The past few years were great for Hollywood women. The movements such as Time’s up and #Metoo pushed the ball into rolling. It resulted in the ultimate respect and equality that women deserve in every field, including showbiz. So we consider it the best time to tribute the Hollywood ladies by listing the top 10 of all time.
However, it’s difficult to assess the actresses in all the different periods of Hollywood history. The reasons are simple, including the fact that the acting styles evolved with the advancement of technology. For instance, in the silent film era, the actresses needed to be dramatic to convey their emotions as there was no sound to add to the effect.
As technology advanced, the concentration on realism became even more crucial. This eventually led us to the present, where actors must take on extremely challenging tasks of conveying emotions while acting completely natural.
With these evolutions in mind, here is the list of the top 10 Hollywood actresses of all time.
Image Courtesy: TCM
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep, aka iron girl, was born on June 22, 1949. She first appeared as Linda in the iconic classic movie, The Deer Hunter in 1976. Meryl Streep somehow stole the attention of all who was watching. Her innocent good looks and impressive acting skills made her role appear much more than it actually was.
She further gained popularity for her polarizing performance in the ‘Deer Hunter’ and ‘Satan wearing Prada.’ The American actress has a record of receiving 21 Academy award nominations, which is higher than any other actress.
Accolades
- Oscar Nominations: 19
- Oscars: 3
- BAFTA Nominations: 14
- BAFTA Awards: 2
- Golden Globe Nominations: 29
- Golden Globes: 8
Image Courtesy: TCM
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 12, 1907. Hepburn would have the distinction of having a working life that spans her entire lifetime i-e 60 years. Very few women get this opportunity, especially in the golden age of Hollywood.
Hepburn was not just an excellent on-screen role model, but she was a great woman off the screen too. Katherine had a fierce sternness about her personality. Her unique personality helped her to be as competitive as her male counterparts.
Her ability to convey these characteristics on screen resulted in her securing many memorable roles, which included Susan in Bringing Up Baby, Rose Sayer in The African Queen, and Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story. Amazingly her glittering career started in the late silent era in 1932 and continued until 1992.
Accolades
- Oscar Nominations: 12
- Oscars: 4
- BAFTA Nominations: 6
- BAFTA Awards: 3
- Golden Globe Nominations: 8
Image Courtesy: Railly News
Audrey Hepburn
Born in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium, on May 4, 1929, she gained popularity as a hot brunette in the era dominated by blondes such as Marilyn Monroe. While she is most well-known for her performance as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey managed to be a part of popular films during the 1950s and 1960s.
Amazingly, despite her awe-inspiring popularity with the masses around the globe, Hepburn only produced 34 films during her life. Yet, despite these few performances, she was capable of winning an Academy Award as well as additional 22 wins at film festivals all over the world. It’s amazing, especially considering that she racked up all these wins with just 39 nominations.
Accolades
- Oscar Nominations: 5
- Oscars: 1
- BAFTA Nominations: 5
- BAFTA Awards: 3
- Golden Globe Nominations: 9
- Golden Globes: 1
Image Courtesy: TCM
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth Bette Davis, born on April 5, 1908, was an American actress whose professional span covered almost 6 decades.
Her professional career brought her two Academy Awards with a further 23 other awards. Although she didn’t have the look and voice of a classic Hollywood studio star in the 30s and 40s, she climbed to the top with sheer talent. Bette Davis spent many years working on her acting skills on stage. Her performance in the role of Margo in the film All About Eve cemented her fame as one of the top Hollywood actors of all time.
Her career was full of many highs and lows. After a prolonged illness, she continued her passion for her work until she passed away. Her life off-screen is just as dramatic since she was married four times, divorced three times, and was windowed on the same day. She was the first female president of the Academy of motion-image art and science and the first woman to receive a lifetime achievement by the American movie Institute.
Accolades
- Oscar Nominations: 11
- Oscars: 2
- BAFTA Nominations: 1
- BAFTA Awards: 0
- Golden Globe Nominations: 3
Image Courtesy: Vanity Fair
Diane Keaton
Diane Hall/Keaton came in the world on January 5, 1946, in Los Angeles. Like the actor Al Pacino, Diane Keaton got her breakthrough from Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Godfather. She was cast as Kay Adams, a young woman who would witness her beloved Michael become the monster in the first two films. The intricacy and depth she brought into the Kay and Michael relationship, regardless of her insufficient stage time, was awe-inspiring.
