23 most popular actresses of all times

Over the years, actresses have evolved with their roles and are known as total badasses today. Check out this list of most popular actresses as per user ratings!

Written by Anubhuti Mishra , Relationship Expert & Khushi Srivastava , Relationship Expert
Updated on Oct 23, 2023 | 05:13 PM IST | 17.8M
Meet the 25 incredible, most popular actresses of all times
Meet the 25 incredible, most popular actresses of all times
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When it comes to Hollywood, the ratings of the most famous actresses change just like the seasons. Top female actors like Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie have starred in numerous roles in many of the biggest movies and have been at the top of their class most of their careers. Then you have the legendary or most famous old Hollywood actresses, like Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, and Cate Blanchett, who will never go down and will remain as few of the greatest actresses of all time. Of course, we can not forget the female celebs of the 2010s, such as Margot Robbie and Emma Stone. Now, these certainly are among the most popular actresses list. Not only as per their most successful movies, but at times most popular female actors are also voted in regards to their superb style, quirky personalities, red carpet appearances, talk shows, community service, or simply because of their positivity, aura, and humbleness.

 

 

23 most popular actresses of all times

1. Angelina Jolie

 


  • Birthdate: June 4, 1975
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Oscars: Won Oscar in 2000
  • Oscar Nominations: Nominated for Changeling
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3 nominations
  • Golden Globes: 3 wins
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 6 nominations

Angelina Jolie is an acclaimed actress, influential humanitarian, fashion icon, and a special representative for the UNHCR. Additionally, she is one of the highly noted celebs in Hollywood. She has been applauded for her philanthropic efforts across the world and praised for her action-packed, powerful performances. Not only a mother of six, out of whom she adopted three, Angelina Jolie is also a role model for a majority of women of our generation.

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Top 5 Angelina Jolie’s Movies are:

2. Scarlett Johansson

 

Scarlett Johansson

  • Birthdate: November 22, 1984 
  • Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
  • BAFTA Awards: Won BAFTA for Lost in Translation
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3 nominations
  • Golden Globes: None  
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 4 nominations

Scarlett Johansson is one of the most popular, gorgeous, award-winning, and highest-paid actresses in the world. With a passion for acting, she debuted in films from the young age of eight. She bagged roles even then and later went on to act in several films like Lost in Translation, The Avengers, Marriage Story, and Hitchcock. Apart from playing some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood movies, she has also worked on TV and released her album.

Top 5 Scarlett Johansson’s Movies are:

  • The Avengers 
  • Iron Man 2
  • He’s Just Not That Into You
  • Don Jon
  • Lucy

3. Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence

  • Birthdate: August 15, 1990
  • Birthplace: Indian Hills, Kentucky, United States
  • Oscars: Won Oscar for Silver Lining Playbooks
  • Oscar Nominations: Nominated for 4 Oscars
  • BAFTA Awards: Won BAFTA for American Hustle
  • BAFTA Nominations: 2 nominations
  • Golden Globes: Won 3 Golden Globes 
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 5 nominations

Jennifer Lawrence is one of the immensely talented, successful, and most popular actresses in Hollywood. She is known for her brilliant performances in movies like Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook, and Joy. This enthusiastically praised actress made her debut as a teenage actor on television and gained tremendous recognition with The Bill Engvall Show, a TV series, and The Poker House, a movie. On top of it all, she supports multiple charitable causes.

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Top 5 Jennifer Lawrence’s movies

  • The Hunger Games
  • The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
  • Monk
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
  • Don’t Look Up

4. Emily Blunt

 

Emily Blunt

  • Birthdate: February 23, 1983
  • Birthplace: London, England
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3 nominations
  • Golden Globes: Won Golden Globes for Gideon’s Daughter  
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 6 nominations

We have often seen Emily Blunt being featured among the ‘Most Desirable’ and ‘Sexiest’ women in the world. However, this British-born Hollywood actress is much more than a desirable woman. She is an A-lister, a total bomb, and a badass who first captured the attention and love of the audience with her bitch-y expression, dialogue delivery, and scene-stealing appearance in the iconic movie The Devil Wears Prada. Even though she shared the screen with the legendary Meryl Streep and superb Anne Hathaway, we saw Emily Blunt charm the viewers with her role. Since then, she has come a long way and has savored both commercial and critical success. She is married to John Krasinski with amazing kids.

