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

Actresses The Best Actresses in Film History

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1 10,699 7,800 Meryl Streep Sophie's Choice, Kramer vs. Kramer, Out of Africa

2 6,778 5,764 Cate Blanchett Blue Jasmine, Elizabeth, The Aviator

3 5,135 3,499 Thornapple added katherine hepburn Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen

4 8,850 4,642 Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday

5 6,267 3,948 Bette Davis All About Eve, P.S. I Love You, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

6 5,713 3,856 Vivien Leigh Gone with the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ship of Fools

7 5,681 3,750 Helen Mirren The Queen, Gosford Park, The Last Station

8 5,252 3,305 Maggie Smith California Suite, Gosford Park, A Room with a View

9 5,450 3,504 Judi Dench Philomena, Notes on a Scandal, Shakespeare in Love

10 5,522 4,630 Jodie Foster The Silence of the Lambs, Taxi Driver, The Accused

11 5,381 4,153 Elizabeth Taylor Cleopatra, National Velvet, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

12 5,394 3,652 Ingrid Bergman Casablanca, Notorious, Cinema Paradiso

13 5,789 3,991 Kate Winslet The Reader, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Titanic

14 4,828 3,026 Kathy Bates Misery, About Schmidt, Fried Green Tomatoes

15 4,497 3,362 Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility, Howards End, The Remains of the Day

16 4,397 3,520 Susan Sarandon Dead Man Walking, The Client, Thelma & Louise

17 4,965 2,908 Julie Andrews The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie

18 4,291 3,575 Glenn Close Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs

19 3,841 2,787 Jessica Lange Blue Sky, Tootsie, King Kong

20 4,160 2,654 Sally Field Steel Magnolias, Norma Rae, Forrest Gump

21 4,404 3,202 Julianne Moore Still Alice, The End of the Affair, Boogie Nights

22 3,685 3,003 Sigourney Weaver Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl

23 4,211 2,922 Helena Bonham Carter Fight Club, The King's Speech, The Wings of the Dove

24 4,975 3,272 Sandra Bullock The Blind Side, Gravity, Speed

25 2,571 1,883 Frances McDormand Fargo, Mississippi Burning, North Country

26 4,446 3,425 Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman, Steel Magnolias

27 4,097 3,030 Michelle Pfeiffer The Fabulous Baker Boys, Scarface, Dangerous Liaisons

28 3,075 2,450 Shirley MacLaine Terms of Endearment, The Apartment, The Turning Point

29 3,064 2,716 Sophia Loren Two Women, Marriage Italian-Style, It Started in Naples

30 3,467 2,813 Lauren Bacall The Big Sleep, To Have and Have Not, The Mirror Has Two Faces

31 3,647 2,356 Judy Garland The Wizard of Oz, Judgment at Nuremberg, A Star Is Born

32 3,433 2,328 Amy Adams American Hustle, The Master, Doubt

33 3,714 2,874 Grace Kelly Rear Window, High Noon, Dial M for Murder

34 3,761 2,570 Nicole Kidman The Hours, Moulin Rouge!, Rabbit Hole

35 2,675 2,180 Sissy Spacek Carrie, Coal Miner's Daughter, In the Bedroom

36 3,176 2,488 Joan Crawford Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Four Walls

37 2,358 1,641 Viola Davis The Help, Traffic, Out of Sight

38 4,558 3,881 Charlize Theron Monster, North Country, Young Adult

39 2,716 2,225 Natalie Wood West Side Story, The Searchers, Rebel Without a Cause

40 2,240 2,045 Rachel Weisz The Constant Gardener, The Deep Blue Sea, About a Boy

41 2,125 1,982 Annette Bening American Beauty, The Grifters, Being Julia

42 3,202 2,080 Diane Keaton Annie Hall, Marvin's Room, Reds

43 2,878 2,164 Olivia de Havilland The Heiress, Gone with the Wind, To Each His Own

44 2,292 1,724 Diane Lane Unfaithful, Rumble Fish, A Walk on the Moon

45 2,239 2,686 Jane Fonda Klute, Coming Home, The China Syndrome

46 2,334 1,891 Rachel McAdams Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers

47 1,787 851 FranciscodeSouza added Lucille Ball All the Right Moves, Top Hat, Stage Door

48 2,537 2,312 Rita Hayworth Gilda, Circus World, The Lady from Shanghai

49 2,239 2,093 Jennifer Connelly A Beautiful Mind, Requiem for a Dream, House of Sand and Fog

50 3,860 3,108 Natalie Portman Black Swan, Leon: The Professional, Closer

854 0 0

1
10,699 7,800

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

2
6,778 5,764

Cate Blanchett Blue Jasmine, Elizabeth, The Aviator

3
5,135 3,499

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

4
8,850 4,642

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

5
6,267 3,948

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

6
5,713 3,856

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

7
5,681 3,750

Helen Mirren The Queen, Gosford Park, The Last Station

8
5,252 3,305

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

9
5,450 3,504

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

10
5,522 4,630

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

11
5,381 4,153

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

12
5,394 3,652

Ingrid Bergman Casablanca, Notorious, Cinema Paradiso

13
5,789 3,991

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

14
4,828 3,026

Kathy Bates Misery, About Schmidt, Fried Green Tomatoes

15
4,497 3,362

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

16
4,397 3,520

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

17
4,965 2,908

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

18
4,291 3,575

Glenn Close Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs

19
3,841 2,787

Jessica Lange Blue Sky, Tootsie, King Kong

20
4,160 2,654

Sally Field Steel Magnolias, Norma Rae, Forrest Gump

21
4,404 3,202

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

22
3,685 3,003

Sigourney Weaver Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl

23
4,211 2,922

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

24
4,975 3,272

Sandra Bullock The Blind Side, Gravity, Speed

25
2,571 1,883

Frances McDormand Fargo, Mississippi Burning, North Country

26
4,446 3,425

Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman, Steel Magnolias

27
4,097 3,030

Michelle Pfeiffer The Fabulous Baker Boys, Scarface, Dangerous Liaisons

28
3,075 2,450

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

29
3,064 2,716

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

30
3,467 2,813

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

31
3,647 2,356

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

32
3,433 2,328

Amy Adams American Hustle, The Master, Doubt

33
3,714 2,874

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

34
3,761 2,570

Nicole Kidman The Hours, Moulin Rouge!, Rabbit Hole

35
2,675 2,180

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

36
3,176 2,488

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

37
2,358 1,641

Viola Davis The Help, Traffic, Out of Sight

38
4,558 3,881

Charlize Theron Monster, North Country, Young Adult

39
2,716 2,225

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

40
2,240 2,045

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

41
2,125 1,982

Annette Bening American Beauty, The Grifters, Being Julia

42
3,202 2,080

Diane Keaton Annie Hall, Marvin's Room, Reds

43
2,878 2,164

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

44
2,292 1,724

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

45
2,239 2,686

Jane Fonda Klute, Coming Home, The China Syndrome

46
2,334 1,891

Rachel McAdams Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers

47
1,787 851

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

48
2,537 2,312

Rita Hayworth Gilda, Circus World, The Lady from Shanghai

49
2,239 2,093

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

50
3,860 3,108

Natalie Portman Black Swan, Leon: The Professional, Closer

854
0 0