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.

Leading Role: Cameron Diaz

It's hard to believe, but Cameron Diaz is 37. After auditioning for and landing a role in The Mask at the ripe, young age of 21 with no prior acting experience, Diaz has skyrockted to the top of the Hollywood elite. She's starred in numerous feature films, but which role is she most known for? If she were to give up acting tomorrow (and by the looks of this new movie The Box she might want to consider it), what role, other than her relationship with Justin Timberlake, would she be most known for?

1.) Tina Carlyle in The Mask (1994)



In this film Diaz played the damsel in distress as an eye catching nightclub singer. Although it was a minor role (it was still the female lead) it turned out to be her breakthrough performance.

Most Memorable Lines:



Synopsis- Forget about her acting for a minute, Cameron Diaz was smoking hot in this movie. In fact, she's so attractive in this film that I made it into an adjective. In describing good looking girls sometimes I say, "She's like Cameron Diaz in The Mask hot," just like how on hot, sweaty days in the summer some people say, "It's Africa hot out."

Similarly, my boy Browny has told me a number of times that he got his first ever erection while watching The Rock (1996). In the beginning there's a scene where Vanessa Marcil (who I love) is stradling Nicolas Cage in a car. Now I can't exactly remember my first career boner, but if I had to guess I'd go with Cameron Diaz in The Mask. By the way, phenomenal conversation piece for guys.


2.) Mary in There's Something About Mary (1998)



In this Farrelly brothers comedy Cameron plays the girl that seemingly all guys fall for. Every guy knows that, "there's just something about her" feeling and I think this was the first time it was ever explicitly portrayed on the silver screen.

Most Memorable Lines:

Ted: Do you think maybe you wanna maybe, I don't know, go out to dinner, you know, catch up on old times?
Mary: Didn't we just do that?
Ted: Oh, uh...
Mary: I'm fucking with you, Ted!

Mary: I want a guy who can play 36 holes of golf, and still have enough energy to take Warren and me to a baseball game, and eat sausages, and beer, not lite beer, but beer. That's my ad, print it up.
Brenda: "Fatty who likes golf and beer." Gee, Mary, where are you gonna find a gem like that?

Pat Healy: My real passion is my hobby.
Mary: Really, what's that?
Pat Healy: I work with retards.
Mary: Isn't that a little, uhm, politically incorrect?
Pat Healy: Well, heh, to hell with that... no one's going to tell me who I can and can't work with, right?
Mary: No, I mean...
Pat Healy: We got this one kid, Mongo... He's got a forehead like a drive-in movie theatre, but he's a good ship. So we don't bust his chops too much. So, one day Mongo gets out of his cage...
Mary: They keep him in a cage?
Pat Healy: Well, it's just an enclosure...
Mary: No, but they keep him confined?
Pat Healy: Right, yeah.
Mary: That's bullshit!
Pat Healy: Well, that's what I said! So, I went out and I got him, uh, I got him a leash.
Mary: A leash?
Pat Healy: Yeah, one of those ones you can hook on the clothesline, and he can run back and forth and, uh, there's plenty of room for him to dig and play. That kid is really, uh, he's really blossomed.

Synopsis- In many ways this is Cameron's signature role. Not only is she the central figure of the film, but she sort of is her character Mary in real life. She's quirky, goofy, and fun and everybody seems to like her even though she's never really had a critically acclaimed performance.


3.) Christina Pagniacci in Any Given Sunday (1999)



In this film she plays a young, bitchy woman who has just inherited a professional football team.

Most Memorable Lines:

Christina Pagniacci: No intensity, no victory.

Christina Pagniacci: [in passing a player in the locker room exposed in all his manhood] Don't stiffen on me.

Synopsis- This role was a little out of Cameron's league, but I think she had a good grasp of the feisty, cold-heartedness that was needed to play Pagniacci. She kind of reminds me of the female owner in Major League (1989) except that she definitely has much more sex appeal. There's just something about women in power that attracts men. I think it's that guys want to see them in a situation where they no longer have the power, so to speak, and most guys feel like they can achieve this goal sexually.


