Who are the top 10 most beautiful American actresses who can act?

I can't imagine a top ten list of beautiful, talented American
actresses that didn't include Julianne Moore.

Just to reinforce what I said above:

http://www.tonystuff.co.uk/extras2/julianne17.jpg

Just to let you know, the answer to this will be necessarily
subjective.  One person's gorgeous thespian ia another's ugly hack.

(I agree with pinkfreud, I do like Juilianne Moore.  Though I haven't
seen much of her work, I have enjoyed what I have seen.  And she has
great hair!)

Up at the very top of the list must be Meryl Streep!  Her acting...
quite simply unsurpassed IMHO!  Up there with "THE Greats"!  Perhaps
not a classic beauty but nevertheless, beautiful!

As for her acting abilities... 

"The trustees of the American Film Institute have selected Meryl
Streep to receive AFI's 32nd Life Achievement Award in 2004.

Meryl Streep is like no other. She's authentic yet ethereal.
Self-possessed yet vulnerable. Intellectual yet instinctive. And she
deftly combines these disparate qualities onscreen in a way that has
made her a cinematic icon.

Meryl Streep has presence, resonating with both audiences and critics
for the past 26 years. Beginning with THE DEER HUNTER in 1978-just her
second film-Streep has been nominated for 13 Academy Awards, more than
any other actor in history. She was named Best Supporting Actress for
KRAMER VS. KRAMER in 1980 and Best Actress for SOPHIE'S CHOICE in
1983.

AFI Life Achievement Recipients 

Meryl Streep joins an esteemed group of individuals who have been
chosen for this distinguished honor since its inception in 1973."

1973 John Ford
1974 James Cagney
1975 Orson Welles
1976 William Wyler
1977 Bette Davis
1978 Henry Fonda
1979 Alfred Hitchcock
1980 James Stewart
1981 Fred Astaire
1982 Frank Capra
1983 John Huston
1984 Lillian Gish
1985 Gene Kelley
1986 Billy Wilder
1987 Barbara Stanwyck
1988 Jack Lemmon
1989 Gregory Peck
1990 Sir David Lean
1991 Kirk Douglas
1992 Sidney Poitier
1993 Elizabeth Taylor
1994 Jack Nicholson
1995 Steven Spielberg
1996 Clint Eastwood
1997 Martin Scorsese
1998 Robert Wise
1999 Dustin Hoffman
2000 Harrison Ford
2001 Barbra Streisand
2002 Tom Hanks
2003 Robert De Niro

http://www.afi.com/tvevents/laa/laa04.aspx

There are a number of others I could include of course and I agree
with previous comments about this subject being somewhat subjective.

I also quite admire Julianne Moore but my list would not be
comprehensive without the inclusion of Diane Lane -
http://www.dianelane.com  Scrummy and talented!

Great question... or should one say topic!

Cybernest

10?

Would you settle for 1?

Of course, if you were to widen the net to include British and
Australian actresses then you would really have a list to choose from.

It's subjective but here's ten from me...

Holly Hunter
Meryl Streep
Frances McDormand
Jody Foster
Jessica Lange
Julia Roberts
Gwyneth Paltrow
Julianne Moore
Rene Russo
Rene Zellweger

Best regards,
journalist-ga

So what makes you think I rather like this subject?  :)

Actually, I had a thought... "Standing shoulder to shoulder" with our
cousins across the pond... as always, :) I thought I would contribute
my Top 10 British... and Beautiful Actresses!

Kate Beckinsale	http://img.actressarchives.com/beckinsale/kate4.jpg
		http://img.actressarchives.com/beckinsale/kate76.jpg

Keira Knightley	http://www.keira-knightley.org/multimedia/pictures/Miscellaneous/Various/13.jpg
		http://www.kkwavefront.org/media/albums/photoshoots/green/large8.jpg

Helena Bonham Carter	http://img.actressarchives.com/helena/hbc021.jpg
			http://img.actressarchives.com/helena/hbc823.jpg

Kate Winslet 	http://img.actressarchives.com/kate/104.jpg
		http://img.actressarchives.com/kate/023.jpg

Catherine Zeta-Jones	http://img.actressarchives.com/catherine/good_stockings.jpg
			http://img.actressarchives.com/catherine/czjones27.jpg

Liz Hurley	http://img.actressarchives.com/elizabeth/liz025.jpg
		http://img.actressarchives.com/elizabeth/liz128.jpg
Kristen Scott Thomas	http://img.actressarchives.com/kristin/kristin73.jpg
			http://img.actressarchives.com/kristin/kristin104.jpg