Top 5 Emily Blunt’s movies

  • The Devil Wears a Prada
  • Sicario
  • A Quiet Place
  • Into The Woods
  • Edge of Tomorrow

5. Elizabeth Olsen

 

Elizabeth Olsen

  • Birthdate: February 16, 1989
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1 nomination
  • Golden Globes: None  
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 1 nomination

Elizabeth Olsen gained immense worldwide recognition and praise for her role as Wanda Maximoff, a Scarlet Witch, in the renowned movies Avengers: Endgame and Wanda Vision. She started her career as a child actress while simultaneously receiving singing and ballet lessons as an enthusiastic kid. Coming from a New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumna, Elizabeth Olsen went on to successfully establish herself as one of the most popular actresses.

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Top 5 Elizabeth Olsen’s movies

  • Avengers: Endgame
  • Captain America: Civil War
  • Martha Marcy May Marlene
  • Wind River
  • Ingrid Goes West

6. Zendaya

 


  • Birthdate: September 1, 1996
  • Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: 1 Golden Globes for Euphoria  
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 1 nomination

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman is a super famous actress and singer. She is best known for her character in Shake It Up, a Disney Channel sitcom. She is also trained in numerous forms of dance and began her career as a runway model. When it comes to her singing career, she has released several singles and one studio album. She identifies as a proud feminist and has openly shown her support for the movement of Black Lives Matter.

Top 5 Zendaya movies

  • Euphoria
  • Dune
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • The Greatest Showman

7. Anya Taylor-Joy

 


  • Birthdate: April 26, 1996
  • Birthplace: Miami, Florida, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: 1 Golden Globes for The Queen’s Gambit   
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 3 nominations

Anya Taylor-Joy is an Argentine-British actress. She gained her first international fame with her role in The Witch, a period horror movie. She began her modeling career only when she was of 16 years of age and is also trained in ballet dancing. Her career as a model paved the way for acting, and she soon was seen playing crucial roles in numerous films and TV series.

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Top 5 Anya Taylor-Joy movies

8. Shailene Woodley

 

Shailene Woodley

  • Birthdate: April 26, 1996
  • Birthplace: Miami, Florida, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: None 
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 2 nominations

Shailene Woodley was a child model at the ripe age of four and a television star at the young age of eight. She began working super early and rose to recognition and fame with The Spectacular Now, The Descendants, and primarily the Divergent film series. She later went on to gain an immense appreciation and love for her work in the sensational movie The Fault in Our Stars and Big Little Lies, an HBO series. To top it all off, this award-winning actress is also an activist and an environmentalist.

Top 5 Shailene Woodley movies

  • The Divergent Series
  • Big Little Lies
  • The Fault in Our Stars
  • The Spectacular Now
  • The Descendants  

9. Anne Hathaway


  • Birthdate: November 12, 1982
  • Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
  • Oscars: Won Oscar for Les Miserables
  • Oscar Nominations: 2
  • BAFTA Awards: Won BAFTA Awards for Les Miserables
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: Won Golden Globes for Les Miserables
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 3 nominations

Anne Hathaway was unquestionably the highest-paid celeb in the 2010s and is one of the most popular actresses in the world even today. She is a proud owner of several awards, with an inclusion of an Academy Award. She began acting as a young teenager in the early 2000s and portrayed the role of princesses in her initial films (and was massively loved and praised for those roles). She started taking up more diverse roles as her career started progressing. She also supports LGBTQA+ rights and frequently campaigns for gender equality.

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Top 5 Anne Hathaway movies

  • Colossal
  • The Intern  
  • The Princess Diaries
  • Ocean’s Eight
  • The Dark Knight Rises

10. Zoe Saldana

 


  • Birthdate: June 19, 1978
  • Birthplace: Passaic, New Jersey, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None

Zoe Saldana, an American actress, is famous for starring in fantasy-adventure movies like Avatar, Star Trek, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame, and Avengers: Infinity War - all of which were gigantic blockbusters and worldwide hits. She faced harsh criticism back in 2016 when she used skin-darkening makeup to play Nina Simone, a jazz musician, in the biopic Nina. This incident also led to major debates about color bias in society as well as in the Hollywood industry.

Top 5 Zoe Saldana movies

  • Avatar
  • Star Trek
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Avengers: Endgame
  • Avengers: Infinity War

11. Jennifer Lawrence

 

Jennifer Lawrence

  • Fame: 91% 
  • Popularity: 63%
  • Birthdate: August 15, 1990
  • Birthplace: Indian Hills, Kentucky, United States
  • Oscars: Won Oscar for Silver Lining Playbooks
  • Oscar Nominations: Nominated for 4 Oscars
  • BAFTA Awards: Won BAFTA for American Hustle
  • BAFTA Nominations: 2 nominations
  • Golden Globes: Won 3 Golden Globes 
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 5 nominations

Jennifer Lawrence is one of the immensely talented, successful, and most popular actresses in Hollywood. She is known for her brilliant performances in movies like Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook, and Joy. This enthusiastically praised actress made her debut as a teenage actor on television and gained tremendous recognition with The Bill Engvall Show, a TV series, and The Poker House, a movie. On top of it all, she supports multiple charitable causes.