4.) Jenny Everdeane in Gangs of New York (2002)



This is probably the best movie that Cameron Diaz has ever been in and her role as the most attractive girl in town, who happens to be a thief, is a minor one, but again it's the female lead.

Most Memorable Lines:

Bill: Anything in your pockets?
Jenny: I ain't started working yet.

Amsterdam Vallon: Is there anyone in the five points you haven't fucked?
Jenny: Yes, you.

Jenny: When I was twelve years old, my mother was dead, and I was livin' in a doorway. He took me in. Took care of me, in his way. After they cut out the baby... well, he doesn't fancy girls that's scarred up. But you might as well know in your own mind that he never laid a hand on me until I asked him to.

Synopsis- It's kind of hard to stand out in a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Dey-Lewis, but that's not to say that Cameron's performance was bad. In fact, she was good, but I don't think anyone thinks of her when Gangs of New York is brought up.


5.) Amanda Woods in The Holiday (2006)



Don't judge me because I've seen this movie. A girl made me watch it. In this film Cameron plays one of my dream professions. She's an editor of movie trailers, which I doubt is an actual profession. Wouldn't the director just take care of it? Either way, in the film she gets fed up with the hustle and bustle of everyday life and decides to take a vacation. She ends up swapping houses with a woman from England (Kate Winslet) and she falls in love with that woman's brother (Jude Law).

Most Memorable Lines:

Amanda: I need some peace and quiet... or whatever it is people go away for.

Amanda: You know Graham, I just broke up with someone and considering you just showed up and you're insanely good-looking and probably won't remember me anyway...
I'm thinking we should have sex... If you want.
Graham: Is that a trick question?

Amanda: Sex makes everything more complicated. Even not having it, because the not having it... makes it complicated.

Graham: Long distance relationships can work, you know.
Amanda: Really? I can't make one work when I live in the same house with someone.

Synopsis- This romantic comedy was interesting because 2 of the 4 stars aren't the least bit funny (Winslet and Law). What they did was pair the funny leads (Diaz and Jack Black) with the not so funny ones. The movie still isn't funny by my standards, but I certainly applaud their effort. Cameron plays her part quite well, but I don't think it stands out at all. The dual storyline sort of jumbles everything together.


6.) Joy McNally in What Happens in Vegas (2008)



This is quickly becoming one of my favorite movies of all time even though it gets negative points for featuring Queen Latifah. Diaz is once again in her wheelhouse playing a day trader at the NYSE who needs a break after being dumped by her fiance. Her goofy and fun personality shines so bright that it made me like Ashton Kutcher.

Most Memorable Lines:

Tipper: You know what? I can get a couple of my brother's loser ass friends to go over to Mason's apartment, knock on the door and when he opens it wham! They'll junk-punch him all up in his man business and he'll fall to the floor whaling and crying "Why?" and then we'll say "You know why!"
Joy McNally: Wow! Did you just make that up?
Tipper: No, I thought about it a lot on the way over

Joy McNally: Is there any part of the night, I don't know, maybe say the part where I was about to marry the rebound guy, that you thought, 'hey oh my God, this is a really good time for an intervention'?
Tipper: Seriously?
Joy McNally: Yeah.
Tipper: I like... threw up in my own purse... so...

Joy McNally: The grown-ups have to go to work today... What are you going to do all day?
Jack Fuller: I don't know yet
[shoves cereal in mouth]
Joy McNally: Hmph.
Jack Fuller: I'd rather do nothing and be happy than do something I know I don't love.
Joy McNally: Words to live by, Yanni.

Synopsis- The movie is hysterical, but as you can see Cameron doesn't really have many of the funny lines. She is sort of the serious, uptight one, but that unravels as her relationship with Kutcher develops.

When I think of Cameron Diaz I now think of this movie. It's literally her ideal role. It's a hysterical romantic comedy and her character's personality in many ways mirrors her own.