As an actress, it takes more than just being a pretty face and a great body to make it to the top of the list of most famous actresses in the world.
Some of the most popular female actresses in Hollywood actually started their careers in television shows and commercials before switching over to movies.
The following is a list of the most famous and talented movie star actresses:
1. Marilyn Monroe
The most famous movie actress of the 20th century and still an icon today is Marilyn Monroe. Over the years film critics have argued that Marilyn was a symbol of femininity, a sex symbol and a tragic heroine. Her films include: Some Like it Hot (1959), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and her best known role The Seven Year Itch (1955).
2. Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn featured in many movies throughout her career however her most famous role was in Roman Holiday (1953). This film helped establish her as a leading lady and won her an Oscar for Best Actress. Other films of hers include: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Charade (1963) and My Fair Lady (1964). She is also well known for her humanitarian efforts after her death in 1993.
3. Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor featured in many films, playing a variety of characters, but she was perhaps most famous for her role as Cleopatra in Cleopatra 1963. She is also well known for her Oscar winning roles in Butterfield 8 (1960) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966. She has also starred
1. Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is the most famous female due to her popular and critically acclaimed roles. She has won an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. The actress was first noticed in the 1990s and is one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood. Her most notable role was in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.”
2. Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston has been on primetime television since 1994 and remains a fan favorite. She is well known for her role as Rachel Green in “Friends”, which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She also made People magazine’s list of Most Beautiful People in the World in 2004, 2005 and 2011.
3. Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep has been called the best actress of her generation numerous times. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Golden Globes, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and many others. Her film debut was in 1977 with a supporting role in “Julia.” Since then she starred in over 50 feature films and was nominated for an Academy Award 21 times!
4. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock is best known for comedic
Cate Blanchett is an Australian actress who is considered to be one of the best actresses in the world. She made her American movie debut in 1998 with The Talented Mr. Ripley and is now known for her work in films like Elizabeth, Veronica Guerin, The Aviator, Babel, Notes on a Scandal and I’m Not There.
She has been nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one for her performance as Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator. She has also won two Screen Actors Guild Awards and has been nominated for ten BAFTA Awards, winning four.
Blanchett has received many other awards and nominations, including four Golden Globe Awards, five AACTA Awards (with eight nominations), three Satellite Awards (with four nominations). In May 2008 she was presented with an Honorary Degree from her alma mater the University of Melbourne.
Bette Davis (April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) is considered by many to be the greatest actress of all time. She was a pioneer in her craft who paved the way for many other actresses. She was an Oscar winner with a distinctive voice and an impressive set of gams. Her film performances were as rich and varied as those of any actor’s in history.
Davis’ early life was marred by tragedy: her mother died when she was 9, and her father sent Bette and her sister to boarding school. Davis later attended Cushing Academy, a school for girls in Massachusetts, where she was elected president of the student body and performed in school plays. After graduation from Cushing, Davis enrolled at John Murray Anderson’s Dramatic School (which later became the famous Actors Studio).
Throughout her career Davis made more than 100 films. She played everything from queens to housemaids, and won 10 Academy Award nominations; she won two Oscars, one for Jezebel (1938), in which she portrayed a spoiled Southern belle who causes trouble all around her, and one for Dangerous (1935), in which she played an actress down on her luck. On the stage Davis appeared in Margo Jones’ production of George Kelly’s
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