Hollywood is home to more than just money and talent – it is also full of some of the world’s most beautiful people. And with a life spent in front of the public eye, it is no wonder they take such good care of their appearance. Here are some of Hollywood’s most genetically blessed women of all time.
1. Emma Stone
As the highest-paid actress in Hollywood in 2017, Emma Stone is the recipient of a number of awards like a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. She burst onto the scene following her film debut in the 2007 comedy, Superbad and has wowed audiences with her versatility ever since.
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From The Amazing Spider-Man to Birdman and La La Land, Stone has proved she can do it all. As for her next big project, the actress is currently working on Disney’s Cruella, in which she is set to play the iconic villain, Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians. The film is expected to hit box offices in May 2021.
2. Penelope Cruz
As the first Spanish actress to earn a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame boardwalk AND win an Academy Award, Penelope Cruz has certainly paved a successful career for herself in the world of entertainment. She is most recognized for her role as erratic painter Maria Elena in Woody Allen’s 2008 drama comedy, Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona.
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And while it was this performance that won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, she has since then continued mesmerizing fans with her impassioned and fiery performances. These days, she has cut back on her big screen performances to take care of her two children – Luna and Leo – who she parents alongside husband and common co-star, Javier Bardem.
3. Natalie Portman
As a high school student, Israeli-American Natalie Portman gained worldwide praise for her role as Padmé Amidala in the 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. While continuing to pursue her career in acting, Portman also enrolled in Harvard University where she studied to obtain a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
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In 2010, her portrayal of a distressed ballerina in Black Swan won her an Academy Award for Best Actress. She followed this career peak by going on to star in the rom-com No Strings Attached and the fantasy blockbuster Thor, which solidified her place on the list of highest-paid actresses across the globe.
4. Emma Watson
Harry Potter actress, Emma Watson not only doubles as Hermione Granger and a model, but is also a philanthropist, Brown University graduate, outspoken advocate for gender equality, and the leader of a global feminist book club – Our Shared Shelf – which she launched back in 2016.
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In 2014, Watson became a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. As an ambassador, she focuses her efforts on empowering young women and advocating for the organization’s HeForShe movement, which aims to recruit men into the gender equality movement. Speaking of her work with the UN, Watson said, “Women’s rights are something so inextricably linked with who I am, so deeply personal and rooted in my life that I can’t imagine an opportunity more exciting.”
5. Ursula Andress
Swiss-American actress, Ursula Andress made a name for herself as the first ever “Bond girl,” having played Honey Ryder in the 1962 mystery thriller, Dr. No. While it was this role that made her a common household name, she is recognized for a whole lot more.
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Andress became one of the most distinguished faces of the ’60s, as she starred in a number of blockbuster hits alongside some of cinema’s most famed stars like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Dean Martin. The free-spirited star is also remembered for her romances. She not only won over James Dean’s heart shortly before his passing, but she also has a son with Harry Hamlin.
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6. Scarlett Johansson
The world’s apparent highest-paid actress, Scarlett Johansson has justifiably earned her place in Hollywood. Her undeniable talent has made her the winner of multiple awards, including a British Academy Film Award and a Tony Award for her roles in A View from the Bridge and Lost in Translation.
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ScarJo’s most recent works are the 2019 drama comedy film, Jojo Rabbit where she plays German woman named Rosie who is concerned about the 10-year-old Jewish girl she is hiding in her attic, and the 2019 drama comedy, Marriage Story in which she portrays a formerly-famous actress named Nicole who embarks on a path of rediscovery.
7. Charlize Theron
South Africa-born and raised actress, Charlize Theron traded in farm life for Hollywood while she was just a teenager. She started her career in modeling in Johannesburg at the age of 16, but two years later moved to New York to begin a career in dance.
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When knee injuries got in the way, she didn’t go back to modeling but instead decided to give acting a shot – despite her thick Afrikaans accent. It seems spending hours in front of the television screen taught Theron how to mask her South African roots with American intonations, as she went on to win a number of awards for her groundbreaking performances in films like Monster, North Country, and Tully.
