Top 10 Best Actresses of the 2000s

1. Angelina Jolie

   

   Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. She has received an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards and was frequently cited as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood through much of the 2000s and 2010s. Jolie's career... read more

   Changeling, Lara Croft, Wanted, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

2. Jessica Alba

   

   Jessica Marie Alba is an American actress and businesswoman. She won a Teen Choice Award and a Saturn Award for her role in Dark Angel and received a Golden Globe nomination for the same series. In 2011, Alba co-founded The Honest Company, a consumer goods business that sells baby, personal care, and... read more

3. Cate Blanchett

   

   Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actor, producer, and theatre director. She has received international acclaim and numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, four BAFTA Awards, six AACTA Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her recent screen projects... read more

   Cate is really an amazing actress, but I must say that her performance in Blue Jasmine is beyond perfection.

   I also loved Cate in Notes on a Scandal and Carol. She's definitely the best for me, so I believe she should be higher on this list.

   She received Oscar nominations for Best Leading and Supporting Actress in the same year.

   The Aviator, Notes on a Scandal, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I'm Not There, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Lord of the Rings movies.

4. Mila Kunis

   

   Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis is an American actress who was born on August 14, 1983, in Chernivtsi in the Ukrainian SSR. At age seven, she moved with her family to Los Angeles in 1991.

   She gained early fame as Jackie Burkhart on That '70s Show from 1998 to 2006 and later starred in major films... read more

5. Kate Winslet

   

   Kate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and singer. She is the recipient of an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, three BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Winslet rose to fame for her role in Titanic (1997) and has been acclaimed for her performances in both independent and mainstream... read more

   Iris, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children, The Reader, Finding Neverland.

6. Halle Berry

   

   Halle Maria Berry is an American actress. She won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the romantic drama Monster's Ball. As of 2026, she remains the only Black woman to have won the Best Actress Oscar.

   Halle is the leader in my opinion, but Hilary Swank might be her main competition.

   Monster's Ball, X-Men movies, Catwoman.

7. Milla Jovovich

   

   Milica Bogdanovna Jovovich, known professionally as Milla Jovovich, is an American actress, model, and musician. She became internationally known for her role in The Fifth Element and later starred in the Resident Evil film series. Jovovich has also pursued a music career and worked as a fashion model... read more

8. Anna Faris

   

   Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, producer, comedian, author, and podcaster. She became widely known for her role as Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie franchise. Her other notable films include The Hot Chick, The House Bunny, The Dictator, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.... read more

9. Zoe Saldana

   

   Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario (born June 19, 1978) is an American actress and dancer. Following her performances with the theater group Faces, Saldaña made her screen debut in a 1999 episode of Law & Order. She gained recognition for her roles in major franchises such as Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy... read more

10. Michelle Pfeiffer

    

    Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress and producer. She gained major popularity during the 1980s and 1990s. Pfeiffer has earned international acclaim and numerous awards for her performances in both comedic and dramatic roles.

    My all-time favorite. Has proved her talent and intelligence over and over again, and is stunning while she does it!

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Uma Thurman

    

    Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has starred in a wide range of films, including romantic comedies, dramas, science fiction, and action movies. Some of her most notable roles include Pulp Fiction, Les Misérables (1998), Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Producers, and... read more

12. ?

    Natalie Portman

    

    Natalie Portman is an actress, film producer, and film director with dual American and Israeli citizenship. She is best known for her roles as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and Nina Sayers in Black Swan. Her performance in Black Swan earned her numerous accolades, including an Academy... read more

The Contenders

13. Sigourney Weaver

    

    Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver is an American actress and film producer. Following her film debut as a minor character in Annie Hall, she quickly rose to prominence in 1979 with her first lead role as Ellen Ripley in Alien.... read more

    Sigourney Weaver is awesome!

