your Number?.

· Have Celebrities Been Cursing the Stock Market? [The Atlantic]