In response to a reader that wanted me to list my favorite actors and actresses, I will list my favorite actresses here today, and actors tomorrow. Then I will move on to movies and plays.
Top 20 Film Actresses
1. Meryl Streep (Angels In America, The Hours, Sophie's Choice, Kramer v. Kramer, The Manchurian Candidate)
2. Julianne Moore (The Hours, Far From Heaven)
3. Nicole Kidman (The Hours, Moulin Rouge)
4. Sandra Bullock (Speed, A Time To Kill)
5. Mary-Louise Parker (Angels In America, Boys On The Side)
6. Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It?)
7. Sally Field (Steel Magnolias, Mrs. Doubtfire, Norma Rae)
8. Glenn Close (Lion In Winter, Fatal Attraction, Heights)
9. Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl, Yentl, Meet The Fockers)
10. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman)
11. Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking)
12. Natalie Portman (The Professional, Where The Heart Is, Garden State, Closer)
13. Kate Winslet (Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland)
14. Renee Zelweger (Chicago, White Oleander, Jerry Maguire, Cold Mountain)
15. Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman Returns, Dangerous Minds, White Oleander, One Fine Day)
16. Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost, Sister Act 2, Boys On The Side, The Color Purple)
17. Cate Blanchett (The Gift, The Aviator, Heaven)
18. Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic River)
19. Queen Latifah (Set It Off, Chicago, Bringing Down The House)
20. Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago, The Terminal)
![Yentl [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BESNC924L._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Rayne
Oh my God....Angela Bassett does NOT get the credit she deserves. She should have been the first black woman to win a lead oscar....NOT crappy Halle Berry.
2 - Aaman
This would be a more exciting post with pictures of the actresses under discussion, IMHO, as well as some reasoning behind the selection - why one actress and not another.
Rayne, Sidney Poitier won Best Actor way back when. Also, Hattie Mcdaniel won for Best Supporting Actress for "Gone With The Wind" in 1940
3 - Bryan McKay
Aaman, Sidney Poitier is not a black woman, nor is Best Supporting Actress a lead Oscar. I think you just misread her comment. ;-)
4 - Aaman
In toto though, I did address her point I think. :)
Coming to this list, where is Angelina Jolie?
5 - Eric Olsen
thanks, very interesting - more of these movies (up to 19) linked would make for really great art work, he hinted
6 - Rayne
Uh...If you look...I said first black WOMAN to win for a LEADING role. Thanks.
7 - Bryan McKay
Already cleared that up, Rayne. It was a harmless mistake - one of the side effects of reading and commenting on dozens of posts per day - no need to get snippy.
8 - Nancy
Is this just recent actresses, or all of them? If the latter, where's Audrey Hepburn, B. Davis, & a few others?
9 - Chris Evans
Oh, maybe I should clear that up. The person who asked, they asked for actresses from the past 15 years.
10 - Nancy
Emma Thompson. She's not all T&A & pouty lips like a lot on your list, but she's a far better actress.
11 - Omni Temporal
The list is favorite actresses, not best actresses.
12 - Chris Evans
I do like Emma Thompson (her performance in Love, Actually <3 <3), but I haven't seen enough of her performances to list her as a favorite.
13 - Chris Evans
And who's pouty lips??
14 - Nancy
3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17. IMO these young ladies are popular less for their talent than their looks, but that's just my opinion. Pls note I exempt the rest, who while quite a few are also 'babes' visually, also seem to be able to act, w/the exception of Ms. Streisand, who I don't think of as T&A, but I don't think can act, either. Follow any of that, lol? Just my opinion.
15 - Nancy
I was thinking of Emma in more classic stuff like that Shakespeare thing (mind went blank at last moment, as usual) & Sense & Sensibility.
16 - Chris Evans
.....Angela Bassett......You've GOT to be kidding me. Have you ever even SEEN What's Love Got To Do With It?
And you don't think Barbra can act? You MUST have been sleeping through Funny Girl
17 - Chris Evans
Never seen Sense & Sensibility. Really want to, though. God, there's so much I need to see.
18 - Nancy
I saw Funny Girl. Several times. My ex-roomie's fave flick. Babs gets VERY wearing after a very short while. S&S was very good; Thompson, Winslet, all did a wonderful job altho I have to admit I love it for Alan Rickman ;)
19 - Chris Evans
...Yet you just described Winslet as a pouty lips actress.
20 - Nancy
I was surprised at how good Q.Latifah was in 'Chicago'. She was tremendous - equally as good as Z-J, IMO, which I hadn't expected from a rapper (? I'm not into modern music, so I'm not sure if that's the right category?), as well as a great voice & great looks; very glam. Haven't seen her in anything else yet, but I look forward to her having a long future in the films. Meryl & Whoopi I've always loved in just about anything. I was so gratified when Meryl showed a turn for comedy in Death Becomes Her. For that matter, I like Goldie Hawn & Bette Midler, too, altho Bette is another ethnic NY scene-chewer like Babs.
21 - Chris Evans
Okay...seriously...if you want to know the full talent of Queen Latifah, watch Set It Off. Her performance in that movie--I'm talking Academy Award worthy. But of course, those nominations go to less capable but more skinny, beautiful, and half-white actresses like Halle Berry.
22 - Natalie Davis
Again, some explanation for the choices would have given this post something of actual interest.
23 - gypsyman
O.K.
I guess I'll have to write one of my own, which will be fun. Favourite 20 female actors of the last fifteen years huh.(actress: less then actor, ess being a dimunative, pendantic word comment for the day)
gypsyman
p.s. maybe I'll even get the link information right to this post, I'll do my darndest. HTML and I are having a bad spot in our relationship right now.
24 - Natalie Davis
Mr. Gypsyman, if you were within reach I would kiss you right on the mouth! THANK YOU for calling out the use of that hideous term "actress"; wussy me just seethed silently.
Your list is one I look forward to seeing.
25 - Chris Evans
Just a note, the reason I didn't feel the need to explain my choices, is because I put the movies next to their names that justified my choices. I thought maybe the performances in those movies would speak for themselves. Oh well, guess I was wrong. Haha...Well, I'm working on a favorite actor list now, and I'm explaining on that one.