20th-century American actresses

American actress (born 1958)

American actress

Amanda Peet is an American actress. She began her career with small parts on television before making her feature film debut in Animal Room (1995). Her portrayal of Jill St. Claire in The Whole Nine Yards (2000) brought her wider recognition. Since then, she has appeared in Saving Silverman (2001), High Crimes, Changing Lanes, Igby Goes Down, Something's Gotta Give, Identity, Melinda and Melinda (2004), A Lot like Love, Syriana, The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008), 2012 (2009), Gulliver's Travels (2010), Identity Thief, The Way, Way Back, and other films.

Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012 and 2026, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

American actress (1900–1993)

Margalit Ruth Gyllenhaal Sarsgaard is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, and two British Academy Film Awards.

American actress and singer (born 1985)

American stage and film actress (1926-2010)

American actress (1940–2023)

American film actress (1911–1937)

Maria de Lourdes Villiers Farrow is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the prime-time television soap opera Peyton Place and gained further recognition for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra. She achieved her career breakthrough and international acclaim as the titular character Rosemary in Roman Polanski's psychological horror film Rosemary's Baby (1968), receiving nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She went on to appear in several films throughout the 1970s, such as Follow Me! (1972), The Great Gatsby (1974), and Death on the Nile (1978). Her younger sister is Prudence Farrow.

American actress

Bette Midler is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her six-decade career Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden Globe Awards, three Grammy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Kennedy Center Honor, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award.

American actress (born 1930)

Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack was an American actress and singer, known for her equal mastery of the comedy and drama genres. Her famed roles include Tai Frasier in the teen film Clueless (1995), Alex Latourno in 8 Mile (2002), Daisy Randone in Girl, Interrupted (1999), Molly Gunn in Uptown Girls (2003), Sarah in Just Married (2003), and Gloria in Happy Feet (2006).

American actress

American actress and television personality (1967–2007)

Robin Gayle Wright is an American actress, producer and director. She has received accolades including a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for eight Primetime Emmy Awards.

American actress (born 1965)

Anna Kay Faris is an American actress and comedian. She rose to prominence for her comedic roles, particularly the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie films (2000–present). Her films as a leading actress have grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide.

American actress

American actress (1917–2007)

American actress (born 1968)

American actress (1934–2022)

American actress (1906–1984)

Elizabeth Banks is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for playing chaperone Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games film series (2012–2015) and an ICCA commentator in the Pitch Perfect film series (2012–2017). She made her directorial film debut with Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), whose $69 million opening-weekend gross set a record for a first-time director. She directed the action comedy Charlie's Angels (2019) and the horror comedy film Cocaine Bear (2023). Banks founded the film and television production company Brownstone Productions in 2002 with her husband, Max Handelman.

American actress (1923–1985)

Alicia Silverstone is an American actress. She made her film debut in the thriller The Crush (1993), earning the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, and gained further prominence as a teen idol when she appeared in the music videos for Aerosmith's songs "Cryin'", "Amazing", and "Crazy". She went on to star as Cher Horowitz in the teen comedy film Clueless (1995), which earned her a multi-million-dollar deal with Columbia Pictures. In 1997, she portrayed Batgirl in the superhero film Batman & Robin.

American actress (1913–2000)

Sarah Michelle Prinze is an American actress. She is known for portraying strong female characters in film and television, and is regarded as a scream queen for her work in the horror genre.

American actress and Playboy Playmate (1933–1967)

American actress (born 1951)

American actress (born 1972)

American actress (1910–1990)

American actress and model (born 1972)

American actress and television presenter (born 1974)

American rapper, singer and actress

American actress

American actress (born 1958)

German-born actress (1910–2014)

American actress (1919–2009)

Canadian-American actress (1902-1983)

American actress

American actress (born 1954)

American actress (1930–2024)

American actress and model (1943–1969)

American actress

American actress (born 1964)

American actress

Kerry Marisa Washington is an American actress. She has received several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two Tony Awards. She was included in Time's 100 list of most influential people in 2014, and Forbes named her the eighth highest-paid television actress in 2018.

American actress (1920–2006)

American actress and television producer (1936-2017)

American actress (1951–2022)

American actress (1921–1995)

Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards as the title character on Murphy Brown. She is also known for her role as Shirley Schmidt on the ABC drama Boston Legal (2005–2008). In films, Bergen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Starting Over (1979) and for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Gandhi (1982).

Carole Penelope Marshall was an American actress, film director, and producer. She starred as Laverne DeFazio on the television sitcom Laverne & Shirley from 1976 to 1983, and received three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her portrayal.

American actress (1908-1942)

American actress (1927–2004)

American actress (1939–2010)

American actress and author (1906–1987)