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Top 5 Jennifer Lawrence’s movies

  • The Hunger Games
  • The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
  • Monk
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
  • Don’t Look Up

12. Emma Watson

 


  • Birthdate: April 15, 1990
  • Birthplace: Paris, France
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None

Emma Watson is an English model, actress, and activist. She first gained prominent fame, popularity, and love as a child artist in the Harry Potter film series, where she played the beloved Hermoine Granger. She is the daughter of a couple of lawyers and was determined to complete her college education despite her super busy acting career. She successfully graduated from Brown University. She is a devoted feminist and is actively involved with any organization that works toward the betterment of women.

Top 5 Emma Watson movies

  • Little Women
  • Harry Potter
  • Noah
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower

13. Alexandra Daddario


  • Birthdate: March 16, 1986
  • Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None

Alexandra Daddario rose to fame from the Percy Jackson film series playing the role of Annabeth Chase. She actually made her television debut at the young age of sixteen. A daughter to a lawyer couple, she chose a profession that was considered unconventional within her family circle. But being completely dedicated and passionate about her profession, she studied the Meisner acting tactics for years and went on to become a contender on this list.

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Top 5 Alexandra Daddario movies

  • True Detective
  • The White Lotus
  • When We First Met
  • Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
  • San Andreas

14. Betty White

Betty White

  • Birthdate: January 17, 1922
  • Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 4

Betty White was an American actress, comedian, and undoubtedly one of the most popular actresses of all time. She is still considered the trailblazer of television and has even had the longest television career that any entertainer can dream of - bestriding over 80 years. She is famously known for her award-winning performances in shows like The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Hot in Cleveland. Her death was deeply mourned by actors and actresses all over the world.

Top 5 Betty White movies

  • You Again
  • Lake Placid
  • The Story of Us
  • The Lorax
  • Hard Rain   

15. Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe

  • Birthdate: June 1, 1926
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 2
  • Golden Globes: 3
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 4

Marilyn Monroe was yet another legendary American model, actress, comedian, and singer. She rose to popularity as an extensive sex symbol in Hollywood in the year 1950 and early 1960s. She was counted among the most famous and successful actresses of her time, and also won critical applause for her acting in films like Some Like It Hot. Although she emerged as one of the most popular actresses, (both) her personal and professional life were marked by struggles, hardships, and controversies from the very beginning.

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Top 5 Marilyn Monroe movies

  • Some Like It Hot
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
  • Niagara
  • The Seven Year Itch    
  • The Misfits

16. Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock

  • Birthdate: 26 July 1964
  • Birthplace: Arlington County, Virginia, United States
  • Oscars: 1  
  • Oscar Nominations: 2
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: 1
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 5

Sandra Bullock is known to be one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. She is also the recipient of multiple accolades, including the prestigious Academy Award. Post her debut in the late 1980s, she became exceptionally popular in the 1990s with her diverse roles in dramatic movies. Additionally, she is the founder of Fortis Films, her production company.

Top 5 Sandra Bullock movies

  • Miss Congeniality
  • The Proposal
  • Ocean’s Eight
  • Bird Box
  • Two Weeks’ Notice  

17. Jamie Curtis Lee


  • Birthdate: 22 November 1958
  • Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States
  • Oscars: 1
  • Oscar Nominations: 1
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3
  • Golden Globes: 2
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 8

Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress, author, producer, and staunch activist. Moreover, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Top 5 Jamie Curtis Lee movies

18. Jennifer Aniston


  • Birthdate: February 11, 1969
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: 1
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 5

Jennifer Aniston is a film producer, an American actress, and a businesswoman. She began her acting career quite early but only gained recognition and praise with her portrayal of the character Rachel Green in Friends, a popular television sitcom. Moreover, her movie career demonstrated a generous range of roles that impressed (both) critics and the audience. She starred in successful movies like Bruce Almighty and The Good Girl and launched her own perfume brand too.

Top 5 Jennifer Aniston movies

  • Horrible Bosses
  • We’re the Millers
  • Murder Mystery
  • Just Go With It
  • The Switch     

19. Julia Roberts


  • Birthdate: October 28, 1967
  • Birthplace: Smyrna, Georgia, United States
  • Oscars: 1
  • Oscar Nominations: 4
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3
  • Golden Globes: 3
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 10

Julia Roberts is indeed one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood. She rose to recognition in the year 1990 with her lead role in the movie Pretty Woman. Then in 2000, she won the best actress with the prestigious Academy Award for her role in Erin Brockovich. She has also been named the most beautiful woman in the world by People magazine with a whooping record of five times.

