Actresses From Missouri

Jean Harlow was an actress and sex symbol. Nicknamed the Platinum Blonde and Blonde Bombshell, Harlow was famous for her femme fatale screen persona. She became one of the biggest Hollywood stars despite being in the industry for not more than nine years. Her life and career inspired several movies, such as Harlow and Hughes and Harlow: Angels in Hell.

Ginger Rogers was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Often regarded as an American icon, Rogers played an important role in popularizing the Golden Age of Hollywood. After winning the Academy Award for portraying the title character in Kitty Foyle, Rogers became one of the highest-paid actresses during the 1940s. Her life inspired a musical titled Backwards in High Heels.

Jane Wyman was an American actress, dancer, and singer. In an illustrious acting career spanning over 70 years, Wyman received three Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award for Best Actress. One of the leading ladies of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s, Jane Wyman is also credited with popularizing two-piece bathing suit, a predecessor to the bikini.

Shelley Winters was an American actress who contributed immensely to all the three major acting mediums in a career spanning almost sixty years. The winner of two Academy Awards, Shelley Winters remained popular throughout her life. She was also known for her much-publicized personal life, which included her four marriages and the romance with actor Farley Granger.

Taylor Momsen is an American model, singer-songwriter, and former actress. She started her career as a child actress and became famous for playing Cindy Lou Who in the comedy film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She then quit acting to focus on music; over the years, she has been contributing to the success of the rock band The Pretty Reckless.

Five-time Emmy Award-winning actor Doris Roberts is best remembered as Marie Barone from the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and as Mildred Krebs from Remington Steele. She also appeared on various talk/game shows and in films such as The Honeymoon Killers. She was a prominent animal rights activist, too.

Katherine McNamara is an American actress best known for playing Clary Fray in the supernatural drama television series, Shadowhunters. Apart from being an actress, McNamara also takes an active part in charitable works. Having been bullied as a child, McNamara has taken part in various anti-bullying efforts. She also participates in campaigns that raise funds for children's hospitals.

Dianne Wiest is an American actress best known for appearing in Woody Allen films, such as Bullets over Broadway and Hannah and Her Sisters, with both the films earning her Oscars for Best Supporting Actress. She has also won other prestigious awards like the Primetime Emmy Award for her contribution to the TV industry.

Phyllis Smith is an American actress best known for portraying Phyllis Vance in the popular mockumentary TV series, The Office, for which she received a couple of Screen Actors Guild Awards. Also known for her skills as a voice actress, Smith was honored with the prestigious Annie Award for voicing Sadness in the 2015 computer-animated comedy film, Inside Out.

Betty Grable was one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. She starred in numerous big-budget movies and was at one point the highest-salaried American woman. She began her career as a preteen and gained prominence as a young woman. A celebrated sex symbol, she was the number-one pin-up girl of World War II. 

Mary Wickes was an American actress who often played professional women, housekeepers, and nuns in films and TV series. A tall woman with a distinctive voice, Wickes proved to be a popular comedian. She was often cast to play wisecracking characters, such as Nurse Dora Pickford in the 1942 drama film Now, Voyager.

Ryan Michelle Bathe is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sara Holt in the legal comedy-drama TV series Boston Legal, for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination under the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category.

One of the first to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Virginia Clara Jones was possibly Warner Brothers' biggest box-office money-maker in late 1940s. Beginning her career with vaudevilles, she quickly signed contracts first with Goldwyn and later with Warner Brothers, giving out numerous hits, including Oscar-winning The Best Years of Our Lives and White Heat.

Jane Darwell was an American actress whose career spanned over 50 years, during which she appeared in over 100 movies. She is best remembered for her performance in the 1940 drama film The Grapes of Wrath, which earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1960, Darwell was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.