Megan Fox, Julia Roberts, Audrey Hepburn and the ten most beautiful women in film history
Brad Sturdivant
July 16th, 2011
Many aspects of film can be debated, but one area of film that seems to be a source of contention is who the most beautiful actress of all time is. This question can range from the crass to the classy, but before I attempt to settle the age-old debate, I think we have to set some parameters. So here are some rules I used when making this list:
1. This is a measure of the actress’s beauty, not her talent. One does not always equal the other.
2. This is a snapshot in time; an actress in a particular role at a very specific moment in her career. This is not her on the red carpet or a look at the overall beauty of an actress; that’s a separate debate.
3. The actress’s part in the film has to be as the main actress in the film.
10. Carrie Fisher – RETURN OF THE JEDI – 1983: This one makes the list because I’m a geek. Princess Leia in a slave girl outfit is the epitome of fantasy and it’s made possible by Carrie Fisher. Even outside of that scene, she was still beautiful, wearing full camouflage when hanging with the ewoks.
9. Julia Roberts – PRETTY WOMAN – 1990: It’s tough to remember, but Julia Roberts used to be America’s sweetheart. She got that label by playing the hooker-that-cares in PRETTY WOMAN. True, looking at her today is slightly disappointing, but that’s the beauty of film; we can remember what we want to remember.
8. Bette Davis – ALL ABOUT EVE – 1950: One of the few actresses that have had a hit song written for a specific feature, Bette Davis has yet to be matched in terms of combining beauty and confidence on film. Eve was her most popular and impressive performance and it was a perfect reminder that a special feature above the neckline can actually be sexier than anything below it.
7. Jennifer Lopez – OUT OF SIGHT – 1998: We all know how horrible of a person J-Lo is these days, so we have to close our eyes and remember back to the late 90’s when she was smoking hot in OUT OF SIGHT. Soderbergh knows how to make people look good and he was never more successful than he was with J-Lo.
6. Zhang Ziyi – 2046 – 2004: Zhang Ziyi’s presence in 2046 was hypnotizing, which was exactly what director Kar Wai Wong wanted her to be. As we followed a lonely man longing for the love of his life, we couldn’t help but be mesmerized any time Ziyi came on screen.
5. Marilyn Monroe – BUS STOP – 1956: This is a tough one, only because Marilyn was breathtaking in all of her films. But I grew up in a household that loved classic movies and BUS STOP is always the one that sticks out for me.
4. Grace Kelly – HIGH NOON – 1952: Much like Marilyn Monroe, any film that Grace Kelly appeared in could be on this list. I know REAR WINDOW is the popular choice, but after I watched HIGH NOON, the only thing I could talk about was how beautiful Grace Kelly was. I actually had to watch the movie again just to form an opinion on it.
3. Megan Fox – TRANSFORMERS – 2007: I know it’s cool to hate on Megan Fox because she’s hated by just about everyone. And yeah, even I’m a little embarrassed to put her on here, especially with the other actresses on the list, but this isn’t a measurement of her niceness or talent, it’s a measurement of her beauty and she looked incredible in TRANSFORMERS.
2. Olivia Newton-John – GREASE – 1978: “Innocent Sandy” was my fantasy girl for the longest time and the fact she changed herself to “Slutty Sandy” at the end was very disappointing for me. As much as I love the tight leather pants, nothing beats the poodle skirt and sweater. Throw in a cheerleading outfit and the fantasy is complete.
1. Audrey Hepburn – BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S – 1961: No actress captured the sexiness of a generation better than Audrey Hepburn in Tiffany’s. In film history, this actress, in this film, defines classy (yes, even though she technically was a prostitute). The classic black and white dress and the innocent smile is enough to drive any man completely crazy.
Runner-Ups: (I usually don’t do runner-ups, but in this case I think it’s appropriate) Halle Berry – SWORDFISH, Phoebe Cates – FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, Elizabeth Taylor – GIANT, Natalie Portman – CLOSER, Diane Lane – UNFAITHFUL, Salma Hayek – FROM DUSK TIL DAWN.
