Actresses From California

An American actress, film producer, and businesswoman, Jennifer Aniston began her acting career pretty early but gained stardom with her portrayal of Rachel Green in the popular television sitcom Friends. Her film career demonstrated her wide range and impressed both critics and audience. The star of The Good Girl and Bruce Almighty also went ahead to launch her own perfume.

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.

A legendary American actress, model, comedienne and singer, Marilyn Monroe emerged as a major sex symbol in Hollywood in the 1950s and early 1960s. Amongst the most successful actresses of her time, she also won critical acclaim for her acting in movies like Some Like It Hot. Her personal and professional life, though from the beginning, were marked by hardships, struggles and controversies.

Carrie Fisher was an American actress best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films. Some of her other films notable film wereShampoo, Soapdish, The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally and The Women. She had issues with bipolar disorder and drug addiction and spoke publicly about it. She died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest while on a transatlantic flight.

Actress, singer, and songwriter Hailee Steinfeld first gained fame as Mattie Ross in the drama western film True Grit. Some of her family members are in the entertainment field and they introduced her to acting when she was a child. She also has a keen interest in music and has released two extended plays and 17 singles.

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.

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.

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.

Gwyneth Paltrow is an American actress who has worked in several notable films, such as Emma, Seven and The Talented Mr Ripley. She won the Oscars for her role in the film Shakespeare in Love. She’s also worked on several television shows. She has been criticised for promoting unproven treatments based on pseudoscience via her lifestyle company Goop and has had to face lawsuits over it.

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.

Known for playing emotionally grueling roles, Jessica Chastain often chooses to act in films with feminist themes. A feminist who voices her opinion on gender and racial equality, Jessica started the Time's Up initiative with 300 women in Hollywood. She also supports charities that promote mental health and was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people list in 2012.

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.

Amongst the top child artists of her generation, Natalie Wood garnered fame at the age of eight with the movie Miracle on 34th Street. Later, as an adult, she successfully established herself as a talented and sought after actress with movies like Splendor in the Grass and West Side Story. Her vibrant life came to an end after she died of drowning.

An acclaimed American actress, Sally Field has won prestigious awards, such as Academy Awards and Emmy Awards. Apart from being a popular actress, Sally Field has also played an important role as an activist, advocating for gay rights and women's rights. She has been part of the board of directors of an international women's NGO called Vital Voices Global Partnership.

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.

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.

Actress and singer Zendaya is best known for her role in the Disney Channel sitcom, Shake It Up. She began her career as a model and is trained in different forms of dance. As a singer, she has released one studio album and several singles. She identifies as a feminist and has shown support for the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.

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.

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.

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.

Brie Larson is a name that has become synonymous with powerful, independent female warriors, both on and off screen. From an Oscar-winning performance of a kidnapped victim to playing the lead in the first female-led superhero movie, Captain Marvel, Larson has been breaking gender norms and shattering stereotypes. She has been working fiercely towards inclusivity and diversity in Hollywood.

Kaley Cuoco is an American actress who first came to limelight when she starred in the sitcom, 8 Simple Rules. However, her biggest success came when she portrayed the role of Penny in the popular and successful sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. She has also acted in films like Virtuosity, Toothless, Growing Up Brady, Crimes of Fashion, Cougar Club, The Penthouse and The Wedding Ringer.

Hollywood actress Vanessa Hudgens’s breakout roles were Disney Channel’s film High School Musical and Netflix’s The Princess Switch, both in 2006. She subsequently went on to act in a range of films cutting across various genres. She courted controversy in 2007 when her nude photos from her phone were leaked on the internet, for which she apologised to her fans.

Actress Jessica Alba is is known as a successful businesswoman. She acted in films like Honey, Fantastic Four, Valentine’s Day, Little Fockers and the Sin City franchise and while she was appreciated in some, she often received flak for her acting from critics. She hit the jackpot when she founded the company 'Honest', which sells baby care products and household goods.

Actress, singer, and model Zoë Kravitz first gained prominence for her role in the superhero film X-Men: First Class in the early 2010s. She is the daughter of actor parents and her entry into Hollywood is hardly surprising. Besides acting, she also works as a fashion model and musician. As a singer, she is involved with the band Lolawolf.

A child model at four and a television actor at eight, Shailene Woodley began working early and found fame with The Descendants, The Spectacular Now and the Divergent film series. She later gained tremendous appreciation for her work in the movie The Fault in Our Stars and HBO series Big Little Lies. The award winning actress is also an environmentalist and activist

Bryce Dallas Howard is an American actress and filmmaker, who attained fame after starring in the psychological thriller, The Village. Some of her other notable films are Lady in the Water, As You Like, Spiderman 3, Terminator Salvation, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. She is the daughter of famous and celebrated director and producer, Ron Howard.

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.

