American Shakespearean actresses

Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress. Recognized as one of the most versatile performers of her era, Streep is noted for her technical precision, command of dialects, and professional longevity. She is an alumna of Vassar College and the Yale School of Drama, holding a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts. Her artistic process often includes refining her characters' dialogue so that their motivations possess a psychological depth and agency that transcend traditional archetypes. Beyond her creative work, she is a prominent advocate for gender parity, labor protections, and a challenge to the influence of the male gaze in film criticism and production.

American actress (1907–2003)

Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress and producer. One of Hollywood's most bankable stars during the 1980s and 1990s, her performances have earned her various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and one Primetime Emmy Award.

American actress

American actress

American actress and producer (born 1977)

American actress and producer (born 1965)

American actress (born 1958)

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.

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.

Vera Ann Farmiga is an American actress and singer. She began her professional acting career on stage in the original Broadway production of Taking Sides (1996). After expanding to television and film, her breakthrough came with her starring role as a drug addict in the drama Down to the Bone (2004). She then had roles in the political thriller The Manchurian Candidate (2004), the crime drama The Departed (2006), and the historical drama The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008). She was also established as a scream queen for her performances in the horror films Joshua (2007) and Orphan (2009).

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

Ginnifer Goodwin is an American actress. She starred as Margene Heffman in the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011), Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard in the ABC fantasy series Once Upon a Time (2011–2018), Judy Hopps in Zootopia (2016) and its 2025 sequel, and Beth Ann Stanton in Why Women Kill (2019).

Zimbabwean-American actress

Tessa Lynne Thompson is an American actress. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent dramas, her accolades include nominations for two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

American actress

American-Canadian actress

Calista Kay Flockhart is an American actress best known as the title character on Ally McBeal (1997–2002), for which she won a Golden Globe Award in 1998 and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series three times. She is also known for portraying Kitty Walker on Brothers & Sisters (2006–2011), and Cat Grant on Supergirl (2015–2021). In film, she is known for her performances in The Birdcage (1996), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), and Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000). Flockhart has been married to actor Harrison Ford since 2010.

American actress

American actress

American actress

American actress

American actress

American actress

American actress (1914-2001)

American actress

American actress

American actress (born 1982)

American actress and coloratura soprano (1922–2010)

American actress (born 1978)

American actress and dancer (1923–2004)

American actress (1924–2008)

American actress and singer (born 1970)

American actress

American actress

American actress

American actress and director

American actress (1916–2002)

American actress

American actress and singer

American actress (1911–1998)

American actress, theatre manager and producer (1893-1974)

American actress (1816–1876)

American actress

mother of Edgar Allan Poe (1787–1811)

Film and stage actress (1871-1960)

American actress

American actress

actress, drama teacher (1912-1998)

Indonesian-American actress

stage, film, and television actress (1919–2003)

American actress

American actress

American actress

American actress (1876-1964)

American actress (1945–2010)

American actress (1869-1956)

British-American actor and director (1905-1972)

American theatre and television actor (born 1977)