8. Lucy Liu
As arguably one of the most recognizable Asians in Hollywood, of course Lucy Liu made it on our list of Hollywood’s most beautiful women. The Charlie’s Angel star got her TV break in 1999 for her role in the comedy series, Ally McBeal: a performance that landed her an Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
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Showing off her broad range of talents, the actress has since made the shift to producing and directing. She is currently wrapping up her seven-season-run as Dr. Joan Watson on CBS’ crime thriller – Elementary – and is both directing and starring in the TV series, Why Women Kill.
9. Keira Knightley
When the name Keira Knightly comes to mind, most people either tend to think of her playing a strong woman in a period drama such as Atonement or Pride and Prejudice, sailing on the high seas of a pirate ship, or as the love interest in a fun rom-com.
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But in her most recent film – the drama mystery titled Official Secrets – she takes on something totally new. In the 2019 film, Knightly plays a British intelligence agent named Katharine Gun who ends up in the middle of an international political scandal. Based on true events, filmmaker Gavin Hood’s drama explores the rhetoric behind modern day politics.
10. Beyoncé
For someone with such a successful solo career, it’s hard to imagine Beyoncé as part of a bigger group, but let us not forget that Queen B got her start as the lead singer of girl group, Destiny’s Child. Rising to fame in the late 1990s, they went on to become one of history’s best-selling girl groups.
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Beyoncé took advantage of the group’s hiatus from around 2001 – 2005 and during that time, filmed her movie debut (Austin Powers in Goldmember) and released her first solo album, “Dangerously in Love.” She has since continued along her acting and music career and has earned herself 23 Grammy Award wins and a Golden Globe nomination.
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11. Lupita Nyong’o
Mexican-Kenyan actress, Lupita Nyong’o made her first feature film debut in 2013 in Steve McQueen’s drama, 12 Years a Slave. Her role earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and with this, she became the first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Academy Award of any kind.
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Nyong’o’s megawatt smile radiates happiness and in an interview with the Guardian, she was asked when she was happiest to which she responded, “I thoroughly enjoyed high school in Nairobi. It was before everybody had a camera on their phone. I experimented with fashion and hairstyles that I am glad I don’t have any record of.” Haha!
12. Marilyn Monroe
Not many people scream iconic Hollywood beauty quite like Marilyn Monroe. While famous mostly for portraying characters that resembled “blonde bombshells” in films like Niagara, Gentleman Prefer Blondes, and How to Marry a Millionaire, she is also remembered for her tragic private life and her professional struggles within the crazy world of entertainment.
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And nearly half a century after her death, Monroe’s influence is still felt in the realm of both fashion and pop culture. And as she so famously said, “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” May we all live by those words just as she did!
13. Audrey Hepburn
Recognized for being both a film and fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn’s influence in Hollywood is timeless. The British performer got her start in Broadway after performing in Gigi at the age of 22, though she didn’t make a name for herself in Hollywood until her role in romantic comedy Roman Holiday two years later.
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As Hepburn got older, she began retreating from Hollywood’s spotlight to focus her attention on raising her two sons and helping children in need. Her philanthropy as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador even earned her a humanitarian award in her name: the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award. Orlando Bloom was given the award in 2015 for his work with UNICEF.
14. Freida Pinto
While born and raised in Mumbai, India, actress Freida Pinto has appeared mostly in British and American films. She made a name for herself following her debut in Danny Boyle’s 2008 multi-Oscar winning drama, Slumdog Millionaire, a film which nominated her for a number of awards including the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
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Taking advantage of her worldwide platform gained through the film, Pinto has become a strong advocate for women’s rights. On October 11, 2019 she participated in a women’s empowerment panel, telling People Magazine, “In many parts of the world, it’s always the girls who are the most marginalized – they’re denied education or have been taken out of school because they’ve been married at age 18.”
15. Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez, aka J.Lo or Jenny from the block is one of the biggest names in Hollywood – and for good reason. Following her first headlining role in the 1997 drama film, Selena, Lopez has remained in the public eye thanks to her leading roles in films like Maid in Manhattan, The Wedding Planner, and Hustlers.
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And lets not forget about her successful music career. In the same week her 2001 rom-com, The Wedding Planner reached number one in the box office, Lopez’s second album, J.Lo made it to the top of the US Billboard 200. These simultaneous achievements made Lopez the first entertainer to have a number one album and film in the same week.
Next: Don’t forget these iconic Hollywood bombshells
16. Brigitte Bardot
Considered by many to be the ultimate goddess of the 1950s and 1960s, French actress, model, and overall muse Brigitte Bardot made a name for herself for her work in the controversial 1957 film, And God Created Woman. She then went on to influence fashion, as she apparently popularized bikinis, dark eyeliner, and ballet flats.
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But at the height of her career in 1973, Bardot made the decision to leave Hollywood behind and dedicate herself to the protection of animals. In her forthcoming memoir that she released years later, Bardot explains the destruction that comes along with being in the public eye. She says, “I know what it feels like to be hunted.”
17. Claudia Cardinale
Iconic Italian-Tunisian actress from the ’60s, Claudia Cardinale first rose to prominence as an international symbol of beauty thanks to films like the 1958 crime movie, Big Deal on Madonna Street. Cardinale became the irresistible muse of Italian film directors, Federico Fellini Visconti but with the passing of time, her career progressed and she took on more serious roles.
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Hollywood embraced the actress and she appeared in Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther and Henry Hathaway’s Circus World with Rita Hayworth and John Wayne. Cardinale joked saying the best compliment she was ever given was while filming The Pink Panther. Actor David Niven said to her, “Claudia, along with spaghetti, you’re Italy’s greatest invention.”
18. Raquel Welch
Recognized by many as the biggest bombshell of the ’60s and ’70s, many believed auburn-haired Raquel Welch took Marilyn Monroe’s place in Hollywood following the blonde-haired icon’s tragic passing in 1962. And after taking a look at Welch’s career, we don’t think that notion is so far-fetched.
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Welch first dabbled her feet in Hollywood for her 1966 role in the sci-fi flick, Fantastic Voyage. The same year, she appeared in One Million Years B.C. and even though she only had three lines in the entire movie, she catapulted to fame. At 78 years old, the actress manages her own beauty line.
19. Ann-Margaret
Swedish-born actress was practically made for the cameras. Her career got its start in 1961 when her first recording earned her the moniker, “female Elvis Presley.” A number of years later, she co-starred alongside the King in the 1964 music comedy, Viva Las Vegas.
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She is also remembered for her role in State Fair and Bye Bye Birdie. The multi-talented star has shared the stage with a number of eminent actors such as Jack Nicholson, Steve McQueen, and John Wayne. Her performances even won herself an impressive number of accolades: five Golden Globes, two Grammys, six Emmys, and two Oscar nominations.
20. Anita Ekberg
Swedish actress, Anita Ekberg is most known for her role in Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita, where she played Sylvia Rank, an unattainable dream girl. Though the role catapulted her to fame, Ekberg said the aftermath wasn’t all positive.
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She commented on the experience, saying, “Things became a little bit boring for me after La Dolce Vita because every producer or director in Italy, England and America wanted me to recreate the same role – the movie star from America who comes over to Italy.” Still, Ekberg went on to star in more than 70 films throughout the span of her career.
21. Sophia Loren
On-screen Italian icon, Sophia Loren left a lasting impression on both the American and European film industries. Though she started out in beauty pageants, she quickly made the switch to film and starred in movies like The Pride and the Passion, Houseboat, and It Started in Naples.
