21st Century Actresses

The popular, award winning gorgeous artist, Scarlett Johansson is the highest paid actress in the world. With an interest in acting, Scarlett Johansson debuted in films at the young age of eight and went on to act in numerous films including Lost in Translation, The Avengers, Hitchcock and Marriage Story. She has also worked in television and released an album.

A fashion icon, acclaimed actress, influential humanitarian and Special Envoy for the UNHCR, Angelina Jolie is a highly noted celebrity in Hollywood. She has been hailed for her philanthropic efforts around the globe and praised for her power packed performances. Mother of six, of whom three are adopted, Angelina Jolie is a role model for the women of this generation.

English actress, model, and activist, Emma Watson first gained prominence as a child artiste in the Harry Potter film series. The daughter of lawyers, she was determined to go to college despite her busy acting career and graduated from Brown University. A staunch feminist, she is actively involved with organizations that work for the betterment of women.

One of the extremely talented and successful actresses of Hollywood, Jennifer Lawrence is known for her performances in movies like Silver Linings Playbook, Hunger Games and Joy. The acclaimed actress, who supports numerous charitable causes, made her debut as a teenage actor in television and soon gained recognition with series, The Bill Engvall Show, and the movie, The Poker House.

One of the most successful and popular actresses of her generation, Emma Stone is known for movies like La La Land, The Amazing Spider-Man, Birdman and Battle of the Sexes. The award winning actress began as a child actor on stage and did numerous minor and supporting roles in television and films before making it big as a lead actress.

Debuting at the age of thirteen, Israeli American actress Natalie Portman is today one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood. Her movie list is impressive with successful projects like Black Swan, Jackie, Star Wars, Closer and Thor. While pursuing her passion for acting, the Academy award winning actress also ensured to complete her studies and graduated from Harvard University.

One of the highest-paid actresses in the world, actress Sandra Bullock is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award. After making her debut in the late 1980s, she became extremely popular in the 1990s with her roles in dramatic movies. She is also the founder of the production company Fortis Films.

Charlize Theron is a former model and was an aspiring ballerina whose career came to a halt after a knee injury. However, an unexpected encounter brought her in the world of acting and she went on achieve tremendous success including winning an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She is currently one of the world's highest-paid actresses.

One of the highest-paid actresses in the world in the 2010s, Anne Hathaway is the recipient of many awards, including an Academy Award. She began acting as a teenager in the early 2000s and often portrayed princesses in her initial films. She started taking up versatile roles as her career progressed. She campaigns for gender equality and supports LGBTQA+ rights.

Actress Kate Winslet’s most enduring character remains that of the protagonist in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, which made her an international star. She’s also known for doing period roles in films like Sense and Sensibility, Jude and Hamlet. Some of her other notable films are Iris, Little Children, Steve Jobs and The Reader. She won an Oscar for her performance in The Reader. 

Often described as the "best actress of her generation," Meryl Streep is acclaimed for her versatility. After debuting in the 1970s, she built a solid reputation by portraying challenging roles in dramatic films. In a career spanning over half a century, she has received numerous awards, including three Academy Awards and eight Golden Globe Awards.

An aspiring dancer, Amy Adams began working for theatre companies and eventually decided to pursue acting. She hit it big with movies, such as Catch Me If You Can, Junebug and Enchanted. She enriched her acting profile further with American Hustle and Big Eyes, both of which earned her the Golden Globe Awards. Her other notable films are Doubt and Julie & Julia.

Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress who is known for her performances in independent films and huge blockbusters. Some of her notable films are The Wings of the Dove, The King's Speech, Hamlet, Howards End, Fight Club, Les Misérables . She was also part of the Harry Potter series. She was bestowed with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2012.

Active in the entertainment industry since the mid-1990s, actress Jennifer Garner gained international fame her supporting role in Pearl Harbor. The daughter of conservative middle-class parents, she was determined to achieve big things and decided to become an actress. Besides acting, she is also an entrepreneur and is the co-founder of a baby food company.

Betty White, American actress and comedian, is considered as the pioneer of television and has had the longest television career of any entertainer, straddling more than 80 years. She’s known for her award-winning performances in shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland. 

