The Best Actresses in Film History

The best actresses ever are ranked here in this list of the best actresses in film history. These are the greatest actresses ever to appear on the silver screen - female only (to vote on both genders, check out this list of the greatest film actors and actresses). These women were part of some of the greatest movies of all time (or were perhaps the reason they were the best movies ever), with countless Academy Awards between them.

What are the qualities of the best actresses of all time? Is it the raw emotion they show, the parts they choose, their acting methods, or simply their effortless charm and charisma? There's no denying some of these amazing actresses belong on the list of the hottest celebrities of all time, but behind the 1000 watt smiles lies the talent that defines generations of actresses.

Who is the best actor of all time? Is it a classic actor like Katharine Hepburn, a comedic genius like Tina Fey, a stunner like Catherine Zeta-Jones, or a method actor like Meryl Streep? There are so many choices for the greatest movie actress ever that you may have a hard time choosing just one (although you can vote for as many of the actresses on this list of the greatest actresses ever as you want). If your favorite leading lady isn't on the list, make sure to add her so others can vote for her to receive the title of best actress in film history.

list ordered by

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actresses The Best Actresses in Film History

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1 9,159 6,917 Meryl Streep Sophie's Choice, Kramer vs. Kramer, Out of Africa

2 5,708 4,877 Cate Blanchett Blue Jasmine, Elizabeth, The Aviator

3 3,931 3,027 Thornapple added katherine hepburn Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen

4 7,582 4,202 Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday

5 5,067 3,318 Vivien Leigh Gone with the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ship of Fools

6 5,417 3,508 Bette Davis All About Eve, P.S. I Love You, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

7 4,641 3,049 Judi Dench Philomena, Notes on a Scandal, Shakespeare in Love

8 4,782 3,301 Helen Mirren The Queen, Gosford Park, The Last Station

9 4,499 2,917 Maggie Smith California Suite, Gosford Park, A Room with a View

10 4,706 3,305 Ingrid Bergman Casablanca, Notorious, Cinema Paradiso

11 4,662 3,707 Elizabeth Taylor Cleopatra, National Velvet, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

12 4,626 4,174 Jodie Foster The Silence of the Lambs, Taxi Driver, The Accused

13 4,887 3,547 Kate Winslet The Reader, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Titanic

14 4,009 2,637 Kathy Bates Misery, About Schmidt, Fried Green Tomatoes

15 3,829 2,963 Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility, Howards End, The Remains of the Day

16 4,200 2,567 Julie Andrews The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie

17 3,683 3,074 Susan Sarandon Dead Man Walking, The Client, Thelma & Louise

18 3,699 3,178 Glenn Close Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs

19 3,488 2,279 Sally Field Steel Magnolias, Norma Rae, Forrest Gump

20 3,212 2,407 Jessica Lange Blue Sky, Tootsie, King Kong

21 3,743 2,789 Julianne Moore Still Alice, The End of the Affair, Boogie Nights

22 3,040 2,620 Sigourney Weaver Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl

23 3,437 2,553 Helena Bonham Carter Fight Club, The King's Speech, The Wings of the Dove

24 2,611 2,099 Shirley MacLaine Terms of Endearment, The Apartment, The Turning Point

25 2,645 2,341 Sophia Loren Two Women, Marriage Italian-Style, It Started in Naples

26 4,045 2,857 Sandra Bullock The Blind Side, Gravity, Speed

27 1,995 1,554 Frances McDormand Fargo, Mississippi Burning, North Country

28 3,601 2,964 Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman, Steel Magnolias

29 2,950 2,555 Lauren Bacall The Big Sleep, To Have and Have Not, The Mirror Has Two Faces

30 3,453 2,724 Michelle Pfeiffer The Fabulous Baker Boys, Scarface, Dangerous Liaisons

31 3,036 2,093 Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz, Judgment at Nuremberg, A Star Is Born

32 2,779 1,939 Amy Adams American Hustle, The Master, Doubt

33 3,055 2,169 Nicole Kidman The Hours, Moulin Rouge!, Rabbit Hole

34 2,249 1,880 Sissy Spacek Carrie, Coal Miner's Daughter, In the Bedroom

35 2,818 2,183 Joan Crawford Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Four Walls

36 3,165 2,622 Grace Kelly Rear Window, High Noon, Dial M for Murder

37 2,695 1,777 Diane Keaton Annie Hall, Marvin's Room, Reds

38 1,784 1,309 Viola Davis The Help, Traffic, Out of Sight

39 1,783 1,674 Annette Bening American Beauty, The Grifters, Being Julia

40 1,914 1,448 Diane Lane Unfaithful, Rumble Fish, A Walk on the Moon

41 2,306 1,970 Natalie Wood West Side Story, The Searchers, Rebel Without a Cause

42 1,850 1,737 Rachel Weisz The Constant Gardener, The Deep Blue Sea, About a Boy

43 2,496 1,947 Olivia de Havilland The Heiress, Gone with the Wind, To Each His Own

44 1,862 1,788 Jennifer Connelly A Beautiful Mind, Requiem for a Dream, House of Sand and Fog

