Here are my top 10 Hollywood A-lister actress… list (pun unintended)!
By right you should find all of them familiar, and if you know some of their works, you might agree with me on how good some of them really are! Quality is everything, and the following actresses I love because of how much quality they put into their passion, which is truly inspiring!
Note: The three noted works I listed for each actress are arranged in order of my preference of their content and standard.
(Special Mention) 11. Ali Larter
Three Fave Works:
Final Destination, Heroes, Legally Blonde
This little-known actress shot to fame starring as Niki/Jessica Sanders on Heroes. She is a stunning beauty, and she carries herself very well, be it as an accused criminal on Legally Blonde, or a doomed young student Clear Rivers, in Final Destination.
10. Whoopi Goldberg
Three Fave Works:
Sister Act, Ghost, Rat Race
Whoopi Goldberg is one of the oldest and most prolific actresses in the industry. Who can forget her role in one of my favorites of all time, Sister Act, in which she plays the hilariously-funny Dolores van Cartier? She also starred in Ghost, which is without doubt another beautiful, touching movie in which Whoopi, as the Oscar-winning Miss Oda Mae Brown adds to the film’s charm immensely.
9. Alyssa Milano
Three Fave Works:
Charmed, Melrose Place, Who’s The Boss
From a kid star to a… porn star? Not really. Though Alyssa Milano has good traits with regards to her body, she also has amazing skill to portray comedic, slightly out-of-place characters. From her renowned role as Samantha on Who’s The Boss, to her wacky Billie on My Name is Earl, Alyssa Milano is completely believable in any role she stars in. Of course, who could forget the marvelous Charmed, in which she plays the love-unlucky and magically-powerful Phoebe Halliwell?
8. Alexis Bledel
Three Fave Works:
Gilmore Girls, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Sin City
I’ve always been impressed with Alexis Bledel’s innocent-looking face. No sexed-up kitten a la Angelina Jolie here; Alexis Bledel works the screen with a youth and energy never-before-seen. From her overachieving Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls (Alas! Those lines and their delivery!) to her deceiving prostituting character in Sin City, Alexis Bledel’s look is uniquely innocent, yet fiery.
7. Sandra Bullock
Three Fave Works:
Miss Congeniality, Crash, Speed
Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses solely because of those three works mentioned above. Personally I found The Lake House and Premonition, her two more-recent, higher-profile works, uninspiring and overdone, but with Miss Congeniality (1 & 2) , Crash and Speed (1 & 2) she entertains audiences with emotional insight, wisecracking attitude while in pageant disguises, and action-packed adrenaline rushes. Hopefully, there’ll be a Miss Congeniality 3 soon!
6. Halle Berry
Three Fave Works:
Monster’s Ball, Things We Lost In The Fire, Gothika
No one can doubt Halle Berry’s acting skills, not after Monster’s Ball and Things We Lost In The Fire. She’s also not afraid to admit she’s made some mistakes (Catwoman, anyone?) but she learns from them and moves on. With such amazing acting skills, there’s no need for her to resort to butt-kicking roles; bring on the tears, bring on the fears, and she’ll win another Oscar yet.
5. Drew Barrymore
Three Fave Works:
Donnie Darko, Charlie’s Angels, Music and Lyrics
I’ve watched her on Firestarter when I was younger (and she was younger, too). She’s an excellent romantic comedy actress, as proven from Music and Lyrics, The Wedding Singer, and 50 First Dates, but she can strike fear in people’s hearts too.
Besides Firestarter, the movie adaptation of the Stephen King horror thriller, she also starred in the relatively-unknown indie film Donnie Darko, which she stands out immensely in. Donnie Darko is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I would have one big question for her if ever I saw her: “What do you really think of Cellar Door?”
4. Meryl Streep
Three Fave Works:
Out of Africa, Adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada
Without a doubt, my favorite work from Ms Streep is Out of Africa. Even though Adaptation remains on my list for top 10 favorite movies of all time (thanks to the brilliant scripting of the film), Out of Africa is in my eyes, a standout for Ms Streep, where she plays the emotionally-and-physically-scarred Karen Blixen.
Besides The Devil Wears Prada, where she plays the fearsome Miranda Priestly, Meryl Streep has also starred in Kramer vs. Kramer, winning an Academy Award for her work on that film. Rendition and Lions for Lambs are her recent works; politically-charged and very real, they represent a side of Meryl Streep that isn’t afraid to speak out and take a stand on issues concerning the world.
3. Reese Witherspoon
Three Fave Works:
Walk the Line, Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama
Reese Witherspoon’s resume reads like a list of my favorites. She was my favorite actress for the whole of last year and the year before, with works like The Importance of Being Earnest, Legally Blonde, Friends, Cruel Intentions, Walk the Line, Legally Blonde 2, Just Like Heaven, Sweet Home Alabama and Rendition, ALL of which I love.
But without doubt, her breakup from Ryan Phillipe really brought her down the ladder for me. Who knew that with such a resume of excellence, she would not be able to sustain her marriage? There goes the dream of true love, eh? More reel drama, more acting excellence for her, and I would consider her to be my most favorite actress again soon enough.
2. Queen Latifah
Three Fave Works:
Last Holiday, Chicago, Life Support
If there’s anything to be said about Queen Latifah, it’s that she’s an inspiration. All her works that she has chosen showcase her big personality and bigger heart. For me, Last Holiday was her finest, showing a vulnerability and heartwarming that I could not find in Chicago or Taxi, Beauty Shop or Bringing Down The House.
Still, with roles such as Matron Mama Morton (aka The Keeper of the Keys and The Mistress of Murderess Row), Motormouth Maybelle (She knows where she’s been!) and Ana from the impactful and inspiring Emmy-nominated Life Support, Queen Latifah shows she’s versatile and ready to take on any role that she feels will touch others. As a plus, she also has two jazz albums out (one of which received a Grammy nomination)! What more could be said of this fantastic person?
1. Jennifer Garner
Three Fave Works:
Alias, Juno, 13 Going on 30
My favorite trait of Ms Jennifer Garner is without a doubt the pursing of her lips. On Alias, Juno and The Kingdom, one can see her habit of closing her mouth and pursing her lips together when she’s agitated. That’s probably one of the most recognizable characteristics of Garner; other characteristics include her impressive walk (a swaggerish, presence-filling walk probably derived from her drama major) and her doing of her own stunts (which is also particularly cool; there’s nothing better than an actor who isn’t afraid to immerse himself fully in his role).
She’s my favorite actress of 2008 because of the way she is – even while working in a mix of light-hearted comedies and action-packed, thematic films, she can still manage her family well. She chooses her roles excellently, juggling being a mother and one of the leading A-listers of Tinseltown. She isn’t a diva, opting to go for Juno even though she was told the pay would not be high; rather, she chose Juno because of a good script. And that, in every essence, is the magnificence of someone who is out to achieve quality in their occupation.
Other known works include Elektra and Catch and Release.
Who are your favorite actresses?
Don’t forget this is my personal choice; to each his own list, and if you disagree with my choices, you can tell me, but do not insult! If you have recommendations for good movies and good acting, leave a tag!
All photos found with Google Image Search; search with the person’s first name