Top 5 Julia Roberts movies

  • Notting Hill
  • Pretty Woman
  • My Best Friend’s Wedding
  • Erin Brockovich
  • Mystic Pizza      

20. Reese Witherspoon


  • Birthdate: March 22, 1976
  • Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
  • Oscars: 1
  • Oscar Nominations: 2
  • BAFTA Awards: 1
  • BAFTA Nominations: 3
  • Golden Globes: 1
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 6

Reese Witherspoon is an acclaimed actress who gained massive fame and recognition with her film Legally Blonde. She then continued her successful acting journey by working in numerous movies and television shows like Wild, Walk the Line, and Big Little Lies. Furthermore, in this process, she went on to become one of the most bankable female stars in Hollywood. she is also one of the highest-paid Hollywood actresses in the world. And just like many other Hollywood actors and actresses, Reese Witherspoon also has her own production company.

Top 5 Reese Witherspoon movies

  • Legally Blonde
  • Your Place or Mine
  • Sweet Home Alabama
  • Home Again
  • This Means War       

21. Shirley Temple

Shirley Temple

  • Birthdate: 23 April 1928
  • Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States
  • Oscars: 1
  • Oscar Nominations: 1
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: None
  • Golden Globes: None
  • Golden Globe Nominations: None

Shirley Temple Black was yet another famous American actress, dancer, singer, and diplomat. She was the number one box-office child actress in Hollywood from the year 1934 to 1938. This successful child actress had signature ringlets and dance moves to her name and rose to gain recognition during the Great Depression. Despite her popularity, she retired at an early age of only 22. After Shirley Temple Black's career in the entertainment industry, she pursued politics and became a triumphant diplomat. Later on, she went ahead to be named the United States ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Moreover, she also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States.

Top 5 Shirley Temple movies

  • Curly Top
  • The Little Colonel
  • Captain January
  • Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
  • Bright Eyes        

22. Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep

  • Birthdate: June 22, 1949
  • Birthplace: SummitSummit, New Jersey, United States
  • Oscars: 21
  • Oscar Nominations: 3
  • BAFTA Awards: 2
  • BAFTA Nominations: 13
  • Golden Globes: 9
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 32

Time and again, Meryl Streep has been designated as the best actress of her generation. She is usually complimented for her versatility. She debuted in the year 1970 and went on to build an unwavering reputation by portraying challenging characters and roles in several dramatic films. In her career span of over half a century, she has received innumerable awards, including three esteemed Academy Awards and eight highly reputable Golden Globe Awards.

Top 5 Meryl Streep movies

  • The House of the Spirits
  • Before and After
  • The Hours
  • Sophie’s Choice
  • The Devil Wears Prada       

23. Drew Barrymore


  • Birthdate: February 22, 1975
  • Birthplace: Culver City, California, United States
  • Oscars: None
  • Oscar Nominations: None
  • BAFTA Awards: None
  • BAFTA Nominations: 1
  • Golden Globes: 1
  • Golden Globe Nominations: 3

Drew Barrymore is a fortunate actress, director, and producer. She is the daughter of John Drew Barrymore, a prominent actor, and was acquainted with show business only when she was a baby. However, owing to her early stardom, she went through a rough phase as a teenager and hysterically struggled with drug abuse. Post recovery, she was gradually able to resurrect her acting career and proceeded to act in numerous popular movies.

 

That's all peeps! Who do you think should be one of the most popular actresses of all time? Is your favorite female actor on the list?

Top 5 Drew Barrymore movies

  • 50 First Dates
  • Charlie’s Angels
  • Never Been Kissed
  • Fever Pitch
  • Poison Ivy           

 

Also Read: 8 Best Netflix shows featuring strong female leads | Top Netflix series with female leads

Also Read: Top 10 must-watch female-led superhero movies and TV shows like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel

FAQs

Who are the most popular black actresses?
Oprah Winfrey, Lupita Nyong'o, and Zendaya are among the most popular black actresses.

Who is the most famous old Hollywood actress?
Betty White and Marilyn Monroe

Who is the No.1 actress in the world?
Scarlett Johansson

Who is the richest female actor of all time?
Reese Witherspoon

Who is the most paid black actress?
Kerry Washington

Who is the prettiest celeb in Hollywood?
Mila Kunis

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About The Author
Anubhuti Mishra
Anubhuti Mishra
Relationship Expert

A marked inclination toward understanding human emotions and relationships led Anubhuti to become a certified Relationship Expert. With dual

...

Credits: IMDb
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