45 1,889 2,291 Jane Fonda Klute, Coming Home, The China Syndrome

46 1,828 1,584 Rachel McAdams Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers

47 3,858 3,618 Charlize Theron Monster, North Country, Young Adult

48 1,255 638 FranciscodeSouza added Lucille Ball All the Right Moves, Top Hat, Stage Door

49 2,329 1,826 Anne Bancroft The Miracle Worker, The Graduate, The Turning Point

50 2,181 1,577 Reese Witherspoon American Psycho, Legally Blonde, Election

804 0 0

1
9,159 6,917

Meryl Streep Sophie's Choice, Kramer vs. Kramer, Out of Africa

2
5,708 4,877

Cate Blanchett Blue Jasmine, Elizabeth, The Aviator

3
3,931 3,027

Thornapple added katherine hepburn Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen

4
7,582 4,202

Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday

5
5,067 3,318

Vivien Leigh Gone with the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ship of Fools

6
5,417 3,508

Bette Davis All About Eve, P.S. I Love You, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

7
4,641 3,049

Judi Dench Philomena, Notes on a Scandal, Shakespeare in Love

8
4,782 3,301

Helen Mirren The Queen, Gosford Park, The Last Station

9
4,499 2,917

Maggie Smith California Suite, Gosford Park, A Room with a View

10
4,706 3,305

Ingrid Bergman Casablanca, Notorious, Cinema Paradiso

11
4,662 3,707

Elizabeth Taylor Cleopatra, National Velvet, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

12
4,626 4,174

Jodie Foster The Silence of the Lambs, Taxi Driver, The Accused

13
4,887 3,547

Kate Winslet The Reader, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Titanic

14
4,009 2,637

Kathy Bates Misery, About Schmidt, Fried Green Tomatoes

15
3,829 2,963

Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility, Howards End, The Remains of the Day

16
4,200 2,567

Julie Andrews The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie

17
3,683 3,074

Susan Sarandon Dead Man Walking, The Client, Thelma & Louise

18
3,699 3,178

Glenn Close Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs

19
3,488 2,279

Sally Field Steel Magnolias, Norma Rae, Forrest Gump

20
3,212 2,407

Jessica Lange Blue Sky, Tootsie, King Kong

21
3,743 2,789

Julianne Moore Still Alice, The End of the Affair, Boogie Nights

22
3,040 2,620

Sigourney Weaver Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl

23
3,437 2,553

Helena Bonham Carter Fight Club, The King's Speech, The Wings of the Dove

24
2,611 2,099

Shirley MacLaine Terms of Endearment, The Apartment, The Turning Point

25
2,645 2,341

Sophia Loren Two Women, Marriage Italian-Style, It Started in Naples

26
4,045 2,857

Sandra Bullock The Blind Side, Gravity, Speed

27
1,995 1,554

Frances McDormand Fargo, Mississippi Burning, North Country

28
3,601 2,964

Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman, Steel Magnolias

29
2,950 2,555

Lauren Bacall The Big Sleep, To Have and Have Not, The Mirror Has Two Faces

30
3,453 2,724

Michelle Pfeiffer The Fabulous Baker Boys, Scarface, Dangerous Liaisons

31
3,036 2,093

Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz, Judgment at Nuremberg, A Star Is Born

32
2,779 1,939

Amy Adams American Hustle, The Master, Doubt

33
3,055 2,169

Nicole Kidman The Hours, Moulin Rouge!, Rabbit Hole

34
2,249 1,880

Sissy Spacek Carrie, Coal Miner's Daughter, In the Bedroom

35
2,818 2,183

Joan Crawford Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Four Walls

36
3,165 2,622

Grace Kelly Rear Window, High Noon, Dial M for Murder

37
2,695 1,777

Diane Keaton Annie Hall, Marvin's Room, Reds

38
1,784 1,309

Viola Davis The Help, Traffic, Out of Sight

39
1,783 1,674

Annette Bening American Beauty, The Grifters, Being Julia

40
1,914 1,448

Diane Lane Unfaithful, Rumble Fish, A Walk on the Moon

41
2,306 1,970

Natalie Wood West Side Story, The Searchers, Rebel Without a Cause

42
1,850 1,737

Rachel Weisz The Constant Gardener, The Deep Blue Sea, About a Boy

43
2,496 1,947

Olivia de Havilland The Heiress, Gone with the Wind, To Each His Own

44
1,862 1,788

Jennifer Connelly A Beautiful Mind, Requiem for a Dream, House of Sand and Fog

45
1,889 2,291

Jane Fonda Klute, Coming Home, The China Syndrome

46
1,828 1,584

Rachel McAdams Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers

47
3,858 3,618

Charlize Theron Monster, North Country, Young Adult

48
1,255 638

FranciscodeSouza added Lucille Ball All the Right Moves, Top Hat, Stage Door

49
2,329 1,826

Anne Bancroft The Miracle Worker, The Graduate, The Turning Point

50
2,181 1,577

Reese Witherspoon American Psycho, Legally Blonde, Election

804
0 0