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1. Katharine Hepburn. Actress. Writer. Soundtrack. The Lion in Winter (1968) Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907 in Hartford, Connecticut to a suffragist, Katharine Martha (Houghton), and a doctor, Thomas Norval Hepburn, who both always encouraged her to speak her mind, develop it fully, and exercise her body to its full potential.
- 18 Shirley Temple
- 17 Lillian Gish
- 16 Vivien Leigh
- 15 Mae West
- 14 Ginger Rogers
- 13 Grace Kelly
- 12 Claudette Colbert
- 11 Barbara Stanwyck
- 10 Joan Crawford
- 9 Marlene Dietrich
Shirley Temple has been a sensation ever since she was a child. The famous star was loved for her cheerfulness and talent. She could dance, sing, and act, which made her an absolutely delightful presence on screen. With her optimistic presence during the Great Depression, the public grew to be even more attached to her. She is best known for films ...
Lillian Gish comes from a tough childhood, which led her to act in an attempt to fend for herself in the world. She is especially notable for her performances in silent films, which powerfully depict her emotionally authentic screen presence. Acting in silent films requires a whole level of mastery that only the very best of actors can reach, as th...
British actress Vivien Leigh, who sadly passed away at age 53 due to tuberculosis, was known for her beauty and her incredible acting performances both in theater and on film. She always wanted to be an actress and enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts to pursue that dream. Her debut role was in the film Village Squire. One of her major st...
Mae West wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She expressed her opinions and creativity even if they were going to be met with controversial views. She openly portrayed her sexuality and sensuality. Her work often revolved around sex and the stigma attached to it. She began her acting career by writing, producing, and performing in her own plays, which...
Ginger Rogers was a dazzling dancer who started off her career as a performer on Broadway, which caught the attention of directors, especially her performance in 42nd Street and Gold Diggers. This theater success would lead her to land her first performance in the film Follow The Leader. She woud then later rise to stardom. However, there was one p...
Grace Kelly's career in acting was short-lived, but it is still often regarded as one of the most iconic. It didn't end for reasons one might expect; she married Prince Rainier III, became the Princess of Monaco, and put her focus solely on her royal duties until her death. Her film debut was in the early 1950s when she played a role in a film call...
Like a lot of the stars of her time, Claudette Colbert's humble beginnings were in stage productions. She dived into the craze of talking pictures to make a name for herself. There was a unique look and an addictive aura to her that made her a casting director's dream right off the bat. Radiating poise and handling both comedic and dramatic scripts...
Barbara Stanwyck was raised in the foster care system, so she was never a stranger for working for what she had. Taking part in theater since she was a little girl, Barbara's breakthrough in the Broadway show Burlesque established her as a national star. Shortly after that, she made the transition from the stage to behind-the-camera Frank Capra's L...
Classic actresses had the propensity to change their Christian names prior to their discovery of international fame, usually to something more alluring, seductive, and memorable. Joan Crawfordwas perhaps the only actress who achieved the opposite; from the elegantly sophisticated name of Lucille Fay LeSueur, her adopted name of Joan Crawford was bo...
An ardent anti-fascist with strong moral principles, known specifically for her humanitarian work during World War Two, the German actress Marlene Dietrich had famously donated her entire salary for Knight Without Armor to refugees who were fleeing war in Europe. While she was only ever nominated for one Academy Award, Dietrich’s impression as an e...
- EW Staff
- Meryl Streep as Sophie Zawistowski. Sophie's Choice (1982), directed by Alan Pakula. In Sophie's Choice, Meryl Streep's performance as a Polish survivor of the Holocaust is so beautifully shaded, so infused with every element of her character's light and darkness, that the mere feat of her mastering two full languages—she learned to speak both Polish and German for the part—almost seems like an afterthought.
- Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), directed by Elia Kazan. Tennessee Williams' Streetcar Desire documents the tragic mental deterioration of Blanche DuBois, a fading Southern belle who moves to New Orleans to join her sister and her brutish brother-in-law.
- Elizabeth Taylor as Martha. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), directed by Mike Nichols. Elizabeth Taylor won her second Academy Award blowing up the ingénue image minted in her Oscar winning-turn in Butterfield 8.
- Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara. Gone With The Wind (1939), directed by Victor Fleming. The most iconic Southerner in American history was played by a Brit—and one who almost didn't get the part.
May 4, 2024 · From comedy to drama, these actors approach roles with excitement, dedication and mastery of their craft, making them the greatest actors and actresses of all time.
- Rosa Escandon
- Meryl Streep. Iconic American actress Meryl Streep’s career is one of the most awarded, prolific and multifaceted trajectories in the history of acting.
- Setsuko Hara. Appearing in almost 100 films, Japanese actress Setsuko Hara has starred in some of the finest films from great Japanese masters such Yasujirō Ozu and Mikio Naruse, and even Akira Kurosawa.
- Giulietta Masina. Giulietta Masina was born in Italy and became one of the most revered actresses, not only in Italy but in Europe overall.
- Anna Karina. The iconic actress who became face of the Nouvelle Vague may not as awarded as the other actresses in this list, but she indeed has an outstanding career.
Feb 25, 2018 · In acknowledgment and celebration of that, here’s a ranked list of the 25 best working actresses in Hollywood – and 15 runners-up for good measure.
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Mar 4, 2024 · For the past 25 years, the Oscars' best actress category has been marked by transformative, history-making wins. We rank the best of the best.
