Top 25

With college football right around the corner I think it's only fitting that I release my top 25....actresses in Hollywood. These composite rankings take into account a multitude of factors.

-Looks- Looking good is half the battle and don't let anyone tell you any different.
-Talent- How good of an actress are you? Can you play multiple roles? Have you been typecast? Do you just skate by on your looks?
-Prestige- Will your name be enough to sell a movie? Does your acting resume stack up? Have you been nominated for, or won, big time awards?
-Exposure- Do I know who your husband/boyfriend is? Are you magazine cover worthy? Will the papparazzi leave you alone?
-Wealth- What kind of price tag do you have on you? What do you make per movie?
-Recent Activity- What have you done for me lately? When I hear your name can I easily recall the most recent movie that you've been in? If so, was that movie successful?

After weighing these factors, as well as my own personal biases, I have compiled the following power rankings. Television actresses were not considered.

And now without further ado....

1.) Angelina Jolie



First things first, Angelina Jolie is a an amazing actress. She's won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted (1999)) and been nominated for another (Best Actress for Changeling (2008)). This should come as no surprise, seeing that the acting gene is in her blood (Jon Voight is her father). Secondly, she's an absolute babe. Thirdly, she's married to a hunk in Brad Pitt. Fourthly (is this a word?), she's in magazines more than almost anyone because of her relationship with Pitt, her adopted kids, and her activism all around the globe. Fifthly (definitely not a word), she is more than enough to carry an entire movie (see Salt (2010)). Honestly, I don't know if anyone else is as close to being the total package (as far as these power rankings go) as Angelina.

2.) Jennifer Aniston



She's clearly not the best actress out there, but the rom-com queen just continues to crank out films. And she's still bringing it by the way. I mean, she's 41 and she arguably looks better than when she was 31. She also gets perhaps her biggest boost on this list because her personal life has been covered 12 times over by the tabloids. Speaking of which, I feel a little bad having her #2 with Angelina at #1 after the whole Brad Pitt saga, but it is what it is. Lastly, I don't think it's that outrageous to say that she's more famous now than all of her castmates from Friends combined.

3.) Kate Winslet



When it comes to talent, from a pure acting perspective, I think Winslet is the best in the business. She just isn't out there enough to hang with Angie and Jen, although her separation from director Sam Mendes has put her in the spotlight more than she's used to.

4.) Meryl Streep



Although I loathe her, even I can't argue with her pedigree. Meryl has had an extraordinary career as an actress and she continues to wow audiences with her array of roles even to this day.

5.) Reese Witherspoon



Dare I say that she's underrated? She's adorable, extremely talented, and makes a killing per movie, but I get the feeling that she's never really in the best actress conversation. Of all the Oscar winning performances for Best Actress in my lifetime, I think hers in Walk The Line (2005) is head and shoulders above the rest.

6.) Sandra Bullock



The reigning Oscar winner for Best Actress has been everywhere ever since her divorce from Jesse James. As much as I want to have Sandra's back, I do put some of the blame on her because the guy was a trainwreck before she married him. I mean, just look at his tatooes. No wonder he was into a chick that had even more than he did. Also, he kind of looks like Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. Lastly, Sandra recently went Angelina on us and adopted a baby (and I think it's black), so that definitely helped her in the rankings.

7.) Cameron Diaz



I don't think Cameron Diaz is a good actress, but she's made a lot of money by looking good in movies that have made a lot of money. In fact, she's hard not to like. She just has that bubbly, fun personality.

8.) Anne Hathaway



This might be my most surprising ranking of them all. In fact, I probably have her a little too high, but Hathaway's career has really taken off in the past few years. I'm actually not a big fan of hers (I don't really like her personality from the interviews I've seen), but I can't deny her rapid ascension into the Hollywood elite.

9.) Scarlett Johansson



Scarlet Johansson knows she's a great actress and she knows she's hot, but I get the feeling that she could really care less. For whatever reason she just strikes me as the type of actress that is completely artsy and all about the performance. There's no doubt that she could be even more famous and make a lot more money, but she'll stick to doing Woody Allen movies because they're more abstract. Seriously, she has all the potential to be one the top leading ladies, but I don't think that she wants to be.

10.) Julia Roberts



She was undoubtedly #1 on this list back in her prime (1988-1994) and it would almost seem like a crime if she wasn't still in the top 10. This Hollywood vet has name recognition some of these other actresses only dream that they can one day achieve.

11.) Vera Farmiga- Her body of work doesn't stack up with many of the other actresses on this list, but boy was she outstanding in The Departed (2007) and Up in the Air (2010). If she hits it out of the park in her next role, you can bet your bottom dollar that she'll find her way into the top 10.
12.) Penelope Cruz- 3 Oscar noms (1 win) in the past 4 years for this Latina sensation. Maybe that mental breakdown was a blessing in disguise?
13.) Halle Berry- She's still the best African American actress going. And she's still drop dead gorgeous.
14.) Jennifer Garner- I don't think that I've ever heard someone say a bad word about her. She just has that down to earth, girl next door kind of personality. And being Mrs. Ben Affleck doesn't hurt.
15.) Helen Mirren- Not only does she look goood for 65, but she's been nominated for 4 Oscars (1 win), including for Best Actress earlier this year.
16.) Keira Knightley- This British starlet is definitely on the rise in the acting world. She's stunningly beautiful and blessed with a natural ability on the screen.
17.) Drew Barrymore- Even though I despise her, she is still deserving of this spot. Don't ask me why, but her name carries weight around the Hollywood circuit.
18.) Ellen Page- She was awesome in Juno (2007) and showed her versatility in Inception (2010). She'll be marching up this list in the coming years.
19.) Jessica Biel- I don't think that Biel is all that talented as an actress, but she's arguably the best looking woman in Hollywood and she gets major bonus points for dating Justin Timberlake.
20.) Kate Hudson- Oh how the mighty have fallen. Last year she definitely would have been in the top 15 and may even have sniffed the top 10 (thanks to her highly publicized romance with A-Rod), but now she's falling quickly. I used to be her biggest fan, but I can't even tell you the last movie that she was in.
21.) Zooey Deschanel- My #1 celebrity crush was going to find her way onto this list one way or another. And for the record, she's excellent in Yes Man (2008) and (500) Days of Summer (2009).
22.) Amy Adams- I can't get enough of this red head. She's paid her dues as a supporting actress, but I still think she's a year or two away from really excelling in a lead role.
23.) Nicole Kidman- She's fresh off two busts (Australia (2008), Nine (2009)) and fading quickly, but her name still carries weight.
24.) Rachel McAdams- She has a very solid resume and she's attractive in that she's got something about her kind of way, but she lacks any sort of star quality.
25.) Kristen Bell- She's definitely an up and comer and probably would have been higher if I remembered her name when I was compiling this list. No joke, I wrote down "Sarah Marshall" because her actual name didn't come to me. On a related note, I don't know what I'd do without Google.

Others Receiving Votes: Natalie Portman, Megan Fox, Jessica Alba, Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, Anna Kendrick, Kate Beckinsale, Laura Linney, Katherine Heigl, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isla Fisher, Julianne Moore, Katie Holmes, Eva Mendes, Mila Kunis, Rashida Jones, Sienna Miller


I know I probably forgot someone worthy of mention, so feel free to let me know who I unintentionally snubbed.