25 Actresses I Admire

by margannlaurissa25 | created - 30 Jul 2011 | updated - 25 Feb 2013 | Public

It is very important for every girl to have great role models. Here are some of mine.

1. America Ferrera

Actress | Barbie

America Georgine Ferrera (born April 18, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Betty Suarez on the American Broadcasting Company's comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty (2006) . Her acting garnered critical acclaim, and she won the Golden Globe Award for Best ...

America is just a likable woman. I watch her and I can relate to her. She has an obvious charisma and irresistibility. She is also so beautiful.

2. Anne Hathaway

Actress | Les Misérables

Anne Jacqueline Hathaway was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Kate McCauley Hathaway, an actress, and Gerald T. Hathaway, a lawyer, both originally from Philadelphia. She is of mostly Irish descent, along with English, German, and French. Her first major role came in the short-lived television series ...

Every time I see Anne in a movie, I have to stand up and cheer. She seems like a normal person and that transcends into her work. Her celebrity does not seem to go to her head. She is really talented and she has the best name for an actress since Anne Hathaway was also William Shakespeare's wife's name. I am so happy to see that she has won an Oscar.

3. Audrey Hepburn

Actress | Breakfast at Tiffany's

Audrey Hepburn was born as Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4, 1929 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. Her mother, Baroness Ella Van Heemstra, was a Dutch noblewoman, while her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, was born in Úzice, Bohemia, to English and Austrian parents.

After her parents' divorce, ...

She may have had royal lineage as well as all the money in the world from being a talented actress but Audrey was always so charitable and philanthropic. She put the needs of others before her own all the time. The world needs more people like her. RIP Audrey -- you are still missed today.

4. Camryn Manheim

Actress | The Practice

Camryn grew up in Peoria, Illinois before moving to Long Beach California for middle school. She went on to receive a B.F.A. from U.C. Santa Cruz and then went on to earn a M.F.A from New York University in 1987. Her mother, Sylvia (Nuchow), was a schoolteacher, and her father, Jerry, was a math ...

Camryn is my muse. As a bigger girl, she is such a great role model. I love her work. Her characters are always honest. I remember one time, in grade 8, our class had to write a story and I had writer's block. I saw Camryn on a Golden Globe Awards pre-show and she inspired me to write a story that I got a good mark on.

5. Christina Ricci

Actress | Casper

Precocious, outspoken child-teen starlet of the 1990s, Christina Ricci was born on February 12, 1980 in Santa Monica, California, the youngest of four children of Sarah (Murdoch), a realtor, and Ralph Ricci, a lawyer and therapist. She is of Italian (from her paternal grandfather), Irish, and ...

I absolutely love Christina. I named a character in one of my vampire stories/screenplays after her. I love all of the work I have seen her in, from "Mermaids" to "Bless the Child" to "Now and Then." She's just awesome.

6. Conchata Ferrell

Actress | Two and a Half Men

It took 30 years since it was first predicted, but Conchata Ferrell finally achieved television stardom, albeit of the supporting variety, as the housekeeper "Berta" in the situation-comedy Two and a Half Men (2003). Ferrell originally had been tipped for stardom with her turn as the prostitute "...

Conchata is brazen and sassy and she brings those qualities to every role. Watching her as Berta on "Two and a Half Men," it just makes me wish I could be like her. She speaks her mind and there aren't many women who do that with the same acumen she does. Bravo Conchata!!!

7. Darlene Cates

Actress | What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Cates' acting career ignited after she appeared on an episode of Sally Jessy Raphael (1983), titled "Too Heavy to Leave Their House". Shortly after, author and screenwriter Peter Hedges proposed to her that she play Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio's morbidly obese and housebound mother in What's ...

I actually think I remember seeing Darlene on "Sally Jessy Raphael." Knowing that she wouldn't leave her house because of her weight broke my heart. She is so beautiful and, if people did not accept her, that's their problem -- not hers. I loved her as Mamma in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" but I get so sad when Mamma dies. I wonder what she is doing today. I hope she is still doing well.

8. Drew Barrymore

Producer | Charlie's Angels

Since melting audiences' hearts at the tender age of six - in Steven Spielberg's beloved sci-fi blockbuster, E.T. (1982) - Drew Barrymore has emerged as one of the most endearing and talented actresses of her generation. Born in Culver City, California to actors John Drew Barrymore and Jaid ...

My favourite actress of all time. Drew endured a rough childhood but she has persevered and she is now thriving. Her work is always really good and she seems like she could be your best friend; she seems so kind.