A former actress best known for her appearances in comedy films, Cameron Diaz is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a New York Film Critics Award. She began modeling as a teenager and was soon flooded with acting offers. Over the years, she became a successful actress and has since retired from acting. She is known for her environmental activism.

Halle Berry is one of the most popular actresses of the current generation. During the 2000s, she was one of the highest-paid Hollywood actresses. Halle is also known for her activism for which she was honored with the 2006 Woman of The Year award by the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. She also gets featured in several Sexiest Women lists.

Michelle Pfeiffer is one of those rare Hollywood actresses who delivers Oscar-worthy performances every time she faces a camera. In her nearly half-a-century long career, there’s hardly a genre Pfeiffer hasn’t explored and conquered. Showering us with charm and unmatched talent in comedies, dramas, romance, and thrillers, this Golden Globe winner is one of the best actresses of this era.

A distinguished films, television and Broadway actress, Julie Andrews is best known for her performances in films like Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Victor/Victoria. She has also done voiceovers for animation movie like Despicable Me and Enchanted. The legendary actress has also released multiple albums and authored numerous children’s books as well as her autobiography.

After making her film debut in the horror film, Halloween, James Lee Curtis went on to establish herself as a scream queen, appearing in a number of horror films. Curtis is also an author, having released several children's books, including books that have made The New York Times' best-seller list. She is also a well-known philanthropist.

Jane Fonda is hailed as one of the best actresses ever and has won two Oscars. She has acted in popular and acclaimed films like Barefoot in the Park, Barbarella, Klute, Coming Home, Julia, The Morning After, The China Syndrome and California Suite. She’s also known for her exercise videos and is famous for her opposition to the Vietnam War.

Veteran English actress, Maggie Smith, has an extensive career spanning almost seven decades. One of Britain's most recognizable actresses, she has appeared in more than 60 films and over 70 plays. Making her debut as a stage actress in the 1950s, she quickly moved on to TV and cinema. She has been honored with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Legacy Award.

Penelope Cruz is a Spanish model and actress who has had major success in the American entertainment industry. Also known for her work as a philanthropist, Cruz has been touching the lives of many for the past several years. Apart from donating money to charity, Cruz has also volunteered in India and Uganda. She has also advocated for PETA's anti-fur campaign.

Debbie Reynolds was a famous American actress and singer whose career spanned nearly seven decades. Also a well-known humanitarian, Debbie served as president of a charitable organization called The Thalians. Debbie was also a businesswoman; the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio, which she founded in 1979, still operates today. She also owned a hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

Angela Lansbury played a key role in shaping the Golden Age of Hollywood. Recognized as one of the few stars still alive from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema, Angela Lansbury has received accolades, such as an Honorary Oscar. In 2014, Queen Elizabeth II appointed her a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Kate Hudson carved out a nice niche for herself in Hollywood after appearing in a string of romantic comedies. She’s had many box office successes like Almost Famous, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Alex and Emma, You, Me and Dupree, Great Barrier Reef and Bride Wars. She has also had some failures and duds along the way.

Actress, producer, and director Drew Barrymore is daughter of prominent actor, John Drew Barrymore, and was introduced to show business as a baby. In the wake of her early stardom, she went through a difficult phase as a teenager and struggled with drug abuse. She was eventually able to resurrect her career and proceeded to act in many popular films.

Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. Widely considered one of the most important female protagonists in the history of cinema, Sigourney is also regarded as a pioneer of action heroines in sci-fi films, thanks to her role in the Alien franchise. In 2003, she was ranked 20th in Channel 4's list of 100 Greatest Movie Stars of All Time.

Carol Burnett inspired a lot of women and set off a chain reaction by hosting her groundbreaking show The Carol Burnett Show. Regarded as one of USA's most cherished entertainers, Carol continues to enhance the lives of millions, for which she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She has also won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Best known for her dressing style and idiosyncratic personality, Diane Keaton is one of the earliest actresses to take precautionary action to avoid being typecast in the entertainment industry. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses of the 1970s, Diane is also one of the most respected and celebrated actresses of all time.

Jodie Foster is considered to be one of the best actors of her time. She attained fame as a child actor in the acclaimed film Taxi Driver. Some of her memorable roles as an adult are The Accused, The Silence of the Lambs and Sommersby. She’s a director too. Foster has been in the news for her sexual orientation.