An actress, writer, singer, and comedian, Lisa Kudrow gained international fame for portraying the iconic character Phoebe Buffay in one of the most popular American sitcoms of all time - Friends. She is also one of the highest-grossing film actresses as her movies have grossed more than $2 billion worldwide.

A talented actress who felt deeply about social issues, Naya Rivera was known for playing roles that reflected her standing on issues like racism and queer representation. She openly championed for LGBT+ rights, immigrants' rights, and women's rights. The brilliant young woman met a tragic end when she drowned in a lake in 2020.

Actress and activist, Lisa Bonet, literally grew up in Hollywood! Introduced to modeling and acting as a small child, she landed the role of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show and became a popular face. She soon entered films as well and enjoyed a moderately successful stint. Her daughter Zoë Isabella Kravitz is also a popular model cum actress.

An actress, director, writer, and producer, Rashida Jones is a multi-talented woman who first gained prominence as a TV actress. A Harvard University graduate, the bright young woman entered the entertainment industry in the mid-1990s and has since made a name for herself. She is the recipient of several awards including a Grammy.

Christina Applegate is known for doing a host of comic roles in films like Just Visiting, The Sweetest Thing and A View from the Top. But critical acclaim came her way from television series like Jesse, Friends and Samantha Who and the Netflix show Dead to Me. She is a breast cancer survivor and helps raise funds and awareness towards cancer.

American actress Mariska Hargitay has earned wide acclaim and numerous awards for her work in the long running television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Daughter of actress Jayne Mansfield, she made her debut with horror film, Ghoulies and appeared in numerous television shows like ER before bagging her big role. She has also established the Joyful Heart Foundation.

American actress, Laura Dern, gained international recognition with the 1993 film Jurassic Park. A Perfect World, Citizen Ruth, Little Fockers, Wild and Star Wars: The Last Jedi are some of her notable films. She has also starred in acclaimed television series like Enlightened and Big Little Lies. She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2020 for the film Marriage Story.

The daughter of Howard Deutch and Lea Thompson, Zoey Deutch is one of the most successful Hollywood actresses under the age of 30. Apart from acting and appearing on the cover pages of famous magazines, Zoey also participates in fundraising campaigns for charity. She was the star attraction at the 2017 and 2018 Women's March. 

Entering the entertainment world as a teenager in the early 1990s, actress Alicia Silverstone became internationally famous with her role in her film debut in The Crush. Despite gaining mainstream success in the 1990s, she chose to focus on smaller-scale films and theater in the next decade. She is a vegan and has published a vegan cookbook.

Ashley Judd is a popular American actress who is vocal about topics, such as sexual assault. As a three-time rape survivor—as claimed by her—Ashley serves as an inspiration to rape survivors around the world. Known for her humanitarian work, Ashley has worked on gender equality for over a decade. She is also famous for her political activities.

An American actress and singer, Miranda Cosgrove started out as a child actress. In 2010, she became the second-highest-paid child star, having earned $180,000 per episode for the TV series iCarly. Also a philanthropist, Miranda Cosgrove supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and is a spokesperson for an organization called Light the Night Walk which raises awareness for blood cancer.

A woman of many talents, Sasha Grey is an American actress, author, musician, and former pornographic actress. Grey's journey from the pornographic industry to the mainstream film industry has been quite inspirational. Also a well-known DJ, Grey is credited with co-founding the now-defunct industrial music band aTelecine. An openly bisexual star, she serves as an inspiration to the LGBT community.

One of the most popular female WWE wrestlers of the current generation, Sasha Banks was named the top black wrestler in a list titled BW 500 in 2020. A celebrated wrestler, she was involved in the first Iron Woman match, first women's WWE pay-per-view event, and first women's Hell in a Cell match.

Christina Ricci's name is synonymous with the character, Wednesday Addams,, thanks to her wonderful portrayal of the iconic character in the movie The Addams Family. She then became a teen icon before graduating to adult-oriented roles. Apart from being an actress, Christina Ricci also serves as the national spokesperson for a nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization called Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Talented film and television actress Katey Sagal’s big break came with the popular comedy series Married.... with Children. Later, she lent her voice for the animated series Futurama and gave an award winning performance in the drama series Sons of Anarchy. Her film credits include Futurama: Bender's Big Score and Pitch Perfect 2. She has also released two music albums.

Known for her Academy Award-nominated performance in The Hateful Eight, Jennifer Jason Leigh had started her career at age 9. Fans also loved her in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle and Margot at the Wedding. She was also seen as Sally Bowles in Sam Mendes’s Broadway production Cabaret.

After starting her film career at the age of three, Shirley Temple went on to become Hollywood's highest-grossing child actress from 1935 to 1938. She is the epitome of popular child stars who lose their charm as they grow up. Despite failing as an adult actress, she is ranked 18th in the greatest female screen legends of Classic Hollywood list.