9. Elizabeth Taylor

Actress | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was considered one of the last, if not the last, major star to have come out of the old Hollywood studio system. She was known internationally for her beauty, especially for her violet eyes, with which she captured audiences early in her youth and kept the world hooked ...

Elizabeth is everything I aspire to be in my life: successful, beautiful on the inside and out, well-loved. Everything about her was just so supernatural. Her supreme beauty, her violet eyes, her romance -- she was, and still is, a classic. I was really saddened when she died. She will be remembered for her movies and her charity. RIP Elizabeth.

10. Elliot Page

Actor | Juno

Elliot Page was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia to Martha Philpotts, a teacher, and Dennis Page, a graphic designer. Page wanted to start acting at an early age and attended the Neptune Theater School. They began their career at the age of 10 on the award-winning television series Pit Pony (1999), for...

She's beautiful, talented and Canadian!!! What's not to love about Ellen? She has a great sense of self and she does not like to get into much controversy. Gotta love that. She's a great role model.

11. Fairuza Balk

Actress | The Craft

"Fairuza!" ("Turquoise" in Farsi), her father exclaimed as he saw her blue eyes: Fairuza Alejandra Balk had just been born on May 21, 1974 in Point Reyes, California. Her father, Solomon Ben Feldthouse, was a traveling musician originally from Idaho, and her mother, Cathryn Balk, was a belly dancer...

Fairuza is an actress who brings both her darkness and her quirkiness to roles. I love her as Nancy from "The Craft." She is one of the reasons when I got my nose pierced that I wanted a ring instead of a stud. I still have that nose ring today.

12. Gwyneth Paltrow

Actress | Shakespeare in Love

Gwyneth Kate Paltrow was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of noted producer and director Bruce Paltrow and Tony Award-winning actress Blythe Danner. Her father was from a Jewish family, while her mother is of mostly German descent. When Gwyneth was eleven, the family moved to Massachusetts, where ...

Gwyneth has an evident likable quality. She seems so kind and warm offscreen. It is apparent that she thinks her roles through carefully. She can also do a British accent quite easily.

13. Halle Berry

Actress | Catwoman

Halle Maria Berry was born Maria Halle Berry on August 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Oakwood, Ohio to Judith Ann Berry (née Hawkins), a psychiatric nurse & Jerome Jesse Berry, a hospital attendant. Her father was African-American and her mother is of mostly English and German descent. ...

Halle is just amazing. She is a true inspiration. Being the first African-American woman to win Best Actress at the Oscars is an amazing accomplishment. That kiss from Adrien Brody -- I wish I was her that night. She has been unlucky at love, unfortunately, but I hope that she finds a good man to love her purely. She's so talented and she brings such realism and professionalism to roles.

14. Jennifer Love Hewitt

Actress | I Know What You Did Last Summer

Jennifer Love Hewitt was born in Waco, Texas, to Patricia Mae (Shipp), a speech-language pathologist, and Herbert Daniel Hewitt, a medical technician. She has English, Italian, French, Scottish, and German ancestry. She got her first name from her older brother Todd Daniel Hewitt (b. November 8, ...

I "love" Jennifer's work. It is only fitting that I am putting her on a list with her own role model in Audrey Hepburn. I have watched her as long as I can remember, even when she was on "Kids Incorporated." (Oh my God; am I that old???)

15. Jodie Foster

Actress | The Silence of the Lambs

Jodie Foster started her career at the age of two. For four years she made commercials and finally gave her debut as an actress in the TV series Mayberry R.F.D. (1968). In 1975 Jodie was offered the role of prostitute Iris Steensma in the movie Taxi Driver (1976). This role, for which she received ...

Jodie has done it all over her career and then some. I have always admired her. Not only is she really talented but she is intelligent and articulate. She is a great role model for girls who want to thrive in all aspects of life.

16. Jordan Todosey

Actress | He Never Died

Jordan Todosey was born on February 8, 1995 in Ontario, Canada. She is an actress and producer, known for He Never Died (2015), The Pacifier (2005) and Santa Baby (2006).

Jordan has gone from an adorable child actress to a major threat. When I watch her as Adam on "Degrassi," I sometimes have to stop and remember that I'm not watching a boy. She is that convincing in the role and she has such honesty. She should be recognized for her work on that show; not many actresses could play that role better. Way to go Jordy!!!

17. Kate Winslet

Actress | Titanic

Ask Kate Winslet what she likes about any of her characters, and the word "ballsy" is bound to pop up at least once. The British actress has made a point of eschewing straightforward pretty-girl parts in favor of more devilish damsels; as a result, she's built an eclectic resume that runs the gamut...

