Hollywood’s 10 Greatest Actresses

Summary

Early in her career, there was no actress more controversial than Katharine Hepburn. Late in her career, there was no actress more beloved than Katharine Hepburn. Famously labeled “box office poison” in 1938, it is clear that Hollywood was not prepared for the young Hepburn. 

Bette Davis presided over Hollywood at a time in which the film industry was at its most influential. Every actress from Katharine Hepburn to Ingrid Bergman and Ginger Rodgers, themselves now considered among Hollywood’s greatest icons, lived in the shadow of Bette Davis. Not only was Davis a box office sensation and commercial success - she became the highest paid actress in 1938 - but she garnered more critical acclaim than any other actress during the time period.

Audrey Hepburn continues to retain her popularity and exert a strong influence over how people view beauty and sophistication. She remains an American icon, despite the fact that she did not even move to the United States until 1953 (at the age of 24).

Of all the great movie stars, there may be none more enigmatic than Greta Garbo, who remains internationally famous despite the fact her life and career raise more questions than answers. How did a Swedish actress with very little film acting experience in her native land arrive in the United States and achieve instant stardom?

Few actresses lived their lives in the public eye more than Marilyn Monroe, and yet her life remains shrouded in mystery to this day. While it is common knowledge that Marilyn’s life is a rags-to-riches story, her life is bookended by hazy details surrounding her early life and even more mysterious death. 

Elizabeth Taylor bears little in common with the paradigm of the troubled child star. After arriving in America at the age of 9, Taylor was indoctrinated into Hollywood shortly after child stars Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, but her experience represented the flip side of the coin.