From Miss Israel to Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot has made heads turn and take notice of her. Serving two years in Israeli Army as a combat trainer surely helped Gadot in her movie career, where she is known for playing strong, action-oriented roles. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2018.

Singer, songwriter, and actress, Selena Gomez, was destined for a career in the entertainment industry! The daughter of an actress, she was exposed to acting as a child and began her career early on. She gained much fame as a singer and actress in her teenage and was named the Billboard Woman of the Year in 2017.

The Queen of American romantic comedy movies in 1990s, Meg Ryan is best recognised for her role in When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, all of which earned her prestigious award nominations. After proving her mettle in romantic comedies Meg Ryan showed her versatility as actress by acting in other genre movies. She made her directorial debut with Ithaca.

Jennifer Lopez established herself as the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood after starring in films such as Out of Sight, The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan and Shall We Dance’. She is also an accomplished dancer and commercially very successful singer. She helped propel the Latin pop movement in American music. She is also a fashion designer and a businesswoman.

Emilia Clarke rose to fame with the television series Game of Thrones, which garnered her international recognition and won her several awards. She has also starred in many films like Solo: A Star Wars Story and was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019. Emilia also supports several charitable organisations. 

Millie Bobby Brown, the English actress and model, rose to prominence after acting in the TV series Stranger Things and then in the film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, in 2019. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in April 2018, making her the youngest person ever to be so.

Elizabeth Olsen gained worldwide recognition for her performance as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in films, such as Avengers: Endgame. Starting out as a child actress, she received singing and ballet lessons when she was a child. A New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumna, Elizabeth Olsen went on to establish herself as a successful actress.

Beyonce Knowles is a singer, songwriter, and actress. She developed an interest in music as a child. As a teenager, she became the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. As of today, she is one of the world's best-selling recording artists. 

Born into a family with a rich legacy in the entertainment industry, actress Blake Lively was exposed to acting as a young child. Even though she was not interested in acting as a teenager, she developed a passion for the same after winning a Teen Choice Award for one of her early TV shows.

American actress Helen Hunt garnered recognition when she acted in the television series, St Elsewhere, in the 1980s and Mad About You in the 1990s. She has starred in several acclaimed and successful Hollywood films like Twister, What Women Want, Cast Away and The Sessions. She won a Best Actress Oscar for the 1997 film As Good as it Gets.

From an early successful Broadway career, Anna Kendrick moved to films and gained fame in a supporting role in the Twilight film series. She proved her skills as a lead actor in the Pitch Perfect franchise in which she also lent her voice to the hit song Cups. Her other significant projects include The Accountant and Up in the Air.

Jessica Lange is a prominent actress with over four decades of experience in Hollywood. She is one of the few female performers to achieve the “Triple Crown of Acting,” having won an Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award. She has appeared in many critically acclaimed films. Also a photographer, she has published four books.

Popular Hollywood actress and filmmaker, Kristen Stewart garnered worldwide fame for her portrayal of Bella Swan in the massively successful Twilight film series. However, Stewart’s rendezvous with fame and success began at a much younger age when she debuted in the movie, The Thirteenth, Year and later worked in the movie. Panic Room. Her later notable work include Clouds of Sils Maria.

With her sharp facial features and stunning figure, actress Megan Fox is undoubtedly a head-turner! Making her debut in the early 2000s as a teenager, she has come a long way in Hollywood and is today counted among the most beautiful and sexiest women in entertainment. She has been featured on various magazine covers as well.

Kristen Bell started her career by acting in stage productions and gained recognition when she starred in the 2004 film Spartan. She’s starred in popular television series like Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, House of Lies and The Good Place and films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Couples Retreat, When in Rome and The Boss. She’s had issues with depression and anxiety.

Actress, producer, and director, Courteney Cox first gained international popularity in the mid-1990s owing to her appearance in the NBC sitcom Friends. She soon ventured into films, where also she found success. Besides acting, she owns the film and television company, Coquette Productions. She has won the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Women's Image Network.

Born into a family of actors, Dakota Johnson debuted as a child artist and later began modelling. Her first big hit was the movie, The Social Network but it was the role of Anastasia Steele in the movie, Fifty Shades of Grey, and its two sequels that skyrocketed her fame to an international level. Her other work include the movie, Black Mass and A Bigger Splash.