Top 10 Greatest Deceased Actresses

1. Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

   

   Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson, June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962) was an American actress, singer, and model. Decades after her unexpected death, she has remained one of Hollywood's greatest sex symbols with her eye-catching style, champagne blonde hair, and breathless manner of speaking. She... read more

   Marilyn Monroe was an absolute legend. I will miss her always, and in my opinion, she will always be my favorite actress. Lots of love, from your biggest fan.

   Marilyn Monroe.

   The name springs up certain words in our minds:

   Beauty.

   Talent.

   Iconic.

   But most of all, wonderful.

   The most iconic actress of all time.

2. Grace Kelly (1929-1982)

   

   Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 - September 14, 1982) was an American actress who left Hollywood to become Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier III on April 18, 1956. She died on September 14, 1982, one day after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while driving and crashing her car.... read more

3. Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)

   

   Audrey Hepburn, born Audrey Kathleen Ruston (May 4, 1929 to January 20, 1993), was a British actress and humanitarian. Widely recognized as a film and fashion icon, she was a prominent figure during Hollywood's Golden Age. The American Film Institute ranked her as the third-greatest female screen legend... read more

   Marilyn is only famous for showing her skin and playing blonde stereotypes. Audrey was talented and truly beautiful.

   She was the greatest actress ever.

   So talented, so beautiful.

4. Vivien Leigh (1913-1967)

   

   Vivian Mary Hartley, later known as Vivien Leigh and Lady Olivier, was an English stage and film actress. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Leigh was also known for her theatrical work... read more

   Not only is she the most beautiful actress to ever grace the silver screen, she was also the greatest actress. She truly became her character. Just watch her movies. They're living proof of her magnificent talent.

   Incomparable. She should be number one!

   YES. Oh my God, she's my lesbian crush.

5. Bette Davis (1908-1989)

   

   Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5, 1908 - October 6, 1989) was an American actress who worked in film, television, and theater. She is regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history. Davis was known for her willingness to portray unsympathetic, sardonic characters and for her versatility... read more

   Greatest actress ever. Love her.

6. Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003)

   

   Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress. Known for her fierce independence and spirited personality, Hepburn was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years. She won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, the most of any performer in that category.

   Can't believe she's not on here - she is fantastic, and she has won more Oscars than anyone else.

7. Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)

   

   Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (February 27, 1932 - March 23, 2011), was a British-American actress, businesswoman, and humanitarian. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and became one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. Taylor continued acting... read more

8. Heather O'Rourke (1975-1988)

   

   Heather Michele O'Rourke, born December 27, 1975, and died February 1, 1988, was an American child actress. She gained fame for her role as Carol Anne Freeling in the supernatural horror film Poltergeist (1982), which received critical acclaim and became a landmark in the genre. O'Rourke reprised the... read more

9. Judy Garland (1922-1969)

   

   Judy Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, was an American singer, actress, and vaudevillian. She rose to international fame with her performance as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and had a career spanning over four decades... read more

10. Natalie Wood (1938-1981)

    

    Natalie Wood, born Natalie Zacharenko (July 20, 1938 - November 29, 1981), was an acclaimed American film and television actress. She gained fame for her performances in Rebel Without a Cause opposite James Dean and as Maria in West Side Story. She remains a cultural icon, in part because of the mystery... read more

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Dolly Parton (1946-2026)

    

    Dolly Rebecca Parton was an American singer-songwriter, actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist, primarily known for her work in country music. She composed more than 3,000 songs and received numerous honors, including 11 Grammy Awards, one of which is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.... read more

12. ?

    Valerie Perrine (1943-2026)

    
The Contenders

13. Joan Crawford (1905-1977)

    

    Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur on March 23 sometime between 1904 and 1908, was an American film and television actress who began her career as a dancer and stage showgirl. She became one of Hollywood's most prominent stars, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1945... read more

14. Kay Francis (1905-1968)

    

    Kay Francis was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved into film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 and 1936, when she was Warner Bros.' top female star and highest-paid actress. Francis appeared in more than 60 films and was known... read more

15. Rita Hayworth (1918-1987)

    

    Rita Hayworth, born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918, was an American actress and dancer. She rose to fame in the 1940s as one of Hollywood's top stars, appearing in 61 films over a 37-year career.

    Dubbed the "Love Goddess" by the press, Hayworth became one of the most glamorous screen... read more

    The greatest redhead to ever rock Hollywood's golden age. Gilda was a hit, and she was an amazing dancer too. I've heard she could dance flamenco like nobody's business.

16. Lucille Ball (1911-1989)

    

    Lucille Désirée Ball, born August 6, 1911, and died April 26, 1989, was an American actress, comedian, model, film studio executive, and producer. She was best known for her work on the television shows I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, and Here's Lucy. In 1962, she became the first woman to lead a major television... read more

    Come on! I Love Lucy? There's a reason EVERYONE loves Lucy.

17. Joan Fontaine (1917-2013)

    

    Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 - December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress best known for her starring roles in classic Hollywood films. Fontaine appeared in more than 45 feature films during a career that spanned five decades. She was... read more

18. Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990)

    

    Barbara Stanwyck, born Ruby Catherine Stevens on July 16, 1907, was an American actress who died on January 20, 1990. She was known for her strong, realistic screen presence and became a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang, and Frank Capra.... read more

19. Mae West (1893-1980)

    

    Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893, to November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter, comedian, and sex symbol. Her career in entertainment lasted more than seven decades. She was known for her clever use of bawdy double entendres and her relaxed approach to sexual independence.... read more

20. Lauren Bacall (1924-2014)

    

    Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, was an American actress. She died on August 12, 2014. Bacall was known for her distinctive voice and sultry on-screen presence.

    She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute. In... read more

21. Janet Leigh (1927-2004)

    

    Janet Leigh, born Jeanette Helen Morrison on July 6, 1927, was an American actress, singer, dancer, and author who died on October 3, 2004. She is best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination.... read more

22. Claudette Colbert (1903-1996)

    

    Claudette Colbert (September 13, 1903 - July 30, 1996) was an American stage and film actress who was a major Hollywood leading lady for more than twenty years. She was often described as a blend of beauty, sophistication, wit, and charm.... read more

23. Ginger Rogers (1911-1995)

    

    Ginger Rogers, born Virginia Katherine McMath on July 16, 1911, was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She is best known for her performances in musical films during the 1930s, particularly through her iconic partnership with Fred Astaire. Rogers won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1941 for... read more

24. Lillian Gish (1893-1993)

    

    Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 - February 27, 1993) was an American screen and stage actress, as well as a director and writer. Her film acting career spanned 75 years, from her debut in silent shorts in 1912 to her final appearance in 1987.... read more

25. Shirley Temple (1928-2014)

    

    Shirley Temple Black (April 23, 1928 - February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, businesswoman, and diplomat who was Hollywood's number one box-office draw as a child actress from 1935 to 1938. As an adult, she was named United States ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia and also... read more

26. Jean Harlow (1911-1937)

    

    Jean Harlow, born Harlean Harlow Carpenter on March 3, 1911, was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s.

    Harlow's popularity rivaled and eventually surpassed that of her MGM colleagues Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer. She became one of the biggest movie stars of the era, widely known... read more

27. Carole Lombard (1908-1942)

    

    Carole Lombard, born Jane Alice Peters (October 6, 1908, to January 16, 1942), was an American film actress. She was particularly noted for her energetic, often offbeat roles in 1930s screwball comedies. During the late 1930s, she became one of Hollywood's highest-paid stars.... read more