She went on to take a variety of iconic roles, such as in Woody Allen’s Manhattan and Annie Hall. In the past, she has been awarded one Academy Award and notched up another 31 awards.
Accolades:
- Oscar Nominations: 4
- Oscars: 1
- BAFTA Nominations: 3
- BAFTA Awards: 1
- Golden Globe Nominations: 9
- Golden Globes: 2
Image Courtesy: TCM
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth (February 27, 1932) was popular for her dashing appearance and acting abilities. She is one of the few actresses who graduated from the Hollywood system in the 1940s. Throughout her 60 years of career, she acted in some of the most famous and well-known films Hollywood would ever make.
Her most notable role was when she played Cleopatra alongside Richard Burton. They would be the most famous couple in Hollywood. She also acted in critically acclaimed films, including Leslie Benedict in Giant and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Accolades
- Oscar Nominations: 5
- Oscars: 2
- BAFTA Nominations: 3
- BAFTA Awards: 1
- Golden Globe Nominations: 4
- Golden Globes: 1
Image Courtesy: TCM
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was known for her perfectionism and luminous magnificence. The Swedish actor was born on August 29, 1915. She performed a variety of roles in American movies and tv.
She began her career with Swedish and German films. Still, She was introduced to American movies through Intermezzo, the English adaptation of Intermezzo. She started her film career in the 1930s. However, she made it into the spotlight in 1942, when she played her leading role in the film Casablanca. Her fame was due to her beauty, but her unique lifestyle made her an enigma since she wasn’t interested in being famous. Bergman died on her 67th birthday in 1982.
Accolades
- Oscar Nominations: 7
- Oscars: 3
- BAFTA Nominations: 2
- BAFTA Awards: 1
- Golden Globe Nominations: 8
- Golden Globes: 4
Image Courtesy: TCM
Susan Sarandon
Susan Hayward was born Edythe Marriner on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. Susan Sarandon got her to break as the co-star of Kevin Costner in Bull Durham.
The performance earned her the role of Louise in the film by Ridley Scott, Thelma, and Louise. It was a massive success among the first films to have the first time that a female-led film was made. When the movie was released in the year 1991, its popularity created an entirely brand-new Hollywood actor who made an astonishing 150 films in her career.
Accolades
- Oscar Nominations: 5
- Oscars: 1
- BAFTA Nominations: 2
- BAFTA Awards: 0
- Golden Globe Nominations: 2
- Golden Globes: 1
Image Courtesy: TCM
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, the famous American actress, was born on November 5, 1913. She told her peers at the age of 6 that she would be a perfect actor in the near future, and it became true.
Vivian Leigh gave her most famous performance as Scarlett in Gone with the Wind. Although she had only begun film acting about four years before the mentioned movie, the power and intensity of her performance on screen are impressive. While watching this film, created over eighty years ago, it’s astonishing how well her performance has held up even today.
Although she only appeared in 20 roles, Leigh won two Academy Awards and further eight awards. The role she played in the film Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire demonstrated how formidable acting talent she had. One regret is that she made only a handful of films in her life.
Accolades:
- Oscar Nominations: 2
- Oscars: 2
- BAFTA Nominations: 1
- BAFTA Awards: 1
- Golden Globe Nominations: 1
Image Courtesy: Glamour
Halle Berry
Halle Maria Berry, 56-years old American actress was born on August 14, 1966. Although she hasn’t had the chance to play the same iconic roles as other actors in this listing, Berry has shown she is among the top actors in Hollywood. In addition, Berry is only the second African American actress to win the Academy Award for best actress.
However, she takes up large-budget movies, which allows us to witness her regularly taking on difficult roles. Her stellar scenes from Cloud Atlas and Bulworth show why she deserves a spot in this listing.
Accolades:
- Oscars: 1
- BAFTA Nominations: 1
- Golden Globe Nominations: 3
- Golden Globe: 1