Joely Richardson	http://web.ukonline.co.uk/david.dell/joely/14jr1.jpg
			http://web.ukonline.co.uk/david.dell/joely/jrx4.jpg

Anna Friel	http://www.celebritysearchengine.co.uk/fantasy/british/friel/friel3.jpg
		http://www.annafriel.fsnet.co.uk/afimages/109.jpg

Rachel Weisz	http://img.actressarchives.com/rachel/rachel33.jpg
		http://img.actressarchives.com/rachel/rachel23.jpg

Hope you enjoy as much as I did in putting them together here!

Cybernest

Since Cybernest has opened it up internationally, are there other
countries to be heard from?  Italy, France, Germany, Scandinavian,
even Asian.

Also, I think USA needs more work. I don?t think we have a definitive
USA great beauty/great actress list.

Zmaster.

Oh, Cybernest, What a GREAT LIST!

(The British gals, I mean.)

Now, these gals really are gorgeous and YES They Can Act!

Much prefer it to the list of Americanos you submitted: 

Bette Davis
Lillian Gish
Barbara Stanwyck
Elizabeth Taylor
Jack Lemmon
Dustin Hoffman
Barbra Streisand

Incidentally, I believe that Dustin Hoffman and Jack Lemon were only
pretending to be women and that Elizabeth Taylor actually is British.

Suggest you make up the ten with:

Ruby Keeler
Joan Crawford
Ethel Barrymore

Tell you what ... I bet it was much easier for you finding ten Brits,
What Ho and Jolly Hockeysticks.

Bryan the True Brit

Yet another subjective list.... 

American film actresses (beauty and acting chops) in particular order:

Robin Wright Penn
Jessica Lange
Diane Lane
Hollie Hunter
Angelina Jolie
Virginia Madsen
Lorraine Bracco 
Joanna Cassidy
Sharon Stone
Tuesday Weld
Julianne Moore
Gena Rowlands

This list of foreign actresses was much easier to compile:

Catherine Deneuve
Sophia Loren
Isabelle Adjani
Famke Janssen 
Juliette Binoche
Monica Bellucci
Sophie Marceau
Victoria Abril
Julia Ormand
Emmanuelle Béart
Lena Olin
Connie Nielsen 
Helena Bonham Carter
Mia Kirshner
Polly Walker 
Julie Delpy
Nastassia Kinski 
Emmanuelle Seigner
Joanne Whalley

Great actresses in my book but not classic beauties:

Meryl Streep
Susan Sarandon
Jodie Foster
Diane Keaton
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Annette Bening
Mary Louise Parker
Joan Allen
Liv Ullmann

Beautiful woman who've had some memorable roles:

Gwenth Paltrow
Julie Roberts
Michelle Pfeiffer
Halle Berry
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Kim Basinger
Melanie Griffith
Jennifer Connelly
Elizabeth Shue
Jacqueline Bissett
Julie Christie
Penelope Cruz
Liv Tyler
Nicole Kidman
Patricia Arquette
Annabella Sciorra
Milla Jovovich
Ashley Judd
Angela Bassett
Kate Winslet
Salma Hayek
Lynn Whitfield
Sela Ward
Geneviève Bujold
Charlize Theron
Kristin Scott Thomas
Natasha Henstridge
Vivian Wu
Joan Chen

Beauty and talent but junior league:

Kate Beckinsale
Keira Knightley
Ellen Pompeo
Audrey Tautou
Reese Witherspoon
Hillary Swank
Maria Bello
Rachel Lee Cook
Shannyn Sossamon

And how about:

Jean Simmons
Audrey Hepburn
Vivien Leigh
Shirley Eaton
Hattie Jacques
Cyd Charisse
Julie Andrews
Barbara Windsor
Gracie Fields
Tessie O'Shea

None of them could act but they sure could light up the screen.

I think that the question is intended for "TODAY" 10 most beautiful
American actresses:

Uma Thurman
Halle Berry
Julia Roberts
Jeniffer Anniston
And if she was American Milla Jovovich at the top of both list - beaty and act -!!!!

Hi, Livioflores

Halle Berry has an English mum. Or so I believe but yes she is gorgeous.

And I thought (perhaps wrongly) that Jennifer Anniston is English. Or
maybe I'm confusing her with sombody else.

I'm really hopeless on movie stars.