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The first time she received critically-acclaimed praise for her performance was in response to her role as Cesira in Vittorio de Sica’s 1960 film, Two Women. Loren took home the Oscar for Best Actress, crowning her the first to win the coveted award for a performance given in a foreign language. In addition, she has won five Golden Globes and one Grammy Award.
22. Naomi Campbell
English supermodel, Naomi Campbell made a name for herself as one of the top models of the 1980s and ’90s and as a trailblazer for darker-skinned models everywhere. In fact, her resilience has helped her make it in an otherwise heavily prejudiced field.
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Speaking of prejudice in modeling, The Guardian reported that Campbell said, “This business is about selling, and blonde and blue-eyed girls are what sells.” Yet despite the discrimination, Campbell has managed to build quite an impressive resume with decades of campaign and editorial work for names like Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. She has also made several on-screen appearances, released an R&B album, and participated in charity work to help fight poverty in Brazil.
23. Gal Gadot
It seems Israel-born Gal Gadot made a name for herself over night after starring in the 2017 sci-fi film, Wonder Woman. But what many of us forget is that she also played Gisele in the Fast & Furious franchise. In October 2019, the actress made an exciting announcement via social media.
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Gadot announced that she and husband, Yaron Varsano are starting a production company together called Pilot Wave. What’s more – Gadot is set to star in their first film, Irena Sendler, which tells the story of a Polish nurse who smuggles children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. Who else is excited to see Wonder Woman play a real hero?
24. Salma Hayek
Mexican-American actress, Salma Hayek started her career in Mexico, where she starred in a telenovela called Teresa and a film called El Callejón de los Milagros, which translates to “Miracle Alley.” While these performances made her a star in her native Mexico, it wasn’t until she moved to Los Angeles to study acting under the direction of Stella Adler that Hayek was able to solidify her place in Hollywood.
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Hayek rose to fame for her role in films like Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, and Dogma. But her breakthrough role didn’t come until years later when she portrayed Frida Kahlo in the 2002 film, Frida. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
25. Eva Mendes
There aren’t many people who go from wanting to be a nun to becoming a well-known Hollywood actress. But having been raised in a devout Roman Christian family, this was Eva Mendes’ reality. Mendes’ acting career was kick-started after she was scout by a talent agent.
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While she began her career acting in B-level films like Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror, the turning point came when she took a small role in the Denzel Washington crime thriller, Training Day. Speaking of this pivotal point, Mendes said, “I was ready to quit acting. I was so bored, I was doing terrible cheesy horrible films…then I got to work with Denzel… [and] that really sparked me and ignited me.”
26. Mila Kunis
Originally hailing from Ukraine, Mila Kunis caught her big break at age 14 after her family moved from the Soviet Union to the United States. Before becoming Jackie Burkhart on That 70’s Show, Kunis first had to learn English, since she had grown up speaking only Russian in her family.
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In addition to That 70’s Show, Kunis is best known for her 2008 breakout film role as Rachel in the romantic comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and for voicing the character of Meg in the animated comedy series, Family Guy. Her most acclaimed performance was in Black Swan, next to Natalie Portman, which earned her a Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress along with a Golden Globe nomination.
27. Kate Beckinsale
As a French and Russian literature student in Oxford, Kate Beckinsale was described by The Observer journalist, Victoria Coren Mitchell as being “whip-clever, slightly nuts, and very charming.” In spite of this “glowing” review, Beckinsale decided to leave a potentially promising future in Modern Languages to pursue acting, and made her film debut in 1993’s Much Ado About Nothing.
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After landing the role of Selene in the Underworld series, Beckinsale has become a well-recognized female action hero, starring in films like Van Helsing and Total Recall. More recently, in 2019, Beckinsale accepted a lead role in a television series for the first time in 20 years, starring in the Amazon Prime drama, The Widow.
28. Margot Robbie
Back in 2013 Margot Robbie burst her way into stardom through her breakout role as Naomi Lapaglia in the Martin Scorsese film, The Wolf of Wall Street. Four years later, the Australian-born star was already being featured in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
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Since emerging onto the big screen, Robbie has made a name for herself in Hollywood as being more than just an award-winning actress. She is also the founder of her own film and TV production company, LuckyChap Entertainment. The company has been responsible for films like Terminal and I, Tonya the later of which was nominated for four Academy Awards.