Everything I have watched Kate in, I have loved. I want to see every movie she has done. I can't believe she has only one Oscar. She is so talented. She will win more in the future for sure.

18. Kirsten Dunst

Actress | Spider-Man

Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, who also holds German citizenship. She was born on April 30, 1982 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, to parents Inez (née Rupprecht), who owned an art gallery, and Klaus Dunst, a medical services executive. She has a younger brother named Christian Dunst, ...

Kirsten brings an honesty and an innocence to every role she plays. She has such wide range and she has that likable quality that makes her a presence on screen. She has been doing this for over 15 years now and she continues to do it well.

19. Kirsten Vangsness

Actress | Criminal Minds

Kirsten Vangsness has been widely known as the bespectacled-brainy-tech-kitten Penelope Garcia on the CBS hit drama "Criminal Minds" (and its spin-off "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" and "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders"). She has long been a fan favorite, beloved for her vibrant personality and ...

Kirsten is just awesome as Penelope Garcia on "Criminal Minds." I love that character. I really hope she and Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) get together when the show ends. I love her outfits, hairstyles and makeup on that show. As well, some of the things she says are great. I especially love, "This case has severely affected my ability to giggle."

20. Marlee Matlin

Actress | CODA

Marlee Beth Matlin was born on August 24, 1965 in Morton Grove, Illinois, to Libby (Hammer) and Donald Matlin, an automobile dealer. She has two older brothers. Her family is of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent.

Marlee lost much of her hearing at the age of eighteen months. That did not stop...

Being deaf definitely does not stop Marlee. She has been one of the most well-respected actresses I know of and her talents are undeniable. She shows that nothing should stop you from pursuing your dreams.

21. Meryl Streep

Actress | Out of Africa

Considered by many critics to be the greatest living actress, Meryl Streep has been nominated for the Academy Award an astonishing 21 times, and has won it three times. Meryl was born Mary Louise Streep in 1949 in Summit, New Jersey, to Mary Wolf (Wilkinson), a commercial artist, and Harry William ...

Meryl is perhaps the most prolific actress I know of. She has won every award I can think of and then some. The Oscars are not the same unless she's nominated. I can't think of a year when she hasn't been. She's what every actress should aspire to be.

22. Natalie Portman

Actress | Black Swan

Natalie Portman is the first person born in the 1980s to have won the Academy Award for Best Actress (for Black Swan (2010)).

Natalie was born Natalie Hershlag on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel. She is the only child of Avner Hershlag, an Israeli-born doctor, and Shelley Stevens, an ...

Being Ivy League educated, Natalie knows a great deal about intelligent choices. She is a very smart and beautiful woman with amazing talent. I have not seen much of her work but I want to. I heard her acceptance speech at the Oscars and it was so amazing. She has a great sense of what matters to her.

23. Nikki Blonsky

Actress | Hairspray

Nicole Blonsky (born November 9, 1988) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and Internet personality, who is best known for her breakthrough role as Tracy Turnblad in the film Hairspray (2007), for which she won a Critics' Choice Award and received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award and a ...

Nikki can act, sing and dance -- and always get the guy. I love her in "Hairspray." In Hollywood, it is very rare for the bigger girl to get the handsome guy but she does. And rightfully so. She's beautiful and she has a great personality. In all my stories, the bigger girl gets the guy too. She's a great inspiration to me and other girls.

24. Sissy Spacek

Actress | In the Bedroom

As a kid, Sissy Spacek climbed trees, rode horses, swam, and played in the woods. She was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek on December 25, 1949, in Quitman, Texas, to Virginia Frances (Spilman) and Edwin Arnold Spacek, Sr., a county agricultural agent. Her father's family was of Czech and German origin.

...

Sissy is one of the bona fide method actors. I learned about method acting in high school drama class and I immediately thought of her. When I learned that, in "Carrie," she did her own stunts -- and was even willing to use real blood during the infamous prom scene -- I was blown away. No wonder she was nominated for an Oscar for that movie. She's just great.

25. Thora Birch

Actress | Ghost World

For some people, oatmeal starts the day off right - for Thora Birch, it launched a healthy career in front of the camera. It's hard to believe that the actress, who slunk into stardom with her turn as the disillusioned daughter in American Beauty (1999), is even related to the apple-cheeked blonde ...

Thora has a quirkiness that just seems to make her so attractive. I have seen three of her movies and I love them all. She has a natural ability to get into the character so that she makes them her own.



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