PB

Hi

Well... this Topic seems to have struck a chord!  :)  No wonder
celebrity "babe" sites is one of the more prolific niches on the net!

ZMaster... I am pleased you didn't mind my expanding your topic to a
more international perspective.  My understanding of your question was
also that you were looking for contemporary actresses.

I must admit I was concerned to go off topic, as your question did ask
for American Beauties!  Just couldn't help "flying" our beauties for
your delight and delectation!  :)

Probonopublico... (Interesting and very apt nick! he he!)

Hey Bryan, I was pleased you enjoyed my Brit list if not so much my American list!

I was particularly interested to learn Elizabeth Taylor is indeed
British.  I did not know that!  Actually, dual US / British
Nationality.  "Born in Hampstead, London, England, UK.  Her parents,
father an art dealer and mother a former stage actress, were American.
 Her father had gone to London to set up a gallery. Her mother had
been an actress on the stage, but gave up that vocation when she
married. Elizabeth lived in London for the first seven years of her
life before the family left when the dark clouds of war began brewing
in 1939."

Source:  http://www.worldhistory.com/wiki/E/Elizabeth-Taylor.htm

So far as Jennifer Aniston is concerned, I do believe you are
confusing her with somebody else.  Jennifer is definitely not British.
 Born in Sherman Oaks, California, USA - Parents were Greek.  She'll
be cheering them on tonight!  (European Football Championship - Euro
'04 Final - Portugal v Greece in Lisbon)

Source:  http://www.absolutely.net/aniston/bio.htm

Moving onto the stunning Halle Berry, I cannot find any mention of her
Mum's Nationality, thought there are quite a few Halle Berry Bios
quoting her Mother.  For instance "was raised (Halle) by her mother
Judith Ann Hawkins, a psychiatric ward nurse, with her older sister
Heidi. Judith's husband, Halle's father, walked out on her family when
she was only four years old."

Source:  http://supermodel.freewebpage.org/HalleBerry/  (Great Pic btw!)

Voila... Many of your selections would definitely be on my list of
International "All Time" Beautiful Actresses, especially Catherine
Deneuve who even in her sixties manages to still do it for me! :)

You also mentioned Julia Ormond.  Now... How could I have possibly
forgotten her and left her out of my British Top 10 posted earlier!  I
fell in love with Julia Ormond's "Sabrina" (or was it with Sabrina
herself!) in the remake of this lovely classic with Harrison Ford &
Greg Kinnear.  This was a remake of the 1959 Billy Wilder classic
romance starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden -
http://www.bfi.org.uk/gallery/audrey/sabrina.html

Source:  http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0114319/Ss/0114319/1-4.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Ormond,%20Julia

You gotta just love them all!  :)

Cybernest

An American beauty who's an excellent actress (as well as an expert
archer and a member of Mensa) is Geena Davis.

If deceased actresses are acceptable, I'd like to nominate the
breathtaking Ava Gardner.

Hey,

This is supposed to be for contemporary beauties ... with emphasis on
high acting skills.

Zmaster

Adding an Aussie: Cate Blanchett!

A.

What? No contemporary Italian or French beauties who can act?

Z

Is Lassie still alive?

She's the one and only for my money.

International?

Isabela Roselini....i adore her...

The most beautiful American actress who can act?


Jennifer Garner [Star of 13 going on 30 and Alias, Garner is luminous
and versitile as well as topping many "worlds most beautiful woman"
polls for years now]

Other beautiful women who can act
+ Julia Roberts
+ Julianne Moore
+ Halle Berry [shaky]
+ Kate Winlset
+ Michelle Pfieffer

Mikepepsi ...

Kate Winslet is a Brit by birth ...

And Halle Berry has a British mother ...

It's a devil when folk try to steal our British actresses.

Stop It!

what about 
<a href="http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=julia+styles&btnG=Search">julia
styles</a>

<a href="http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&q=ashley+judd&spell=1">ashley
judd</a>

<a href="http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&q=reese+witherspoon&spell=1">reese
witherspoon</a>

for Voila:
I know you put Pomeo in the "junior league" of your list, but after
you've seen Art Heist I think you may change your mind about the
talent aspect.  She works very hard but Yikes!  Even with poor
direction a pro should have managed that stuff better.
http://www.filmjudge.ca/a/artheist.htm

As for probonopublico, as a Canadian, I sympathize with your comment
about the American tendancy to claim actors and actresses from other
nations as their own...  now there's a cool thread for someone to
start!