29. Nina Dobrev
Born Nikolina Konstantinove Dobreva, Nina Dobrev grew up in Canada after her family moved there from Bulgaria. Starting in 2006, Dobrev played the character of Mia Jones in the series Degrassi: The Next Generation. Three years later she landed the role of Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on the vampire drama series, The Vampire Diaries.
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In addition to acting, the Bulgarian born actress has also been heavily involved in numerous charities and activist groups in both the United States and Canada. These organizations have made contributions to everything from helping with children’s education, to fighting disease, to even building schools in impoverished parts of the world.
30. Morena Baccarin
Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Morena Baccarin’s family moved to the United States when she was just seven years old. Growing up in New York, it seems as though her Manhattan high school was a magnet for future actresses, there Baccarin was classmates with none other than future Homeland co-star, Claire Danes.
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One of the roles Baccarin is best known for is as Inara Serra in the sci-fi television series, Firefly, along with its follow up film Serenity. She was also cast as Vanessa in the Deadpool movie franchise and received an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work on Homeland.
31. Bryce Dallas Howard
The daughter of actor and director Ron Howard, this Hollywood star landed her breakout role in the M. Night Shyamalan film, The Village (2004). Bryce Dallas Howard earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the 2006 film As You Like It, and her work in the 2017 episode of Black Mirror: Nosedive, won her a Screen Actors Guild Award.
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Lately Howard has moved from solely acting to both acting and directing, and will be receiving a director’s credit on the upcoming Disney+ web series, The Madelorian, which takes place in the Star Wars universe and is meant to be released on November 12, 2019.
32. Halle Berry
In addition to being an Academy Award winning actress, Halle Berry is also a model and beauty pageant competitor, having finished runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and sixth in Miss World 1986. Berry received her Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her role in the romantic drama, Monster’s Ball.
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During the 2000’s this former runway model and Academy Award winning actress was one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, playing the role of Storm in the X-Men series, along with parts in thrillers like Gothica and the James Bond spy film Die Another Day. Her most recent role was in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum where she played the role of Sofia.
33. Olivia Wilde
Activist, producer, director, and actress, Olivia Wilde’s prodigal career began on the short-lived television series, Skin, before Wilde made her way to her breakout role as Remy “Thirteen” Hadley on the medical drama series House. Fast forward past numerous roles in films like Tron: Legacy, The Lazarus Effect, and Wonderland, to where Wilde made her debut as a director on the 2019 comedy, Booksmart.
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Her work as an executive producer has taken her around the world as she has participated in the making of several documentaries. The most recent, 2017’s Fear Us Women, follows a Canadian woman, Hanna Bohman, who traveled to Syria and remained there for three years to fight alongside the Kurdish military.
34. Emily Blunt
A London native, Emily Blunt was educated at the Hurtwood House in the town with the somewhat humorous name of Dorking. After starring in several British plays, shows, and movies, Blunt made a successful transition to Hollywood by landing a role as the dour assistant Emily in The Devil Wears Prada.
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Since then this British born Hollywood star has become the receiver of numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as Evelyn Abbot in A Quiet Place, where she starred alongside her husband John Krasinski. Blunt is currently signed on to star in A Quiet Place II which is due to be released in theaters on March 20, 2020.
35. Megan Fox
As of today, movie star Megan Fox has been featured in magazines like Maxim and Rolling Stone but according to the actress, it wasn’t an easy road to success. Growing up Fox recalled being teased in school and finding it difficult to connect with people and would “eat lunch in the bathroom” in order to avoid the bullies.
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But all that changed after her 2004 breakout role in the teen comedy, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. From there Fox starred in the blockbuster hit Transformers and its sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen which since then has made her a popular household name.