14. Mary Elizabeth Winstead

    

    Mary Elizabeth Winstead, born November 28, 1984, is an American actress. She began her career with a major role as Jessica Bennett on the NBC soap opera Passions from 1999 to 2000. She later gained wider attention for her performances in the horror television series Wolf Lake (2001-2002) and films such... read more

    I love you, Mary Liz Winstead.

15. Anne Hathaway

    

    Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress and singer. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Millburn, New Jersey. Hathaway was inspired to act by her mother, Kate McCauley Hathaway, a former actress.

    As a high school student, she was nominated for the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising... read more

16. Amy Adams

    

    Amy Lou Adams is an American actress. She is the recipient of two Golden Globe Awards and has received six Academy Award nominations and seven BAFTA nominations.

    Known for both comedic and dramatic roles, Adams has appeared in films such as Enchanted, American Hustle, Arrival, and Vice.

17. Reese Witherspoon

    

    Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, known professionally as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and producer. She is well known for starring in Cruel Intentions, Election, Legally Blonde, Walk the Line, and Wild. Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as June Carter Cash in... read more

    Pretty, unaffected, girl next door. Her personality is always optimistic and fun. Nothing is a problem.

    Walk the Line, Legally Blonde movies.

18. Meryl Streep

    

    Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress. Frequently cited in the media as the "best actress of her generation," Streep is renowned for her versatility, ability to fully embody diverse characters, and mastery of various accents.... read more

    Music of the Heart, Adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada, Doubt.

19. Renee Zellweger

    

    Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. She has received critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Zellweger is best known for her performances in films such as Bridget... read more

    Cold Mountain, Chicago, Bridget Jones's Diary, Cinderella Man.

20. Sandra Bullock

    

    Sandra Annette Bullock is an American actress and producer. She has been one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses and has received an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Her notable films include Speed, Miss Congeniality, The Blind Side, and Gravity.

    She's so good at acting.

21. Alicia Silverstone

    

    Alicia Silverstone is an American actress, producer, author, and activist. She made her film debut in the 1993 thriller The Crush, winning the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. At age 16, she gained further prominence by appearing in the music video for Aerosmith's hit song "Cryin... read more

    Don't forget that she's in Clueless, another great movie she's in.

22. Naomi Watts

    

    Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress who began her career in Australian film and television. She made her screen debut in the 1986 drama film For Love Alone and later appeared in the television series Hey Dad. !.

    She gained international recognition for her performances in Flirting (1991), The... read more

    Come on! Don't tell me that Angelina Jolie and Mila Kunis, who are the first two actresses on this list, are better than Naomi Watts. This isn't very convincing. I mean, we're talking about talent in acting, not popularity.

    Lots of actresses above Naomi Watts on this list are overrated anyway.

23. Jennifer Aniston

    

    Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, producer, and businesswoman. She's the daughter of Greek actor John Aniston and American actress Nancy Dow. Aniston rose to worldwide fame portraying Rachel Green on the sitcom Friends, earning a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen... read more

24. Catherine Zeta-Jones

    

    Catherine Zeta-Jones is a Welsh actress. Born and raised in Swansea, Zeta-Jones aspired to be an actress from a young age. She gained fame for her roles in films such as The Mask of Zorro, Chicago, and Traffic, and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Chicago.

    Chicago, The Zorro movies, Ocean's Twelve, The Terminal.

25. Julia Roberts

    

    Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress and producer. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman, which grossed approximately $464 million worldwide. Roberts won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Erin Brockovich (2000).

    Erin Brockovich, Ocean's movies, Mona Lisa Smile.

26. Jennifer Connelly

    

    Jennifer Lynn Connelly is an American actress who began her career as a child model. She made her movie acting debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America. Connelly continued modeling and acting, starring in films such as the 1985 horror film Phenomena (her first leading role), the 1986... read more

    One of the finest actresses in Hollywood.

27. Hilary Swank

    

    Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress and producer known for her powerful performances in dramatic roles. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, first for her role in Boys Don't Cry in 2000 and then for Million Dollar Baby in 2005. Swank received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 in... read more